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part 1: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3932461Manifisto posted:pebble rolled slowly but gracefully deeper into the hollow. it was as mushroom had said: a small group of mottled beetles were moving in and out of a crack in the stone, occasionally pausing to feed on lichen and moss that encrusted the back of the chamber. a faint acrid odor lingered in the air. RickRogers posted:Friends great me at start of spring, humming softly at the works begin. after a pause that seemed like a few years but must have been shorter, pebble said, "I might just have a riddle that would do. how do we get the attention of a hedgehog?" mushroom said, "they wander by this part of the garden from time to time, and it's easy enough to flag them down. but instead of waiting, they are very fond of the fruit of the spiny orange tree, which they normally can reach only if they've fallen to the ground. you could harvest a spiny orange and release some of the oils, and they will be attracted to the smell." "then let's find a spiny orange and get this thing going!" cried dandelion "there is a spiny orange tree not far from this very statue," said mushroom. "but be warned, it is said that the Fae have an unusual connection to these trees. taking a branch from them would be perilous indeed. harvesting a fruit, on the other hand, might be safer. or it might not," mushroom added helpfully. "well friends," said pebble to weed and dandelion, "shall we harvest a spiny orange, or should we wait until a hedgehog happens to pass by on its own?"
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Aug 17, 2023 18:24
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| # ? May 4, 2024 19:14 |
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This is beautiful ty op
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Aug 18, 2023 12:25
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Pebble can probably wait a long time, but dandelion and weed not so much, so I suggest they try to harvest a spiny orange. |
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Aug 18, 2023 19:03
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"point us to the spiny orange tree then, friend!" said pebble. "you can't miss it, it is but a few yards behind the statue we're sitting in now, standing tall and proud beside a ruined column." "well then we thank you for your assistance, and bid you farewell! we will see you again, perhaps!" "hopefully," said mushroom, with a sly wink at weed. "but take care in the bramble! do not stare too long or too deeply at anything you might see there! and unless you want to meet some of the fickle Fae, take naught from the tree but a ripe fruit!" with a farewell wave, the companions went to the mouth of the hollow, and muttering a prayer (or, in the case of dandelion, a rather graphic curse) threw themselves over the edge to the ground below. fortunately the turf was soft and springy, and they were soon moving in their own respective fashions into the thick forest behind the statue. soon enough they came to what was surely the spiny orange tree: it was slender but very tall, and its many thorny branches were laden with globular fruits both green and orange. a long green mound near its foot was presumably the fallen column, now obscured by vines and moss. "spiny orange indeed!" said pebble. "but how shall we collect a fruit so that we may attract a hedgehog?"
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Aug 19, 2023 02:14
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weed said, in a tone that was obviously striving for diplomacy, "the fruits are quite high and climbing would pose a significant challenge. however if something that was . . . I'm not saying you, pebble, but something the approximate size and shape and composition of a mountain stream pebble . . . were to be somehow propelled up towards the fruit, perhaps it could be knocked to the ground?"
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Aug 22, 2023 18:28
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i don't have any ideas but i wanted to say the writing on display here is a delight |
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Aug 22, 2023 20:31
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pebble mused, "I've been up in the air a few times recently and once I got used to the sensation it was actually freeing. I mean, plummeting to earth is a bit terrifying but I seem to have gotten through it okay." "it's a terrible idea," said dandelion. "just awful. what if you get lost. what if another bird snatches you out of the air. what if you get lodged in the fruit and we can't get you down, you'll spend your days in a spiny orange, that's not much of an adventure I don't think." "what we need is a catapult," said weed, ignoring dandelion's pessimism. "or a slingshot. maybe a cannon of some sort?" "you could put a branch over the fallen column," said a small voice, "and jump on one end, so that the other end flies up and propels your friend into the air!" "WHO SAID THAT?" cried all three of the companions in unison, looking around frantically.
