01<@Ardweden> [Day: Sunday, September 26. Time: ?] 01<@Ardweden> [Last session, you went to go save Natalie again! Well. All of you except for Joan, because she didn't show up. Scathach also revealed herself and called Imp "Tyler". Buh? And then she said something about there being another way, whatever that means.] 01<@Ardweden> [In any case, you're not in the Natalie's dream yet, as you've been mysteriously stymied by a drawn bridge and a closed door. Imp is perched on one of the castle spires. So is the Raven. There's a guard twirling his moustache in one of the guard towers directly below. He probably doesn't know the Raven's there.] 01<@Ardweden> [Just a bit ago, Kali told the guard that Joan's entourage is there. The guard has been considering this for all of a few seconds, and he finally says, "No. I made a promise to a fellow night. Not some... demonic woman with no sense of fashion."] 01<@Ardweden> [Start!] Ah but I'm training as said knights squire and though she can't be here herself I need to talk to those inside. If I cannot complete my quest how will I ever redeem myself? 06* Kali would just like to note she has an *impeccable* sense of fashion for someone who appeared in the Haven topless, thank you very much. 01<@Ardweden> [The knight sniffs. "One who is not yet a knight is still not a knight."] Look, please let us in? 06* Kali then folds her arms and gestures vaguely with her hand as she turns towards the castle gates. "Right. Well we see how much the word of a knight is worth around here." 01<@Ardweden> ["Tell me, dragon woman," the guard says, leaning on his windowsill, "why do you need to go back into the castle? Was not one visit enough?"] 06* Scathach watches the guard and says nothing. So there. 06* Susano-o squints up at the man, gauging what to say, and waits. We found the person we were looking for, but we didn't have a chance to finish talking. 01<@Ardweden> ["I see. Your Natalie? I told you that no one by that name is in this castle."] She goes by Elaine here. 01<@Ardweden> [The guard aaaaaahs, twirling his moustache furiously.] 06* Susano-o clears his throat. "Sir, our intentions are noble. We caused no harm here on our last visit. We just have further business to finish. Why keep us out?" 06* Imp watches the moustache. 01<@Ardweden> ["The inhabitants were quite-" he thinks of the right word, twirling his moustache and clearing his throat- "displeased. That makes things uncomfortable for me, you understand. I live here."] Once we finish our business with Natalie-Elaine, I don't think we'll be returning. 01<@Ardweden> ["Hmm. Hmmmm. So you say. Hm."] 06* Hien says, quietly, "I haven't called her that in so long." 01<@Ardweden> [The guard pulls back, disappearing from the window of the tower.] 06* Imp waits but he's starting to look bored. 06* Hien looks at Kali. "If he doesn't let us in, then we try the other method." 06* Kali snorts as he goes away, arms going back to an all-crossed. "Yeah. Guy just seems hell-bent on wasting our time right now." 01<@Ardweden> [Near Imp, the Raven looks increasingly restless, alternately fluffing his feathers or hopping from one foot to the other.] 06* Imp frowns watching the Raven and then bamfs down to the drawbridge. 06* Kali sighs and reaches up for her head. With just one of her arms. She's getting better at self-control. "If I knew it wouldn't just launch me into a freaking abyss out of nowhere, I'd just try to port through that door..." 06* Imp frowns and starts counting, waiting. "Ten...nine....eight..." 06* Susano-o nods, and rests a hand on his hip just above the hilt of his sword, mentally counting down. 06* Scathach waits. Serious waiting action going down here. 01<@Ardweden> [So! Much! Waiting! He isn't back yet.] Four...three..two...one... okay stand back I'm done with this. 06* Kali gives a blank look at Imp and responds flatly, arms still crossed. "Wow. You actually waited. I'm impressed." 06* Hien stands back. As she's discovered, she's surprisingly non- fireproof for a fire-breathing dragon. 06* Imp shrugs. "Said I was doing it to redeem myself. He had fair warning." And with that Imp will fireball the drawbridge. 06* Susano-o steps back hastily from the fiery fire. 01<@Ardweden> [A ball of flame flies out of Imp's hand and slams into the drawbridge, creating an explosion MUCH larger than it looks like it should have made and quickly immolating all of that burnable, burnable wood. It is bright and orange-red and HOT.] 06* Imp watches it burn. 06* Kali glances up at the window, then nods to Imp. "Someone think they should be up there in case Twirly McAsshole comes back and tries to raise an alarm?" 01<@Ardweden> [Before long, it all burns away, becoming so much charred wood and ash. The guard hasn't come back.] 06* Imp heads to enter the door. "Come on. Let's see if that works." 01<@Ardweden> [There's a moat in the way, but Imp can fly so no big deal.] 06* Susano-o nods. "We can watch ourselves from the inside as well as the outside. 