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 Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2025 6:51 pm
There was a lot to grab from the post office this time, more than she could manage to carry back to her shop, even if it was only a few blocks. So in order to make things easier, she'd waited until Kinsley showed up at their usual time. The whole process of moving boxes of gears and other materials for crafting or packing orders was simple enough, and with the added set of hands, it made everything go by in just a few trips. "Best to get this all now before it decides to snow; it's always harder to get the right things on time when the weather is poor." Speaking as she set the last box of her batch on the counter and opened it to go through and inventory things quickly. Putting it away would come later, after the orders that were coming via FedEx and UPS arrived outside. Knowing they would be around soon, she decided it would be best to be out there just in case. "Let's work on the front glass while waiting. I need to check the lettering in case I need to call the sign painter back again." Something that needed to be done with the paint inevitably wore down and flaked due to sun exposure, the change of weather and temperature.
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Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2025 7:30 pm
"I agree, and the winter here can be brutal." The winter here could be down right magical and chaotic, which he knew to be very true, when he said magical he did not mean magical in the postcard sense but rather in the sense that a snowman might come to life and attempt homocide. Winter here was not the best time of year to be out and doing things, along with the fall of course, it was the later half of the year which became dangerous, and packages might not make it on time to where they were bound for. She was right to be getting things out now.
Helping her put things away, because he was getting the hang of things in the shop, Kinsey helped where he could under her direction. Setting up some of the packages, and putting boxes together, the pale eyed teen finished labeling the last thing that was set to go out. "That sounds good. I'm glad all the boxes have been dealt with." Both the ones coming in and the ones going out. "I heard the weather this coming weekend is going to be miserable." Though who was to say if the weather reports were accurate Not only were weather reports not the best, in general, but in this city magic could and would alter things as well. The weathermen never accounted for magic when it came to their reports for this city...but how could they? There was no actual way to do so, not taking into account their ignorance of magic, so it was no surprise to him when reports were wrong.
"Are we doing something for the holidays?" He questioned, stepping over to her side in order to help and do whateve r it was she asked him to do.
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Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2026 8:40 pm
"Sometimes I like it, the cold reminds me of home, but something about it here just isn't the same. It's close enough at least, better than France." Leaving that there, she sorted a few other things before propping the door open slightly to work on cleaning the front glass and applying anti-frost spray. "If it's slow because of the weather, that just gives me more time to work on things, as for the holidays..." She looked around thoughtfully for a moment before stepping outside to look at the storefront. Something seemed to glitter in the small pile of snow in front of the large store window. "Hrm... what's this, something's stuck in the snow out here," she called back to them as she moved to look at the pile. Squatting down carefully, she dusted the snow away and picked something up, turning it between her thumb and pointer finger before everything seemed to shift around her.
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Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2026 6:23 am
He could see thatg, the snow and the cold reminding her of home, Kinsey couldn't imagine being so far from home and yet he could understand in a way. There were things which reminded him of his mother though they were fewer and fewer things, as he got older and memories blured and faded as all memories did with the passge of time, it was always littlle things anyway. It was enough though - enough that he could understand his boss and mentor.
Nodding his head to her words, about having time to do other things if it was slow today, he shook his head. "People here are usee to odd, and brutal winters, but nothing like Russian winters I'm sure. Some will stay in, I'm certain, others will go out anyway." For important things, or whatever they deemed important, he did wonder about some people who went out into really bad weather..for simple, and often stupid, things which they didn't actually need but rather wanted. Those would be the people who went out when the weather got really bad, as it was due to, but till then things wouold slow no doubt as watches and clocks wasn't a very important thing...it was rather niche even in his opinion. He wasn't going to say that last bit to Luciana though, it would be rude.
"Stuck in the snow?" His attention pulled away from his thoughts by her words, hands tucked into his pockets as he headed outside to investigate and perhps help. He wasn't expectging her to vanish though. Cursing, in Norwegian, the brunette went to pick up the other glitting object. Let it take him, he hoped it would, so he couold get to Luciana and make sure she wa ok. He also kinda wanted to see what this die would do...where it would take him.
Kinsey didn't have to waitg long as he felt the pull and the disorfientationl as he landed on the ground, with a stumble, he almost landed on his knees. "
Faen." Another curse from him.
