[Log] Up the Beanstalk

[thequestgiver]

Characters: All who want to investigate the beanstalk
Open? Obviously :D
Where: On the outskirts of Schwanheim
When: All day
What: A giant beanstalk has made an appearance in a field outside the capital. You all know how this goes.




The beanstalk that Gretel had planted was now spindling up from the ground out of sight into the clouds, almost five feet thick in diameter as it twisted and turned upwards into the sky.

Not very far from the base lay a large lady's compact mirror, at least a foot in diameter, stuck in the dirt, it's mirror shattered. The powder lay in clumps and dust all around it, metal bent and warped. The design on the back, however, was still intact, the impact mostly having damaged the bottom half.

Comments

[goldeneyeball]

"There aint no way this is gonna end well."

Brows furrowed and jaw set, James stared at the mirror on the ground. It was early and the grass was still wet. He knelt down next to it and brushed dirt off of its surface. He could take it home with him (wherever home was) or try and heft the thing back up the stalk.

Giants kept gold, right? Maybe he'd get some kind of reward.

...or squished and eaten.

8[ James then remembered why he didn't like fairy tales much. He looked around, wondering if anybody else had noticed the thing sticking out of the ground.

Climbing the stalk -It is a cat's nature-

[give_kitty_cake]

Koma had noticed the large compact laying on the ground, no doubt dropped by whatever lived at the other end of this beanstalk, but being a cat she had no interest in returning it. No, for her it was far more interesting to sink her sharp claws into the trunk of the vine and see how high she could climb.

"Something from a fairy tale, this land really was strange..."
She thought as she made up way up.

It really was very tall too. If she looked out she could swear she was beginning to pass some clouds. Koma didn't stop climbing until she had finally reached the summit. Only then did she pause to sit on one of the beanstalk's many leaves and wash her paws before looking around.

[thequestgiver]

As she reached the top, there was the sound of footsteps, faint voices and-- canned laughter? As she moved up through the clouds (that were strangely solid, yet parted easily,) there was suddenly the sight of wood planks, looking much like the wrong side of a floor. The beanstalk had punched a hole through them, one that seemed much larger on one side than the other and offered the glimpse of inside an mostly modern, if very large, living room, designed for someone easily 5 times Koma's size. The hole is certainly large enough for Koma to continue up through into the room if she wants to. Or she can pass through the wide cross-slatted fencing around the base of the house out and have a look around out there.]]

[give_kitty_cake]

A room? That was the way the story went. Jack climbed the beanstalk and found a house in the clouds filled with giants. Koma peeked up into the hole in the floor of the room and gave it a quick look, but as no one seemed to be around at the moment she decided to climb on up and explore a bit. It wouldn't do to climb all this way and not see some of the place. Besides, in addition to climbing... it was also a cat's nature to be curious.
Koma padded lightly across the floor, skirting the dust bunnies that lay scattered under some of the furniture, until she came to the leg of one of the chairs. It wasn't nearly as easy to climb as the beanstalk had been but once she had scrambles up into the seat she hoped to get a better look at the room. Her ears twitched as she surveyed this new place looking for anything that might catch her interest, a sight, smell, or noise that might be worth exploring.

[thequestgiver]

Compared to the kingdom down below, it was quite a contrast. Wood paneling, boxy green plaid chairs, a slightly worn tan rug, a warm, crackling fireplace and a wood framed black and white TV set that was the source of the sound of canned laughter and chattering voices.

Behind the chair was a kitchen counter, a small collection of giant sized cupcakes, easily as big as regular cakes to Koma, were cooling on a rack. There was sounds of a one sided conversation deeper in the house, but no other signs of life.

[give_kitty_cake]

Everything was surprisingly modern. These giants even had a TV set! Koma wondered what the townspeople down below would think of that since a bulletin board was high tech for them. She watched the show that was playing for a little while, some kind of romantic comedy apparently, before looking around at the rest of the room.
She smelled before she saw the delicious looking cupcakes sitting out on the rack to cool. Cake?! She did have a great weakness to sweet things like cake. Before even she realized it she had leapt down from the chair she had been sitting on and made a beeline directly for the cake.
The cupcakes were no longer so warm that stepping on the cooling rack would burn the pads of Koma’s feet and in fact several of the cakes had already been decorated as a few sported frosting and sprinkles, but it looked like the giant had been pulled away before they could finish the other cupcakes. Some of them were still entirely undecorated.
It was too tempting to resist! Koma transformed into her demon-cat form and with a bit of shoving and maneuvering, managed to get two of the large decorated cakes into her bag of holding. She really was beginning to love that bag!
With that feat accomplished she didn’t see any reason to stick around. The giants would probably not be thrilled to loose those cupcakes and Koma wasn’t really too interested in meeting them. Giants were bad enough, but angry giants could cause a lot of trouble for her!
Koma turned and slid back down the cabinets to the floor. The vine was back that way… under the chair and to the hole in the floor. She could almost see it from where she was standing in the recessed toe kick. From here she followed the path of the toe kick back out of the little kitchen area until she was safely hidden under the chair which just happened to be sitting close to the hole in the floor where the vine was peeking through.
There didn’t appear to be much else to see here. Besides if it was like the story all they would have to do is cut down the vine and that would prevent any trouble from the giants. There was no reason to panic about any of this.