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Aug 26, 2023 17:04
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free hubcaps posted:This is beautiful ty op Scaly Haylie posted:i don't have any ideas but i wanted to say the writing on display here is a delight 
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Aug 26, 2023 19:31
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the tiny voice turned out to issue from an opening beneath a gigantic decaying tree stump just a few yards away. the speaker, shaded by twining mossy roots, had fine delicate features under a cascade of brilliant red hair, and translucent dragonfly wings just visible against the darkness that led who knows how far back into the stump and perhaps down into the earth. "who in the blue blazes are you?" demanded dandelion huffily. "I am Vesperian," said the figure, "and I am a Fae. and trying to help you out, in case you didn't notice." dandelion sniffed. "Vesperian . . . sounds like an auto insurance company." "what on earth are you talking about?" asked weed. "I don't know, to be completely honest," said dandelion. "just something I saw on the side of one of the trucks that whizzed by me on the road I used to live near." "well met, friend Vesperian," said pebble, "and we appreciate your advice. we were told that the Fae congregate near spiny orange trees. we do not wish to take anything but a ripe fruit, in order to summon a hedgehog to take us where we want to go. I hope that would not be a problem for you?" "goodness no!" said Vesperian. "you are welcome to the fruit, so long as you take naught else. but where, might I ask, do you hope to take the hedgehog?" "to the Bramble," said pebble. "our weed companion is convinced that there is an important message for us somewhere in there. admittedly this, erm, insight, to be charitable, came in the middle of a magical mushroom experience, so we're not putting too much stock in what we might actually find there." "I saw it," said weed. "I saw it clear as day! there is something crucial we are meant to learn." "well," said Vesperian, "it is not my place to judge what wisdom might or might not come from a hallucination. our Lady sends many a message to mortals through dreams and visions, for example. what I can say, however, is that I know of a more direct and perhaps less dangerous route to the Bramble. under the earth it lies, down into this tunnel behind me. but you will be entering the realm of the Fae, and how you might react to what you encounter there is hard to say indeed!" "well, it seems we have a choice," said pebble to the companions. "do we stick with our plan to take a hedgehog, or should we shortcut through the land of the Fae? or perhaps something else again?"
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Aug 29, 2023 22:01
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whatever you do don't tell vesperian your names
Scaly Haylie fucked around with this message at 01:27 on Aug 30, 2023 |
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Aug 30, 2023 01:22
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"I don't like the sound of going underground, baby," said dandelion. "who knows what terrible things might be down there, ready to swallow us or grind up our roots for coffee!" "it is perfectly safe," said Vesperian, "at least to your corporeal bodies. you might find something that fascinates you in the realm of the Fae, however--it has been known to happen--but how long you stay is entirely up to you." "personally, I think there may be more things above the ground prepared to eat us during our journey," said weed. "if Vesperian here promises to protect us from any dangers, I think that might be the best route--as unnatural as it feels for a plant to be going where the sun doesn't shine." "deep in the earth is where I was born," said pebble, "so returning there holds no fear for me. quite the opposite actually. but tell us, Vesperian, what oath will you take to keep us from harm, to the best of your ability?" "I swear by Morgan, queen of the Fae, that I will guide you truly and not knowingly lead you into harm" said the fairy. "I know no more solemn nor binding promise than that." "Morgan the Fae," said pebble. "I like the sound of that."
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Sep 2, 2023 16:14
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0DztRhIeM0 |
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Sep 2, 2023 16:46
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Despite some vague grumbling from dandelion, the companions prepared themselves to follow Versperian down into the earth. "We are as ready as we will ever be," said pebble. And they passed under the shade of the stump into the darkness. Actually it was not nearly as dark as they expected. In addition to the light that streamed from the entrance into the earthen passageway (for a passageway it was), as they went further in they noticed a faint glow coming from the walls. Phosphorescent lichen or moss of some sort adorned the rocks and earth, and as they proceeded they started to notice mushrooms glowing green and yellow in various cracks and crevices. It was more than enough to see by, and to dandelion's relief the tunnel soon broadened, with a comfortably flat path that wound among various rock formations. There was water, as well. First just drops and trickles from above, sometimes dripping off of smooth stalactites. But after a while, they heard the unmistakable gurgle of running water. Some underground stream was obviously nearby. And though the tunnel did not descend steeply, it was clear that they were headed away from the surface, into a system of caverns with tunnels that occasionally branched to either side. "Don't worry, we will get to the inhabited parts soon enough," said Vesperian. "Inhabited by what?" wondered pebble, though this was not said aloud. Manifisto fucked around with this message at 18:31 on Sep 6, 2023
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Sep 5, 2023 20:24
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This thread needs to be illustrated by Eric Carle (rip)
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Sep 6, 2023 14:49
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i hope we meet more chill new pals good thread mai
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Sep 6, 2023 17:00
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The tunnel grew steadily larger and more luminous, and the variety of glowing fungi proved stunningly beautiful. Mixed in among the greens and yellows were hues of purple, cobalt, coral, and even flecks of bright red that resembled, somewhat unnervingly, glowing eyes. Pebble noticed that even Vesperian's wings shone with a delicate silver tracery, and the Fae's hair glowed like the coals of a banked fire. Soon they were walking next to a dark stream of unknown depth. "This stream is a tributary of the Heartblood river, which flows throughout our kingdom," said Vesperian. "It is icy cold here, yet it feeds into pools which are warmed by underground fires. You have an errand, but maybe someday you would like to return and bathe yourself in them?" "What lives in these rivers and pools?" asked dandelion dubiously. "I don't want to be nibbled at the best of times, and that goes doubly so in a dark cavern." "There is a rich variety of life in these caverns," said Vesperian, "both in the water and out of it. There are certainly many more creatures than I have seen, and I have been around quite a long time." As if to confirm the Fae's words, a curious thing bobbed past, within arm's reach of the companions. It was not a duck, but a likeness of a duck it seemed, held in what might have been tiny red claws. Quickly it floated out of sight, to continue its own adventure perhaps.
