Fairytale Land and Beyond (Attn: Betony Rue, Al-Adin, Grrface, ? Others)

A little while after finishing up at the Four Seasons, Derek Noble and his companions are gathered at Fairytale land, about to embark on a mission to the Hedge. Derek had with him his rapier and his fencing outfit (OOC - reinforced clothing, 1/0 Armor, 2/0 to face), hiking boots and outdoors gear, the latter stowed in a backpack along with supplies of dried food and bottled water. One never knew when a bit of rope, a hatchet, matches, some zip-close plastic bags, a sturdy knife or first aid gear might come in handy in the Hedge.

Al-Adin is his normal smiling self. He doesn't seem to have brought anything.

Derek tosses Al-Adin a granola bar with nuts and chocolate chips. "Vitamins for the trip."

It lands in al-adin's hand. And then the wrapper is on the ground
and the bar is gone.
"Thanks! Delicious!" He smiles.

Betony arrives in dirt stained jeans rather than her usual skirt, a button up blouse and (as usual) a shawl, though this one is wrapped like a scarf. Everything was earth tones.
She carries a large woven tote bag in which she carries salt, unsweetened chocolate powder, a small sewing kit, yarn, knit needles, needle nose plyers, a bottle of water, a bottle of hydroxide, matches, candle and gauze. A pair of brass knuckles she had recently purchased were in her hands and a pocket knife (with tweezers) in her pocket.
She goes over to Mr. Noble and Al-adin to wait for Grrface.

Derek offers Betony Rue a granola bar like the one Al-Adin inhaled. "They're quite good."

Al-Adin nods vigorously in Derek's Support.

"Thank you," she says.
She doesn't eat it just then, placing it instead in her bag.

Grrface arrives wearing what are obviously 'work clothes' - faded pair of old jeans, boots, and some faded logo tee. He carries little, just a little food and water, as well as a good sharp pocket knife.

He approaches the other three changelings. "We good to go?"

Derek says "I am. I don't think Kevin is going to show. We should maybe wait a few to see if Arch shows, but otherwise I'm ready."

He looks around the area and at his three companions. "Do any of you know where the Hedge entrances are here, and have you used them?"

At the same time he asks the question, Derek looks around, using his sensitivity to such things to try to determine if there are any active Hedge gates within sight.

Spoiler:

"I went through with arch before...but I don't remember where." The rise and fall in his voice matched that of a roller coaster.

"I've never come here before." and with good reason in her mind. The place was a distasteful affair of frilly fantasy. I f she had her way, she'd have liked to tear the whole thing down, or at least scare every child who came there with tales of what real Fairies were like. Ii would do much more to keep them safe than let them run around this place getting horribly wrong ideas.

Narration: In the early evening gloaming, FairyTale Land is deserted, silent and creepy. No birds sing, and not even the sound of a solitary cricket chirping in the underbrush can be heard.

There are a lot of structures which depict various nursery rhymes and fairy tales. One of the most recognizable landmarks is a two-story tall shoe, ala "There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe". Standing at its base is a woman who looks as if she's ready for a military engagement.

Arch is dressed in Army camoflage, and carries a coil of rope over one sholder, and a small rifle over the other. She has what looks to be a fully functional utility belt with various weapons and useful items attached. She is holding a ball of bright red string, which she passes from hand to hand, throwing and catching it as she waits to see how long this loose-knit group takes to notice her.

Al-Adin doesn't notice her. He's too busy marveling at the shoe.

It was the moving ball of red that caught Betony Rue's eye. It looked like a sphere of blood shimmering in the night's light. Of course it was just string.
"There's Arch." she points out. Her finger doesn't straighten completely when she indicates the shoe.
It was good to see Arch had shown up, it definitely increased her confidence to have the Hedge Warden come along. The witchtooth started walking over to the insanely shaped structure.

Derek walks up and offers Arch his hand to shake. "Glad you could make it, Arch. Did Tiffany fill you in on what's what, and why we think it is important to go to the Other side?"

Arch stows the ball of string in her pack.

