h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

*stops abruptly*

What? Styx? The music has stopped!

Styx, come back!

**The enchanting spell of the piper is broken. Purr shakes his fuzzy head to clear away the ephemeral images fading from his sight. It is completely dark here.**

[Purr] Sstyx? Sstyx!!! Lovely rrat...? Ai would not have eaten yeou. Ai only wanted to learrn a new insstrrument...

**With that, Purr shakes his head one more time to clear away the last of the cobwebs in his muzzied up brain.**

[Purr] Insstrrument... Yess... Ai will play to ssoothe maiy loss...of the rrat and maiy ssense of dirrection...

**He pulls his beloved violin from under his cape, cradles it in his arm and below his chin, places the bow gently upon the strings, then begins to play a tune that's soft, sweet, and clear.**

[Purr] Come back little rrat. Sstyx, the piper. Come back.

**He begins to wander the tunnels as he plays, sending out a haunting melody that would draw the curiosity of anyone who hears it. Purr takes step after halting step, then (beginning to sway with the music) he strides more purposefully forward. Within minutes he has found a small patch of light filtering down from above. He follows its illumination until he reaches an opening in the cave wall, though the steps lead even higher. Before him lies a wonderful panorama of seascape and island forest. In the distance, he can make out another shore and recognizes the familiar shape of Mount Sandeverest rising to its full height. He pauses for only a breath, then rejoins his musical interlude with greater fervor, realizing that the song may be the only means for the rest of the Cast to find their way along the corridors and into the light. The melody wafts away on the warm breeze swirling around the Spire, and its soulful tune echoes down into the bowels of the tunnel.**

Purr, don't you think you're pulling the action along too fast? The sense of all the other posts suggests that everyone was at or near the entrance staircase, getting organised for the ascent through the tunnels. Your posts infer that Styx was waaaaay up into the interior, which couldn't be the case if he were talking to Amy. Now you're breaking through at the other end when some of the group haven't even started into the tunnel.

That means that you are completely isolated from the rest, now. You seem to have stampeded Styx who had glow-in-the-dark clothing to help everyone along. I fear your echoing violin music, sweet though it may be, is not going to help...


ooc means out of continuity. I've made these remarks on a metalevel, outside the panto. You can answer me in the same way. I say this suspecting that you're new to hootoo adventuring, which has a set of unwritten rules you can't possibly learn except through experience so don't feel too badly.


Oh no! Where did Styx go? That overdressed cat ran him off!

*Smiles happily, closes her eyes, puckers her lips a little.*

<--- spots a tasty looking bluebell, starts to amble out of the alcove, towards the bluebell.

*tries to determine whether she's in the tunnel or still outside, having a slightly uneasy feeling about Mary and the Stranger*

[OOC]

Lil, just missed the cues. I can either sit and wait (retaining the path that I've posted), or I can use the TIH&G to teleport back to the steps at the base of HoHo Spire and lock arms with a fellow traveler (so none of us get lost on the way) and proceed when we're ALL ready. I suppose the latter is the best course of action. See ya there!

[/OOC]

**Like a bolt of lightning descending from the heavens, an idea strikes Purr.**

[Purr] Ai sseem to have moved too ffast. Perrhaps back-trracking is the rright thing to do.

**He puts away his violin, checks the settings on his TIH&G, presses a but--



--ton and lands ignobly on the grass in the Contrary Garden, just at the foot of the stairs leading up to HoHo Spire.**

[Purr] Ooommff! Ah... Well... Grreetingss again ffellow trravelers! **He stands, dusts himself off, and glances around at the rest of the Cast present.** Um... May Ai humbly offerr maiy arrm to one of yeou as an escorrt or an aid in our climb to the top of the Sspire? Cinderrs? Humpty? Rrobyn?

Climbing? Did someone mention climbing?

*Pansy is dressed in full climbing gear and is holding a stout stick. She has very large boots with thick stripey socks folded over the top. Dressed for the first time in voluminous trousers she has harnesses and ropes hanging all over the place. The outfit is completed by a sturdy jacket and a helmet with a torch on the front.*

Only stairs? Oh dear. I feel slightly overdressed and that *never* happens to me. I must take off some of this gear. Is there someone who would like to hold my stout stick?

*Rolls eyes and muffles a at Pansy's comment.*

*Starts up the stairs.*

Did someone mention ? I'll take one of tho-- (reads the comment in context) --though I'll just take a 'rain check' on that, Miss Pansy.

B4

[Purr] (slyly, aside to B4) Yeou had betterr wearr yeour rrubberss, if yeou arre going out in the rrain with Miss Pansy. Hmmm... Rreminds meow of a ssong...


Ooh, Ai hearr laughterr in the rrain,
Walkin' hand-in-hand with the one Ai love.
Oh, how Ai love the rrainy dayss
And the happy wayss
Ai feel insi-ide...

*nearly collides with caer*

What's happening? Tea break?

*nearly collides with Robyn, having followed close behind Caerwynn, partly because he's afraid of the dar, partly because Caerwynn seems to be the food lady*

Quack?

Here's something different! A cat who likes being in the rain!

Did someone say something about tea? We really ought to have refreshment before we follow the plot up those stairs.

Just what I was thinking, Lil

I've got a camping gas ring and a kettle somewhere about my person. Probably tea and biscuits too. But I don't think I have any water

**Purr has just finished wringing out his clothing into a fair-sized bucket and overhears the remark. He steps over to Caerwynn without any thought to the ramifications and offers up the pail.**

[Purr] Waterr...?

**There is a small dribbling leak on the underside of the container.**

1: The cat fell in the fountain
2: And then ran up the mountain
3: He danced in the rain
1: Then came down again
2: And will prob'bly return around 10.

3: We hear a fountain by the steps.

1: Was that our great-uncle-by-marriage Styx?
2: The who likes cherries on cocktail sticks?
3: Two feet tall in size?
1: Has red glowing eyes?
2: And is full of unpredictable tricks?

*the mice settle their fedoras and perch on the edge of the stairs*

3: Has anyone brought cheese?

Bravisimo! Bravisimo! Encore, Encore!!

(B4 pays his dues by pelting the with little cubes of Gouda, Limburgher, Swiss [as he thinks it might be their favorite], Edamer, Gorgonzola [the mere thought makes him look for the Queen of Dairy], and small crumbly pieces of a Roqueforte.) <--{This looks enough like a 'cheese wheel' that I'll use it to aid in the description.}

*administers lighter to camp stove*

I suppose the water from Purr's bucket will be ok once its thoroughly boiled