6- The Lake

[chippedcup]

...How are you guys doing here? [They'd only been in the Castle less than two weeks and there was already a world change. It had to be pretty overwhelming.]

[With that done, Belle walks her way towards the lake, her journal still open at her side. There was no way she was following her 'schedule', as it were. If this castle thinks it can control her it has another thing coming. Not after Mirror World. She stops by the edge of the lake, looking out over it and says quietly mostly to herself, though her journal still catches it.] ...Hopefully there's nothing that lives in this lake that's going to eat me.

Comments

[onlyanapple]

[He's just strollin' a stroll. Hi Belle]

That's just tempting fate.

[chippedcup]

Probably. Though... what's the worst that could come after me? [She peers into the water.]

[onlyanapple]

[Crowley looks into the water, considering this]

A giant shark.

[chippedcup]

...Like those could really come out of the water at me. [She gives him a look.]

So how are you enjoying our cabin and wonderful cabin mates?

[onlyanapple]

Like you could never be trapped in a mirror world and attacked by an ink monster?

Aside from the horrifically tacky décor, I'm enjoying it. The abilities it gives are pretty much my own, anyway. How about you?

[ Belle ]

[fantasies]

I'm great!

[WELP.]

[ Henry ]

[chippedcup]

[She laughs.] Well, I'm glad to hear that at least. Been keeping busy?

[ Belle ]

[fantasies]

Yeah! Camp is awesome. I'm going canoeing next.

[ Henry ]

[chippedcup]

Are you? I'm actually down by the lake right now.

[ Belle ]

[fantasies]

Oh, cool! Maybe I'll see you.

[fistfullofmagic]

If there is, I have not seen it.

[Oh look, it's the only male water nymph in the lake. Hi Belle, Dhaos remembers you from the Mirror World incident.

...It might just be best to ignore the fact that he's eating a fish raw.]

[chippedcup]

Well, that's good. So when something comes after us, it won't be coming from the lake.

[fistfullofmagic]

The most likely candidates at the moment appear to be the harpies, although outside invasion is always possible.

[Or the castle could surprise them and not try to kill them all. Dhaos isn't holding his breath for that one though.]

[chippedcup]

I thought the forest was supposed to be filled with monsters that are mysteriously not there right now. [Like that isn't suspicious.]

[fistfullofmagic]

At least a few of them are transformed residents of the castle, or so I've been told. I personally know at least one of those that became nymphs of the wood.

...Of course, they may simply be the first in the line of fire if this is the case.

[No, the glass isn't half-empty. Life just has a tendency to chuck the glass at his face.]

belle;

[changethings]

[ She... has no idea how to answer this, haha. ]

I'm... great. [ Okay, not exactly great. But whatever. ]

Emma;

[chippedcup]

[Yeah... She didn't exactly think this filter through entirely.]

After being sucked into a magic castle and then it turned into a summer camp? [She kind of doubts that, Emma.]

belle;

[changethings]

[ It's okay, her inability to answer properly is more due to the fact SHE MET HER MOTHER, than anything. ]

It could have been worse, the castle could have turned into a cave full of dragons. [ ....Emma that was a terrible joke. ]

belle;

[chippedcup]

[Oh, it's okay, Emma. She was surprised to meet your mother too.

Still, she laughs at that.] Well, at least then we could see what we were fighting instead of waiting around until it drops the other shoe on us.

belle;

[changethings]

[ Aheh. ]

Hooray for small victories.

[ Though the whole mother thing bothers her... and of course she cannot keep quiet about it. ]

What would you do if you discovered someone you believed to be only a fairy tale character was not only real but was also your mother?

Belle;

[atetheapple]

I've certainly had better days. I wasn't really expecting it to...

Well, it's fine, so far.

Snow;

[chippedcup]

Expecting it to change? It does that sometimes. It takes some time getting used to.

Belle;

[atetheapple]

I wonder why it would go to the trouble. It's already taken us somewhere new. Why change the scenery?

Does it limit the chance to escape?

Snow;

[chippedcup]

As far as I can tell, it's because the Castle just wants to. It wants us to react.

[Her voice drops to a more quiet tone.] ...Some people think it feeds on our emotions. That's how it creates the magic.

Belle;

[atetheapple]

There isn't any magic that exists that can do that, is there? I mean, I've heard of it giving or taking away emotions before, but..Feeding?

It sounds like an animal, not... [It's just a castle] Stone can't want anything, Belle.