Still within sight of the ground.

[wasalmostdaphne]

Bay had come to the beanstalk mostly to inspect the giant beanstalk. It was a fairy tale, not something you ever really saw. Thus she had to see it. Also, the folks in the town wouldn't stop with their whispers and glances so finally she gave up and took the hand life dealt her. At the very least she'll hide out near the stalk and come up with a story.

But when she saw the thing she felt... it wasn't a memory, more like a skill long since forgotten. An echo of a voice saying she could climb if she wished. So she tried, mostly to disprove this feeling and be on with her life. But she managed in quick work to get from the ground about twelve feet up the stalk. Sitting on a thick bit of entwining vine to make a perch. She glanced down, then up, then back down.

"Huh, that actually worked."

Anyone who wants to go with Loki?

[sorcerous]

ooc: protestations to the contrary, he will actually keep pace with any companions and follow them on the way up.

Loki avoids the mirror, sidesteps and examines the beanstalk instead.

It seems almost made for climbing. A tangle of stem and branch, sturdy and well-formed. He pushes his hands against it, closing his eyes, trying to feel if the magic is chaos or order, if this is part of the thorns or if this is something else entirely.

He waits until a few moments after noon, to see if anyone will show up, and then after that, he painstakingly transforms into a magpie (it is so difficult here; after West Haven, he will never again attempt two transformations in a single day, he vows) and starts on his way up.

[wasalmostdaphne]

Bay had been sitting as far up she managed to climb and watched the ground, the man from the Orb, and his transformation. Maybe she was cynical, but she had a theory how he managed the 'unscathed' thing from his boastings.

Still, there wasn't much better to do, was there? Go back to town to deal with the people talking about her, they wouldn't even give her a glance or a chance to make any money without mentioning the stupid beanstalk. She was a bit curious what was at the top of this beanstalk and if she could climb the way up as she did to get this far.

Something about her was different here and she wanted to know how far she could push it. So, much like Jack in the tale, she made her way up. Only she was with a man who turned into a bird flying up too. "Cute trick," she commented as she moved from one handhold to the next, eyes noting the next hold as she grabbed the current. Hurried motions to not have to worry about him flying out of her sight. "I take it you don't plan to fight any giants head on like that."

It wasn't a question, she figured anyone with half a brain would avoid a fight with giants rather than take it.

[sorcerous]

She didn't have to worry about him flying out of sight; in fact, he kept pace with her, only occasionally fluttering up ahead and settling on a branch, to watch.

At that remark, though, the bird gave her a look. Who planned on fighting the giants? Not him. He'd never said anything about fighting them.

He took off and flew ahead, twining his path around the vine. There was a smooth area, here, no handholds; he dropped down and returned to her, cawing for her to climb to the right, not to the left. The easier way.

[wasalmostdaphne]

"I don't plan on fighting any either, I was just making sure. That we were on the same page," Somehow the bird gave her a look much like one most adults gave her in her life, disapproval. ...And then it clicked in her mind she was talking to a bird. Even if he wasn't a bird a few moments ago, he was now. And said bird was giving her directions, what was her life.. She sat on her urge to make a comment along the lines of 'Timmy fell down a well.' People who turn into birds generally have never seen an episode of Lassie.

"Right, go that way," Bay said, giving the bird a chance to caw again if this was wrong. And headed toward the right path. Handholds clear in her mind as she moved. She only looked down enough to confirm her footholds, and didn't focus on what was far, far below. That was not something to think about right now, because if she thought about it she'd realize she's run into something way under prepared.

[sorcerous]

He gave her an approving trill-like sort of noise and fluttered up ahead.

Funny, how quickly the clouds approached...

Once he'd scouted a bit ahead, he dropped, and roosted delicately on a fold of cloth by her shoulder. (A hood? Perhaps the strap of a pack, if she had one?)

[thequestgiver]

There isn't much magic in the stalk, most of it was spent in it's sudden growth. What's left is neither order or chaos, but a warm hum of life, a feeling of reaching, yearning for the sun. A very earthy magic with no intent other than growth.

[sorcerous]

He has no caution, then. He flies, and when his wings grow tired, he rests, and then he flies again. He lingers to ensure that any who wish to accompany him are not left behind, but for the last stretch, he goes ahead and flies into the clouds.

He wishes to get to the top first.

[shiromadoushi]

Bakura looked up at the transformed bird before surveying the beanstalk. Well, at least it looked like it would be... relatively easy to climb. A deep breath. You can do this, Bakura Ryou! Just... put your foot there, then grab onto that part with your right hand, other foot there...

He paused a moment before awkwardly attempting to get a good hold on the beanstalk with his left hand. While it had long since healed over from the Ring's Voice spindling it on the Monster World tower, it wasn't ever going to be as it had been before that, not to mention the damage that had been done when he'd gotten stabbed in that arm and the resulting scar tissue that reduced the arm's flexibility.