Tiffany tends to be a little... cryptic... about this sort of thing, she said with a roll of her smoky eyes. I'd planned to go across tonight anyway,Tiff just gave me notice that some Lost might turn up here looking for a door. I only care about what you want in terms of which door to choose, so give me the short version of what you're looking for.

Arch looks appreciatively at the attractive man. You might start with introductions, pretty boy.

"I'm sorry, how rude of me," Derek says. "My name is Derek Noble. It's good to finally meet you. I've seen you around and heard much about your knowledge of the Hedge."

He gestures to the others to make their introductions, not knowing whether Betony Rue or Grrface knows Arch.

"Betony Rue Jasons. I went with you on the expedition into the Hedge when you were looking for spiders." That hadn't gone very well in her memory. She hadn't gotten any fruit and still hadn't learned anything of the vemon.
"Anything of interest you found about the vemon?" she flinched.

"Hi again!" Al-Adin smiles and waves. Maybe he had noticed her after all. Or maybe he just found the shoe more interesting, as he went back to staring at it.

Grrrface shakes his head when Derek asks about the local area and knowing the way into the Hedge. "I've never been here. It's actually been a little while since I've journeyed into the local hedge. This should be fun."

He smiles at the newcomer

"I'm Grrface." he rumbles "It's a good to have you with us."

Derek says "There have been kids going missing. The rest of us haven't been having any luck, but Al-Adin talked to some of the area kids, who told him to check out the mirrors. We haven't been able to get into the kids' homes to check the mirrors there, so we thought we'd go into the Hedge and see if we can find any way to other gates out of the Hedge, maybe leading through mirrors in some of the kids' homes, and from there try to find some trace of the kids, and save them if possible. Maybe it's nothing, but it's all we've got to go with, and if the kids have been taken by the Others, or privateers, or whatever, then it's best we at least try, rather than waiting to find more clues."

He says "None of us are as experienced or skilled as you in going through the Hedge, so we could use the help."

Mirrors. Hmmm. Yes. Arch ponders something for a moment or two.

I can help you, but the place you seek isn't without cost. Are you prepared to pay a price to a gatekeeper?

Grrface raises a furry eyebrow "What does this gatekeeper ask?"

It's different for everyone. I know that's not terribly helpful, but that's how it is, answered Arch.

I do know that the strength of your desire and the purity of your motive to find what you seek plays a part in what price is asked. Beyond that, I can't say whether the bargain offered to you will be an easy trade or a heavy burden.

It's important that you think on this before we enter the Hedge, so that you're prepared, she added. If this quest is something you're ambivalent about, it would be best for everyone else if you don't make the trip.

"I'm not the least bit ambivalent about this," Derek states. "My concern is that our efforts rescue these children and let us stop whatever is causing the disappearances."

He looks at Arch. "I am curious, though. Have you dealt with this gatekeeper, and if so, was the cost worth the gain?"

Worth it? Arch's face flushes so warmly that Derek can almost feel the heat.

When you want something very badly, sometimes no price is too high. She considers. Yes. It was worth the price.

"I'm in!" Al-adin makes a half running start in a random direction, before realizing he doesn't know where he's going. So he instead bounces from foot to foot, anxious to get going.

"Then I think we should get started." said Betony Rue, impatient as ever.

All right, if you're all here, please follow me. Arch looks at the small group. Once we're in, no matter what you see off the trail, do NOT leave it. Not everything is as it seems.

She looks at the three. I have a spare rifle, anyone need an extra weapon?

Arch seems to remember something suddenly. Oh, and I need everything sweet you have with you- candy, gum, mints, anything like that.

She holds a white bandana by its four corners. Just put it all right here.

Grrface knows his reasons for entering the Hedge are righteous, so he doesn't deign to answer in that regard.

"I don't have any sweets. What do you need them for, anyway?"

Derek takes off his bacpack and hands the remainder of the granola bars to Arch, along with several small packages of trail mix containing M&Ms along with the nuts and raisins.

"How sweet is sweet?" he asks. "Only sugary things, or also things like dried fruit? I have some dried apricots and dried apple slices."

Al-adin drops what must be a pound of candy, gum and some blue rocks into her bandanna. Demures, and then picks up the blue rock and starts sucking on it. Big smile.