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Sara Draconia rolled 1 6-sided dice:
5
Total: 5 (1-6)
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Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2026 7:04 pm
Having landed roughly, Luciana felt for her weapon and focused on powering up. It wasn't cold in here, wherever here was, and when Kinsley appeared a moment later, she offered her hand to help him up. "Something about this doesn't seem right. Nobody else seems to be in here, so it's best to get your weapon out." Nodding to hers now that she stood there as Spasskaya, she finally looked at the die in her hand. Considering it for a moment and the fact that it was what brought them both here, she tentatively dropped it onto the floor and watched as it rolled and stopped. After a moment, something seemed to push her forward through to the next square and ahead again and again. She went at her own pace, looking back at Kinsley for a moment before she seemed to reach another invisible wall. A sound broke through the silence of that moment, a dog or some other canine, and she turned in the square, looking around for the source of it. "Something else is here, but I can't see it. Be careful." Quote: Space 5: A dog barks, fierce and frightening. You can hear its growl and the hackles stand up on the back of your neck. You can practically feel spittle on you. It’s close. And it’s big. And it’s angry. If this beastly dog could reach you, no doubt it would try to tear you to shreds.
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Sleet Tempest Snape rolled 1 6-sided dice:
5
Total: 5 (1-6)
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Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2026 8:29 pm
Taking the offered hand he noldded his head slowly, all the while looking around, what a stange place they were in. It was dark, sav e fo the path laid out before them, and no one else was here. It was also silent - too silentg for his liking. "I don't like the vibe of this place." Not one bit, it felt off and wrong, there was just something wrong with this all. "It';s a human board game, a short one, and we're the only players." Just ashe suspected, and for the same reasons he reached the conclusion as well.
"We'll hav e to play to get out." Which he didn't like, given there were no hints as to what to expect from this place. If this was magical, which it had to be, it meant lots of potential danger. This was bad - so bad. Powering up he stood ther, watching as the other rolled her die, he waited to see what would happen. He didn't pull out his cane, for now, there was no telling if summoning it wouldn't somehow be taken as a threat and make things worse...somehow. This whole thing could have some sentience after all.
When he rolled his own die he bent to get it, eyeing the number of dots showing - five. Ok, that put himm on the same spot as his mentor...where she was telling him she wasn't alone. Oh well, best get this over with sooner rather than later. That thought in mind he headed her way. Sure enough he heard it as well, great. Well, it didn't sound too bad, he was used to worse, but he disliked not being able to see the canine behind the noise. It was hard to predict things when you couldn't see them, when you could only hear them.
"I feel half bllind. Better roll again."
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Sara Draconia rolled 1 6-sided dice:
5
Total: 5 (1-6)
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Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2026 8:34 pm
With Novella ending up on the same square, she was pleased to see him listening to her advice. Being powered up lent itself to being a bit more sturdy, and she didn't exactly trust any of this board game and whatever it might bring. Rolling the die again, she picked it back up once it showed her the result. "Best to hurry along, then we can get back to work instead of whatever game this city has thrown at us." With that force pushing her ahead, she kept her focus on the empty air ahead of her. Something filled the air once she counted to five squares. Her heel sank as she took a step forward, and the disgust on her face was apparent. "So it looks like some of this board's terrain has changed." Turning to look back, she used her staff to keep upright even as she started to sink more. At least when this was over, she could just power down and be free of the muck. "Let's get this over with, roll your die again." Quote: Space 10: A swampy smell fills the air. You take a step, and you seem to sink into it. Mud creeps over your feet, and you sink rapidly. Ankle deep, knee deep. Whether or not you squirm and fight against it, you are sinking. The mud is crushing and painful, and if you sink too deep it steals the breath from your lungs. There’s nothing to grab onto; you have to roll your dice quickly before that too gets sucked into the muddy quicksand.
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Sleet Tempest Snape rolled 1 6-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-6)
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Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2026 8:35 pm
"I agree, I don't want to remain here any longer than need be." He would much rather get back to Destiny City so they could head off to better things, in other places, this city seemed to have an issue with it's citizens and making life harder for them. Watching Spasskaya roll again, and be pushed along, the fair eyed male kept moving between her and the area around them. It seemed to be nothing but darkness, a darkness they couldn't enter into, but that didn't mean he didn't wonder what was there. Was that where the canine had somehow come from? He didn't see it move, didn't see it arrive, but could it have teleportedd in? Whether by it's own will or the will of whatever was running this gameboard. Maybe?
The dog was still barking, growling, and snarling and with a shrug Novella rolled his die with a casualness which spoke to how hard he was to bother, to spook, he was used to worse at home. This dog would need tgo try harder, which it seemed intent to do, he could feel it's breath soon enough...and hear the click of nails on the floor. He couldn't see it though....
Was it invisible? If he could feel it's breath but not see it....that madde sense - right?
