[ Amber entry is the name of the game today, even if it's one that has kind of a slow start to it. Namely two solid palm-down pats from one of Steven's hands, because he's still solidly convinced that this setup is cool as heck. Plus it never hurts to make sure your equipment's on the up-and-up.

With that taken care of, he'll be offering a friendly smile. That's kind of his M.O. ]

Hey there! My name's Steven, first of all. If you already met me, you probably know that. Annnd if you haven't met me, now you can meet me! I don't bite; I just live here.

Anyway, I actually wanted to talk about the spiders. Because I know they were pretty awful. And that they tried to web everyone and drag them away to get eaten. And that they were poisonous. Which got people poisoned. But I still kind of feel bad that they ended up getting destroyed. I mean, if they hadn't been awful, they could have been really great! And if their boss wasn't telling them to take us to get eaten, maybe they wouldn't have been awful in the first place? It's weird. It just seems like the Servant was trapped in the big spider, and the spider was trapped in the tree, and we're all kind of trapped in the tree, too. People do a lot of crazy stuff when they've been stuck in one place for a long time. It's too bad we couldn't work things out for everyone, you know?

Sooo, I've been thinking about it, and I figured if anyone wants to help me find a nice rock or something to make a memorial with, that would be pretty cool! We could carve something into it, or write a song... I don't know about painting portraits of them, though. That would take a lot more paper than we probably have. If you think you're interested, just give a call to this guy! [ He sticks his tongue out and points at himself with both thumbs, like a cool dude. ] And if you're not interested, I can respect that! Since a lot of us did almost get eaten.

[ Or if anyone would like to take a more traditional action route, he'll be doing a lot of poking around anyway. It's a combination of memorial-rock searching, attempted animal investigation, and probably more than his fair share of leaning over the edge of a branch in a reckless fashion because he's trying to look at stuff. Basically anything's open. ]

| characters | Fenris & Open

| date/time | Evening, April 19th

| location | Entrance

| rating | Some warnings of scars and abuse.

| summary | Fenris does not approve of this place.

( ❀❀❀❀❀ )

[ If you're watching, then you'll be immediately begins with a very close look at Link's face. His expression is trapped somewhere between curiosity and confusion as he experimentally taps his piece of amber once with his free hand. He then holds it a bit further away, tilting it to the side and staring. He's not entirely sure what he's looking at here.

Link casts another glance somewhere behind him before looking back at his slice of amber. And rotating it sideways for a moment. Hope you don't get dizzy easily. ]

What's this?

[ He's hoping he'll get a helpful response from his talking boat via the gossip stone. Unfortunately, there isn't one. Ain't that swell. ]

| characters | Link (Twilight), open to all

| date/time | April 20th

| location | Outside the tree

| rating | G

| summary | Link can't fly up the tree, but at least he's got... A telescope?

( ❀❀❀❀❀ )

[ The face half-glimpsed in the amber is disaffected, bored, and quite pointedly so; he regards the little display with a perfectly unimpressed stare and jaded eyes. ]

Well, I'm new, but it seems to me "a gift of fire" would be really useful. We could preserve meat, drive away dangers outside the tree...or perhaps burn the tree down if someone's an idiot, and someone always is, but that's a secondary concern.

[ He offers a sardonic grin, perhaps a little ominous, totally unafraid and amused. ]

We should probably start looking for some lifeblood, shouldn't we?

[ And right as that might be about to sink in-- ]

What is the oldest plant here? The tree itself? Do we know how to get sap from it? Is there a youngest plant as well?

To be honest, everything here seems so charming, even with what I've heard of spiders--I really doubt they mean for us to perform a blood sacrifice of one of our own.

[Today Yoshitsugu is regarding the amber with an air of intent, tapping one hand against his facecloth as he speaks (despite the clawed gauntlets he is wearing making this a somewhat hazardous thing to do). What serious matter does he want to address? All will shortly become clear!]

The flow has washed in new souls, the mirror shard is providing new mysteries that may or may not be wise to solve, new beauty blooms beyond the tree and more questions are on everybody's lips. But there is one question I have yet to hear, which is disappointing, so it is now up to me to ask it.

[His tone is even and calm, but the lack of seriousness in the question he is about to ask is betrayed if one really examines the part of Yoshitsugu's face that is visible; there is a certain amused sparkle in his eyes.]

Do you carry a handtowel with you at all times?

[Yoshitsugu is a bit of a mystery all on his own...]