No dried fruit. We need the candy for the gatekeeper. He's a devious little fucker, but he's insane for anything sweet, grins Arch.

Now, let's get going.

Narration: Arch walks to to the back of the 2-story shoe and gestures the rest of the little band over. It's not just a set piece, it's also....

a slide.

She begins to climb to the top. Come on then!

Betony hands over the gronalo bar she got earlier, glad she hadn't eaten it. Who knew if this Gatekeeper wouldn't rip out her tounge and stomach to get at the sweetness.
She followed Arch up to the slide. The amount of fun this place tried to inject into things that were in truth dangerous and maddening was disgusting.

After filing his pack again and putting it on his back, Derek follows up the slide after Betony Rue. He finds the idea of a slide leading into the Hedge - and what this might mean for some child - rather disturbing, but says nothing. "Hopefully it's an obscurely-keyed Hedge gate," he thinks to himself.

Grrface is having much the same feelings as Derek. A slide. Meant for childrens play. A sinister gate into a place where they'd be stolen away, likely forever. He hoped there was more to this entrance into the Hedge then that, but even then he would be advising the PTA against Fairytale Land in the future.

He follows them up, almost sure that his big belly would get stuck on this childrens ride somewhere along the way.

Al-Adin couldn't have been happier. Mix slide plus saving kids plus sugar high? Man alive was he set.

Arch takes one foot off the top rung of the slide's ladder, swings back, and looks down at the three companions. Remember, STAY ON THE PATH NO MATTER WHAT, she says in a ferocious tone, looking each of them sternly in the eye as she speaks. Then, in a more normal voice pattern, she adds: And don't dilly-dally, the gate won't stay open long.

Arch then takes her seat at the top of the slide, sitting in a tunnel made by the laced-up part of the boot. She intones the following in a chant-like voice:

Patefacio ianua ut locus inter spes et vereor!

And then she begins the downward ascent of the slide and vanishes from view.

Derek waits behind Betony Rue, a bit more relieved that so complex a trigger was necessary to open this portal into the Hedge. He took a moment to try to memorize the trigger incantation.

That had been the second time Arch had warned against leaving the path. Either she was doing her job as one of Autumns children and instilling fear, or there was something off the path that sounded like it would try to lure them off into danger. Well, into more danger than leaving the path usually entailed.
Holding her bag close and tight, Betony Rue slid down after Arch.

Derek slides down a few seconds after Betony Rue.

al- adin follows behind, laughing as he goes down the slide.

Here goes

Grrface takes the slide.

Narration: Everyone going down the slide experiences a strange, disorienting, falling effect while in the slide's tunnel. They land NOT at the bottom of the slide, but in a large circle, about 10 feet in circumference, which is covered in very fine, very beautiful white sand.

The landscape surrounding the circle is supernaturally beautiful- it's thick with tropical trees and vines, and there is a canopy of trees overhead. Birds can be heard calling to one other from the trees, although none can be seen. The jungle grasses rustle constantly with movement from small unseen creatures. The air is very warm and humid.

Leading out from the circle is a dirt-packed path, so narrow as to only allow travellers to walk single-file. The ground is fairly level, but the path is a very twisty, turny one, and not much of it can be seen at any one time. Thorned bushes sporadically crowd the trail at spots, and its glossy black thorns appear to drip with a red liquid which is both disgustingly sticky and foul-smelling.

Grrface brushes himself off and looks around, wrinkling his nose. He knew some changelings liked the Hedge, even felt more at home here. Not him. He hated the Hedge. It always raised his hackles, and put him on his guard. He could never be comfortable here, there we no rules in the Hedge, it didn't play fair.

He does scans the perimeter of the circle, waiting for Arch to get them on their way.

Al-Adin is undistracted by the shiny sands, the beautiful trees beckong him to climb them. His posture changes, becoming more hunching, and his eyes constantly look around for danger. His left hand is held out in front of him just slightly, while his right rests just under his left armpit.

Derek stands, offers Betony Rue a hand up, then brushes himself off. After making sure his pack is secure, he pulls the fencing mask down over his face and draws his rapier, keeping it pointed tip-down. He studies the nearby foliage, alert for any sign something might emerge and attack.