Well. He'd just have to do his best, wouldn't he?

He awkwardly wedged his left hand in between two vines close together, not even trying to have it reach too far upwards, steadying himself before his right hand did the reaching his left could not to help pull him up farther.

It was going to be a rather slow and awkward climb up...

[sorcerous]

Above him, Loki pecked at a stretch of vine. A narrow one, thinner than a woman's finger, but long, twining up the branches above. He pecks at it to sever it from the main vine.

For no apparent reason.

[shiromadoushi]

Rather focused on the task at hand (and attempting to do a mind over matter focus to somehow magically make his hand and arm not start to aching) he almost doesn't notice at first. He pauses a moment, watching Loki's actions curiously as he slowly rotates his shoulder to help ease any tension before it can build, wondering if there's something he's supposed to be noticing or doing because of it.

Though, since he can't figure one, he's going to resume his climb after just that short pause, keeping an eye out for any thing that might be a clue to what Loki was up to.

Or if he was just bored.

[sorcerous]

Finally, the vine falls free; Loki catches one end in his beak and trails the other over Bakura. He can't make much noise, but he hops up, branch to branch, and warbles a bit -- he will show Bakura the easiest way, and he'll be able to use the length of vine as a guide.

Loki loosely loops the top around a spot twenty feet or so ahead, and flies to find the best way from there.

Faolan does! But he has to do it secretly...

[greatsquirrelhunter]

After Snow's comments, and with Loki climbing up, Faolan is very curious about the beanstalk. But Loki had scolded him, so he had to go along without being seen. Then Loki would be proud of him and like him again!

Opinions are simple when you are 10.

After watching Loki change and start to fly up, Faolan crept to the other side of the beanstalk and started climbing. It was, thankfully, so big and overgrown that a child could easily climb it. And Faolan, as an active boy, was not going to get out of breath quickly.

Once or twice he saw Loki nearby and hid under a leaf.

[sorcerous]

Oh, Loki sees him. Faolan is not the most skilled at following, but -- well, his determination is admirable, and Loki will not reprimand him if he reaches the top.

He will, however -- later, if Faolan gives up and returns to the bottom.

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Well, Faolan is only 10. He's still practicing being unseen.

The beanstalk is very high, and he has to pause a few times in his climb. When he does, he glances up to see where Loki is, and sometimes catches a glimpse of the bird higher.

Finally, he gets to the top and hears the canned laughter. This gives him pause. It sounds like a TV. The Pack didn't have TVs and neither does Hawk. The ones he's most familiar with are from the mechanic shop where Hawk works - and they mostly have the news - and the lab.

He whimpers a little, starting to expect the worst, and hides behind the stalk as he looks around.

The top of the stalk!

[thequestgiver]

As the heroes reached the top, there could be heard the sound of footsteps, faint voices and-- canned laughter? The clouds were strangely solid, yet parted easily to show wood planks, looking much like the wrong side of a floor. The beanstalk had punched a hole through them, one that seemed much larger on one side than the other and offered the glimpse of inside an mostly modern, if very large, living room, designed for someone easily 5 times a normal human's size.

Compared to the kingdom down below, it was quite a contrast. Wood paneling, boxy green plaid chairs, a slightly worn tan rug, a warm, crackling fireplace and a wood framed black and white TV set that was the source of the sound of canned laughter and chattering voices.

Behind the chair was a kitchen counter, a small collection of giant sized cupcakes, easily as big as regular cakes, were cooling on a rack. There was sounds of a one sided conversation deeper in the house, but no other signs of life.

Re: The top of the stalk!

[give_kitty_cake]

Koma, already having helped herself to the cupcakes, was heading back to the top of the beanstalk intending to climb down. She had almost made it back to the hole in the floor where the stalk had pushed its way through but she had stopped to readjust her bag of holding on her back before making the climb.

[wasalmostdaphne]

Bay glanced around, if she wasn't living it she'd swear it was some artist's attempt at color commentary on the world. Because climbing a beanstalk into the Brady Bunch's living room... that has to be a statement of something. She glanced at the bird on her shoulder and then back out into the living room as she stood up on the floor.

"So Giants live in the 70s... didn't see that coming," Bay casually waved at the girl getting ready to leave, guess someone climbed earlier and faster than she did, and Bay wasn't looking forward to climbing down just yet. Not that she wanted to hang around up here too long, but a rest before trying to make her way down an incredibly tall beanstalk seemed best.

"Now what," she asked Loki, given he came up with the idea to visit the top, he should offer some idea of what to do next. Bay was considering tagging the TV just... because it'd be fun.

She did bring her paints along, and for this very reason. Might not be the same at home but to do one normal thing would make all the difference.

[sorcerous]

Loki glanced back to Faolan, and nodded for him to follow. He ignored the girl-thief, or whatever she was, who had taken some of the food -- to climb all this way and restrict the search to petty thievery?

"Now we find who it is that lives here," he told her. "When we move, both of you, stay close, and stay quiet." He crouched before Faolan. "Now, think; how many people do you smell, here? One? More?"