06* Kali nods and looks back up, finalizing her thought. "Ooooookay. Twirly McAsshole isn't coming back. Might have already been raised. Yay. STORMING THE CASTLE THEN!" She withdraws her swords. 06* Hien looks around. "Anybody want a lift across?" 06* Imp obviously can't fly but can glide. Totally difference and he's sure the mysterious GM narrator knows it. 01<@Ardweden> [Dude can't get to a decent height first, really?] 06* Scathach shakes her head. 06* Susano-o nods to Hien. "I can go myself. But it's easier if you do it. If you don't mind." 06* Kali glances at Susano-o and gives him a faint smirk. "Actually *I* could take you. If you want. And aren't creeped out..." 06* Hien looks at Susano-o. "I will leave that decision up to you." 06* Susano-o looks at Kali, unsure. "It won't tax you to carry me, too?" 06* Kali 's smirk folds into a faint grin. At least she seems to be a *little* happy again. "Welllll....you *could* look to lose a little weight, Susano-O." 06* Hien snorts. 06* Susano-o stares back for a beat, and then runs a hand along his scabbard. "Um. I'll go with Hien, then." 06* Kali snorts in response too. No trust, seriously. "Fine." A glance at Scathach. "You said you're good for getting across?" Really, where would you even start to *grip* something like Scathach? 06* Hien gently lifts Susano-o and wings her way across. 06* Scathach glances sideways at Kali, then takes a step and jumps, clearing the moat in a single leap. Amazingly enough, her hat stays on. 06* Kali watches her go and snorts again. "Could have at least answered." And then she ports herself across to the other side of the bridge. Doorward ho! 06* Susano-o just tries to stay still in flight. 01<@Ardweden> [The doors are there! There are two that swing outward, wood and reinforced with metal. They look very heavy.] 06* Hien sets Susano-o down. Thank you. 06* Kali 's swords are out in a flash as she comes out of thin air. Literally. Two quick strikes aimed at cutting a clean hole in the door. 01<@Ardweden> [Kali makes deep, twin gashes in the doors that come to a stop when they hit the metal.] 06* Kali frowns and pulls her swords back. "Didn't think it was going to be that easy." Hm. 06* Scathach whispers, "Well, it is a castle." 06* Hien reaches out, grabs one of the metal pieces, and starts pulling. 06* Kali gives Scathach a Look. Yes, thank you, Scathach. She thought it was a small cottage. Easy mistake for her to make really. 06* Hien braces her feet and grunts, pulling harder. 01<@Ardweden> [The door stubbornly holds still for a bit, just the metal bending and wood splintering, but then a series of somethings give with a metallic pop and the entire right door flies off of the castle, sending Hien stumbling back.] Oof! 01<@Ardweden> [Behind is a familiar, slightly swirling gray mist.] 06* Hien looks down at the door, then drops it into the moat and brushes her hands. 06* Kali glances at the door and blinks. "Well. That's *one* way. Disgusting little demons first?" 06* Susano-o smiles fiercely at Hien. "Wow. Well done." 06* Imp rushes forward to enter. 01<@Ardweden> [The door lands in the moat with a splash! Water effects are great in the dream world!] 06* Hien nods to Susano-o, then is about to take a step forward when she notices Imp, and thus waits. 01<@Ardweden> [Imp goes in and does not return.] 06* Scathach also enters, as well, and in addition to, Imp. 06* Kali cares not for your special effects. She cares only that there is a door-hole. Where there was once a door. She steps into the door- hole. 06* Susano-o will go in last. 06* Hien enters the space formerly blocked by the door. 01<@Ardweden> [You walk through the door hole and into Hogwarts. It is just as before, floating candles, paintings, and all.] 06* Scathach peers around. Evidently she has not been here before. 06* Imp grins. "Thanks Hein!" 06* Imp bamfs up to Hein's head. 06* Kali stalks down the halls of Hogwarts with a purpose. In the direction they took before. Unless this is one of those shifting funhouse dungeon castles. Cause then she's up for taking it apart brick by brick. 01<@Ardweden> [Well, it *is* Hogwarts.] 06* Susano-o follows along behind Kali. Makes sense to go the same way. 06* Hien reaches up out of habit, then stops because she did, in fact, grant permission for a head-sitting. Enjoy that while it lasts, Imp. 06* Hien stalks along a bit behind Kali. Following is good for not getting lost! 01<@Ardweden> [While you walk for the stairs, all but Susano-O hears whispers and murmurs all around you, coming from... the paintings? It's difficult to make out what they're saying, though Kali picks out something about 'invaders'.] 06* Susano-o is all about the walking. 06* Kali gets a determined look on her face as she half-hisses to the group. "Welp! So much for the quiet approach. Should get where we need to get quickly." 06* Susano-o looks at her quizzically, but not at the expense of walking. 06* Hien looks around at the paintings and nods. 06* Imp is going at the speed of Hien. 01<@Ardweden> [And so, you continue. DEEPER. INTO. HOGWARTS.] 01<@Ardweden> [End!]