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Sep 8, 2023 21:37
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It's the byob shared adventure universe. 
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Sep 8, 2023 22:29
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"how far is it to the Bramble, Vesperian?" asked weed. "above ground, it would be several hours on foot, perhaps half an hour by hedgehog," said Vesperian. "that is, unless you were eaten on the way, in which case it might be a long journey indeed. through our kingdom it is a bit slower but considerably safer, by our reckoning at least. an hour maybe, if we do not stop." "what is this garden?" asked pebble. "it is full of strange things, and wholly out of my experience (which has been mostly at the bottom of a stream, as best as I can remember)." "it is," said Vesperian. "to be honest I do not exactly know how to answer your question. it lies on a certain boundary or threshold, among other things between the realm of the Fae and that of ordinary mortals. perhaps because of that, there are things found here that do not exist elsewhere." "did the Masters build it? or maybe the Keepers?" "not at all," said Vesperian, "though both have tended it for eons. the Keepers are the ones who do the day to day work, returning things to their allotted place, planting and weeding, placing statues, that sort of thing. the Masters are responsible for the design, so to speak, but they can at best merely shape and encourage what was here to begin with. many residents of this garden do not take kindly to being moved, it seems." "and why do the Masters and Keepers do it at all?" asked dandelion. "what's the point?" "that is an excellent question, my good flower," said Vesperian, "and I am not sure I know. perhaps you should ask one of them if you meet them, though I'd suggest steering clear. they are not as friendly as the Fae!"
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Sep 21, 2023 16:58
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before long the passageway opened up into an immense cavern, and the companions stopped to gawk at the intricate splendor of the chamber before them. glowing moss and fungi bathed everything in an unearthly multicolored light. rock formations sprouted like living organisms from the floors and ceiling, with stalactites, stalagmites, and fluted columns creating the appearance of a vast pillared cathedral. at the far end of the chamber, a large pool of black water was periodically disturbed by drips from above, creating ripples that reflected the hues of phosphorescent mushrooms. and at last there were other creatures. at least a handful of Fae, clearly distinguishable by their delicate wings and shining hair, but also cave dwellers of other sorts: tiny darting bats, large scurrying centipedes, glow-worms dangling from delicate threads. Vesperian called to one of the other Fae. "Hail, Aeris! I bring visitors from the world above. they are my guests, and I am but guiding them on their journey to the Bramble. tell us though, is there any news that might be of interest?" Aeris floated over to the companions. "hello Vesperian, hello honored guests! it is not all that strange to see moving plants from the garden, but a sentient pebble is highly unusual. I do not wish to delay you, but I would be very curious to hear how you came to visit us." before pebble could speak, Vesperian said, "now now Aeris, this is not the time for long stories, unless you wish to speak with us as we walk." "perhaps! but it is not I alone who wishes to hear our visitors' story. our Lady, Morgan the Fair, has already heard somehow of your entrance into our kingdom, and sends word that she would greet you--if you can spare a brief moment?"
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Sep 25, 2023 19:06
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update: still unable to roll up that hill |
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Sep 27, 2023 19:29
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the companions huddled together and spoke in low voices. "who knows what a 'brief moment' is to these fairies," said weed. "that could mean a hundred years maybe. our message is waiting in the bramble, and I am eager to find out what it may be." "our mushroom friend warned us that the Fae could be perilous," said pebble. "we have not taken any fruit from the spiny orange tree, so I cannot imagine what reason they would have to be angry with us. still, there may be some other danger, especially when talking to a being of such might and renown. I agree, we should be on our way." dandelion, usually the cynic of the group, surprised her companions. "I think we should meet the queen," she said. "I have never met royalty, and I am curious what she may have to say. if she is friendly, perhaps she may tell us something of value, or be able to help us in some other way." "so it seems we are at an impasse," said pebble. weed laughed, suddenly. "these have been the strangest days of my life. I never dreamed that I would pull up roots and see other parts of the world, let alone be invited to meet with a fairy queen. though the message may be crucial indeed, perhaps we should not be so intent on our destination that we miss the journey." "we should stop to smell the flowers, basically," said pebble. "any flower-smelling that you may do, I'll thank you to keep it to yourselves," said dandelion archly, returning to form. "very well!" said pebble. "Aeris the Fae, we thank you for the Lady's invitation! we would like to accept, if it will indeed be a brief visit--by the standards of mortals, not fairies!" Aeris looked at pebble with an amused expression. "whether a pebble such as yourself is indeed a mortal is beyond my knowledge. but I am very pleased by your answer! the royal chamber is not far, and my understanding is that you are to be received, if you are willing, right away." Manifisto fucked around with this message at 19:38 on Sep 30, 2023
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Sep 30, 2023 19:35
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