Bending to pick up his die, ignoring the puff of air against his skin, the hairs rising along his arms, thee drool which landed on his arm. His eyes were kept downcast before he stood slowly and let the innvisible wall behind him push him along. One space for his boss. At least he was close, though he couldn't help her, as she seemed to be sinking into the ground. "Don't get too worked up or panic. That'll be bad." Calm, too calm, as pale eyes focused on her.
Saltwater, like the ocean, filled his llungs aas he took a deep breath. Oh, it semmed nice, good even, he liked the ocean though he hadn't been there since he'd been a child. It was a long drive to the ocean and his father would never do that for him, his mother had, and the lake the citfy had created didn't count. It wasn't the same as the ocean, didn't have the same sounds or smells that he remembered from when he was a child.
He could smell the sea and hear it even, standing there with a smile and a slight sway in his stance, it was so very nice. This was like when he was a child, when things has been better, and it waas lulling him into a relaxed state as pale eyes drifted closed. He didn't even think it was odd, or dangerous, when he started to hear a soft crooning voice singing in a language he didn't know and had never heard either. It was conjoling and made him want to see the person, to find them, to kedep them close because it was so soft and gentle. It sounded like love, like a caress.
Wanting to see the sinnge, if they wee here with him, Novella opened his eyes just as he felt like he was falling. Water, so much water, it filled his mouth and his lungs and choked him. Coughing and choking he flailed his arms while partically open eyhes filled with tears as he sturggled to try and breath. The die fell from his hands as he stood there drowning on water which came from who knows where, no dolubt the same place that voice was coming from. It was still singing, filling his ears, as his cheeks turned red and he struggled to breath and to live.
While the voice conntginued to sing, and he continued to drown, the temptation to give in was there but he could rermember his mothers voice as she told him olod stories or mermaids, sirens and selkis. All similar in some ways but still different - all dangerous. This was that...it had to be. And as he picked ujp the fight the die landed onn the ground and stopped moving, settling on the next number.
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Sara Draconia rolled 1 6-sided dice:
2
Total: 2 (1-6)
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Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2026 8:36 pm
Panic? Her? The thought of it had her casting a cold glance at him before she noticed the distress he seemed to be in. With how things seemed to work here, she focused on the main task, rolling the die to clear whatever was happening so they could do the same before things got too bad for them. "It'll be fine, I believe we seem to be at least halfway there." At least from what she could tell as she rolled the die, it resulted in a minuscule advancement. Another strong smell hit her as she entered the square, the smell of smoke thick in the air, and something ringing out in the distance. Waving her staff ahead of her, to try and clear any of the smoke-filled air, she frowned as she felt like someone passed her. A quick glance around left no answer to where the feeling or sound came from so she tore off a bit of the draping sleeve she had to try and keep the smoke out of her lungs. "Keep going, it'll be fine. You're doing well." Even if it came out muffled, she figured it was a good enough bit of encouragement for the boy. Quote: Space 12: The smell of smoke is in the air. You can’t see what’s burning, but you can hear distant screams, and–carnival music? It feels like people are running past you, and the air fills with panic and alarm–but there’s nowhere for you to go, and the smoke is so thick. You’d better roll quickly so you can get out of here.
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Sleet Tempest Snape rolled 1 6-sided dice:
1
Total: 1 (1-6)
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Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2026 8:40 pm
He was doing well, the words rang in his head, while things seemed to clear and ease as he drfew in a deep breath of much needed air - and proptly choked on it. Coughing and gagging it took some time for him to get ahold of himself, though he did manage to do so, the whole while he wqas being pushed along. Right to thje spot Luciana had just vacated.
"Looks like I'm just taking your place for torture." His words were strained, voice rough, he didn't like this He liked it even less when he got a smedll of the filthy air around him. Good god what was that stink? It was foul. Now on guard, thanks to nearly dying, he was quick to notice when the ground under his feet started to give. "Quick sand...I thought so." From watching the other he'd had a strong feeling, which had been confirmed now, this was quick sand.
Wading through it as well as he could, no easy task, it took him time to get close to the exit of this square before he could roll his die, and feell safe that he could get out of this mess. It was up to this thighs at this point and exiting would be rough - this was all difficult.
"You too, keep going." Rolling his dice, watching it hit the invisible wall infront of himself, it landed on the ground and rolled before stopping. Good, hopefully somthing good as well as closer to the exit.
