175th page

[curseshit]

The rain stops eventually and you find yourself in a forest much younger than the one you just walked through. The moss is nearly gone and the sun shines through the branches.

They're not just any other trees. They're apple trees! Cute, right? Judging by the (somewhat) straight lines someone planted them. Underneath the trees you find baskets full of freshly-picked apples and since you can hear voices, the people who picked them aren't that far away. The map isn't showing any tracks of your next destination yet, so you might as well ask if they know of a B&B nearby.

[ mission: inspect the voices. ]

Comments

[armedarchaeologist]

Oh good!

[wait he said that. are his eyebrows stuck like this now?

nope. shakes the man's hand.]

Well then I'm very pleased to meet you. My name's Daniel, can we... Help you with this?

[dinkyroyal]

Duke James Henry David Wilson at your service, Javier.

[ gives his hand a good shake. ]

Oh yes! Help would be much appreciated. We have to pick the apples before the rains return.

[armedarchaeologist]

Daniel.

[automated reflex.]

Are you... Expecting rain soon, then?

[wolfsoul]

[ goes to help and talk to the cardboard npcs in the bg. ]

[dinkyroyal]

It's bound to come sooner or later. Oh, it's always raining down here.

[ picks an apple for himself and chews it while his men do the work. ]

[armedarchaeologist]

Fair enough, that's pretty much been our experience here.

[does some nearby picking. gosh these are pretty apples.]

Have you lived here long, then?

[dinkyroyal]

Funny you should ask! It's been 10 years now since the town was founded. We're going to have a spectacular celebration. You all should stay 'til that. Take my word for it, you're more than welcome to do so.

[ watches daniel's group start picking the apples. these people sure look odd. ]

[armedarchaeologist]

That sounds great, actually. I'd love to, I'm just not sure...

[really would love to. looks around at the others. not too much of the whole trauma train pulling into the station, is it?]

I mean if it's all right if we stay, I think we could all use a break.

[dinkyroyal]

Then it's settled, Xaviel!

[ beams. ]

[armedarchaeologist]

Daniel.

[smiles back.]

If you don't mind my asking, Your Grace, were you expecting some kind of trouble? It's just that your workers seem kind of... A little more armed than normal. For fruit pickers. That I've seen.

[observed the pot of the kettles.]

[dinkyroyal]

Yes, yes.

[ waves his hand. haniel paniel whatever. chews. ]

You know how it is, unknown beasts roam these forests. People say it is cursed and dangerous. No one goes there anymore. The only reason the apple trees were planted here is the soil. It's perfect.

[armedarchaeologist]

Right. These do seem to turn out really...

[wait...]

Wait, hold on, people say what is cursed and dangerous? The, the land? The orchard?

[dinkyroyal]

No, the old forest. Nothing wrong with the apples.

[ nooo way. ]

People say all kind of things, but I've seen them myself. The people who tried to enter the forest.

[armedarchaeologist]

Oh, you mean the—

[points back the way they came, back toward the hell forest. in a perfect world, this would be punctuated by thunder and lightning.]

Yeah that. Is not a good place. That place definitely qualifies as cursed and dangerous. Or at least it did, I don't know if it still does.

[dinkyroyal]

You went there?

[ slow zoom. ]

[armedarchaeologist]

Yeah, you know how I mentioned it'd been a rough trip? That's the way we came.

[wait was that a zoom should i not have said that

oh well too late now.]

[dinkyroyal]

Good grief!

[ you crayz. clutches on his apple. ]

What on earth possessed you to do that?

[armedarchaeologist]

[raised eyebrows. under breath:] Wow, that's a. Hell of an appropriate idiom.

We were following a road that led through it.

[dinkyroyal]

And you made it out alive!

I cannot believe this!

[ reaches to give him a hard pat on his back. ]

You, old friend, are either a fat liar or the bravest man I've met!

[armedarchaeologist]

[stumbles, mutters:] That's stretching it a little.

["alive" is anyway. but at least this guy seems genuinely friendly, for someone who opened the conversation shouting for peasants. that usually bodes so much worse.]

Thanks? I think? I mean I didn't really do all that much to help us through, it was mostly just walking and falling into holes for me.

[dinkyroyal]

Hold on a second, I have something just for you.

[ turns to shout at one of his men. ]

Eric, bring the apple pie! These people could really use it!

[armedarchaeologist]

[cringes a little at the mention of pie because he remembers the last time they went to a disney village and ate pie, but at least apples are a fruid and therefore less likely to be people.

hopefully.]

Oh, you don't have to...

[half-hearted protests because he's kind of hungry and after a week of venison jerky, pie sounds amazing.]

[dinkyroyal]

Bring glasses as well! One for everyone.

[ the man comes over with a big bottle of something that looks like cider. ]

Can you believe it, Evan, these people made it through the forest? It's unbelievable!

[ladybirdcrap]

It's Erik, sir...

[ takes glasses out of his basket and starts pouring drinks for the newcomers. ]

[armedarchaeologist]

Oh, wow, thank you, that's.

[they're so nice. why are they so nice. nobody's been this nice to them.

well ok, the circus people were pretty nice. it's just been a while.]

Thank you, Erik.

[wrong name sympathy.]