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Sara Draconia rolled 1 6-sided dice:
6
Total: 6 (1-6)
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Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2026 8:42 pm
While she couldn't exactly see the result of her next roll at first, when the smoke cleared, she was pleased to see it was a six. It was so close to the end that she could partially make out what looked like a lit square. Then she smelled something, something that made her think of old stories she'd heard from her grandfather. Holding her breath behind the fabric she'd had from before, she tried to think what could be done before the gas dissipated. When it seemed like it had, leaving the square almost too quiet and still, she felt a chill shoot through her. Something felt wholly wrong, and as she pulled the fabric from her face, she noticed something dropping to the ground between her feet. She stared at it in disbelief before rotating her hand to look at it. As the fabric fell away, bone showed on the back of her hand. Whether she actually screamed or not, she couldn't tell. Her focus was on her hand and wrist as more seemed to slough off and fall to the ground. The die in her hand read to cast, but she knew she had to wait. This was one square she hoped they didn't land on. Quote: Space 18: You smell something poison, something noxious. You pass through a haze of strange, green gas as you enter the square, but it fades after a few seconds. You feel cold. You feel empty. You start to decay. Maybe a part of you knows it’s an illusion, but in that split second when your body feels like it might go limp and when you look at your hand and see skin melting. You see bone. You’d best roll the dice so you don’t wind up a skeleton prop for the next player.
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Sleet Tempest Snape rolled 1 6-sided dice:
6
Total: 6 (1-6)
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Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2026 8:50 pm
Finally free from the quick sand, and very dirty, Novella scrambled out of his square and made it to the next one his die had decided he needed to rest on. Hopefully this one wouldn't be too bad, maybe a bit of a rest, but hearing a scream tear itself frfom Luciana's mouth he stared at her back wondering just what was going on. "Are you o-" The words cut off as the ground beneath him gave out, it had been just what he thought was a creaking in the ground, but it seemed to be a whole lot more. He'd not gotten to look down at the ground, too busy starfing at Luciana's back, but he'd wished he had.
It seemed this game was intent on drowning him, as it was trying again, he was plunged into ice cold water. Some entered his mouth, his nose, before he could closed his mouth and hold his breath. Flappinng his arms about Novella tried to reach the surface, he couldn't allows himself to drown here and now, he wasn't ready to join his mother or let his father and his wife have the money his mother had left for him. He wasn't going to let them have anything, simply out of spite, but that meant he had to survive this - and he would.
Kickinng his legs, wqaving his arms about, he was gasping and panting when his head finally broke the surface. "s**t." He hadn't been sure he could do it, he couldn't swim after all. "Luciana!" Shouting for her, worried, his feet kicking in the water as he tried to get closer to what littlle floor was left. His die had found itself floating on the waters surface, innocently bobbing about, it was grabbed up and gently rolled on the sliver of ground he reached.
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Sara Draconia rolled 1 6-sided dice:
1
Total: 1 (1-6)
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Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2026 8:51 pm
Vaguely, she heard him calling out her civilian name, and she had a passing thought to scold him for saying it while they were powered up, but that thought passed as the dice fell from her bony hand. Just one square forward, she could see the end just out of reach, just before the floor shook and cracked beneath her. Holding onto the edge, she focused on not falling as she waited to roll just one more time. So close, that's all she focused on as she pointedly decided not to look down at her arm. Quote: Space 19:
You’re so close! Almost at the end! But the space you’re standing on shifts and shakes and seems to crumble beneath you. You have to hold on; there’s nowhere to fall but down into the deep abyss. If you manage to hang on for long enough, you find some invisible purchase and can pull yourself back up, but it’s quite the ordeal. Make sure you don’t get cut on falling spaces! The ground restores itself once you roll again.
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Sleet Tempest Snape rolled 1 6-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-6)
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Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2026 8:52 pm
It took every ounce of strength he had to haul himself out of the water, shivering and cold, so he could flop onto the ground like some sealion beaching itself. It seemed similar enough in his mind to be fitting right now, and he felt an awful lot like dead weight as well. But the end was in sight, thanks to the die roll he'd managed, and so with every bit of spite and strengtfh he had Novella managed to make his way to his feet and dragged himself towards the end. Passingt the other knight with a tired nod of his head, he would put an end tol this nightmare of a game, he kept himself pressed to the side wall for some much needed support.
"Done." He'd reached the end...but now he had to wait.
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Sara Draconia rolled 1 6-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-6)
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Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2026 8:52 pm
Seeing them pass her, she hurled the die and hauled herself up and over the line into the next square. Blinking against the blinding light, she got up on her feet and looked them over. "Okay, out of here, now."
Keeping her hand behind her and out of both his and her sight, she was relieved to be standing back in the cold. Pulling him back inside, that had been enough of a distraction for the day.
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