[CLOSED] The Hole

[Janeiro]

Availability: Janeiro, Rue

Location: Deep inside the Floor 1 dungeon, an area with moving walls creating a confusing labyrinth and making maps useless, outside it is around dusk.

Janeiro hated her curiosity. Adventuring and exploring wasn't exciting. Most of the time it was tedious and exhausting, with a feeling of reward at the end creating the illusion that it was all worth it, but lingering only for a fraction of the time one had suffered before to achieve it. A while ago she had found a corridor not marked on her map. Nothing special about it, no monster, no red glowing warning coming from her passive Detection skill. So she went to see what was in there, happy that she might be the first one to discover what was in there. The deep grinding sounds in the distance should have alarmed her.
After going around a few corners, without finding anything, she got bored. In fact this part of the dungeon was surprisingly featureless. The walls and floor were of the same monotone grey, built of absolutely uniform tiles without a single flaw. The tile row in the center of each wall, the floor and the ceiling had white, dimly glowing lights every few yards. When Janeiro decided to go back, the corner she had went around just a minute ago did not exist anymore. She fell her throat contract and paced quickly to another crossing she remembered, only to find it altered. Janeiro did not like that at all. While she tried to find an exit her mind wandered off, thinking about the thousands of tons of earth applying pressure to the frail ceiling, ready to crush anyone within the dungeon without mercy at any time, and there was no way for her to escape. She felt as if there was barely any oxygen in the air. If at least there had been a quest, a monster, anything to show she was heading into the right direction. But the dungeon loved to mock her, chase her around, or see her sink against a wall, the only thing she could interact with being what she had in her inventory and monotonous grey walls, listening to the deep irregular sound of shifting walls in the distance. Calling for others and help, kicking walls in a rhythm, no response from anybody. She spent an eternity listening, checking different places repeatedly to find out a pattern yet her attempts remained futile.
Hours later Janeiro still trudged through the labyrinth. She had cried silently a while ago, but there was nobody to see her red eyes now anyway. Then, suddenly, her foot sank through the next tile she was stepping on. It sank through as if it was air, and her body quickly followed, falling through the illusion into darkness, feeling acceleration for a moment before hitting a hard surface, dropping her HP into the red and making a cracking sound. The game got rid of most of the pain, but one definitely could not say it was a pleasant experience to be hit by an enemy - or fall down several yards.
Janeiro sat up. It was completely dark. She felt a wall and while running her fingers over it determined it was probably the same as the labyrinth as her tips felt the joints between regular squared tiles. The floor though was different. It had cracked. When Janeiro placed her hand on the floor, cold crept through her fingers, up her arm. It was ice.

[Janeiro]

It did not take long until Janeiro had determined she was in a square-shaped shaft with each wall having a length of roughly four yards, the same width the corridor had she walked through minutes earlier. Each step made the ice make little teasing cracking sounds, indicating it was not extremely thick - making Janeiro worry a lot. She did not know what was below, but there was a good chance that the fall would end deadly. Her weight and body warmth would eventually cause the floor to thaw. Janeiro heard and felt her heart beat as she once more carefully touched each tile of the walls she could reach. If only she had gotten an escape item. She was tired and wanted to sleep. The darkness before her eyes seemed eternal, the opposite wall was only a few steps away but it seemed to her like she stared into infinity while desperately thinking what she could do to get out. Making a hole in the ice and risking a leap of faith was too likely to end deadly, but in here there was nothing to help her.

[Rue]

Night fell as Rue entered the labyrinth the last time she was here was with Relsialle and Janeiro. Entering the empty halls of the moss covered Rue walked to the door that She met the two other girls. Looking at the large metal door with the ludicrously large lock still sitting on the floor. A feeling of tiredness fill her as she thought of putting up with the pink haired rogue again. Rue walked away from the door and my many twist in turns in the samey maze. After walking a bit Rue could hear, a loud noise. Moving closer to the noise Rue heard many noises. Reaching a deeper part of the labyrinth that she has never saw before she came across the cause of the noise.

A large maze within a maze, but the walls moved. Rue was fascinated she would study the movements of the walls that she could see from the outside of the maze."Right,left,back,left,foward,up,down,right". Rue said the pattern aloud as she repeated the pattern over and over till she memorized it. " Now how to mark progress", Rue thought on how to mark her progress but she had not chalk or paint nothing to really mark progress. Her hand hit the handle of her sword Rue's tapped the side of her head.

Rue excitedly entered the maze the wall were mirrors of themselves and cleaner then the rest of the labyrinth. " Could their be a keeper of the labyrinth"? Rue thought of Theseus and the Minotaur as she followed the paths given to her slowly and carefully until She reached a contradiction. The wall went right when it should of gone left, Rue marked the ground with a number one and moved back with the old pattern not moving forward. And again she came to another contradiction, and mark the floor with a number one. Rue would do this for awhile marking off every new exits of area one see would reach. Rue was smiling and her tone was excited. "the maze is broken into multiple wall movement patterns group one right,left,back,left,foward,up,down,right and group two back,foward,left,right,down,up,up,left". Rue would repeat and memorized pattern two, moving into group two she would continue to push forward as the walls allowed. As she moved through the paths she learned more about the patterns." They paths are stagnate it's just the position of the paths that move, it's like a slide puzzle with multiple pictures. The parts will met and make their picture eventually just need to know the pieces and the picture". Rue was so excited she was speaking aloud as if addressing a audience ready to take a bow and bask in the praise.

[Janeiro]

Sitting on the icy floor Janeiro could feel it slowly melting, cooling her butt. She migrated to another spot and after some time did it again. Sometimes she would tap against the wall without any motivation, or try to find some sort of grip or ram her sword in it, only to have the purple Immortal Object pop up, for a moment illuminating the shaft in a dim purple light, hurting the eyes as she had been so accostumed to the darkness already. Sadly the light did not reveal anything new to her and would always vanish after few seconds, throwing her back into the thick darkness from before. Her lower body started to feel cold, but she did not want to stand up and concentrate all of her body weight on her two feet. Then she heard it. The distant grinding of the walls accompanied by an amused voice. A human voice, definitely a player!
"Hello?" She yelled up. "The floor is an illusion here, I fell down into a trap, it's several meters deep. Watch your step!" Janeiro warned the player. The voice appeared to be female, but with the echo and distance she did not recognize it yet.

Rue heard the voice from below. Suddenly, around ten meters behind and twenty meters in front of Rue walls shifted into her view, blocking off the straight corridor on both ends. There were no other routes to take, and both walls started moving towards her, shortening the hallway with every second, attempting to crush the girl.

[Rue]

"Never Falter Never Look Back!" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ Sorry To Drop In Rue Lv2

Rue was slowly walking along the path allowed to her by the walls. When suddenly the path behind and in front of her, suddenly were closed off and slowly grinding towards her. With a surprised, but still curious expression and tone Rue examined her situation. She did not feel like she hit any pressure plates or tripwire, no this had been activated by something that must be watching her move through the maze like a lab rat. Rue drew her sword and tried to make groves in the wall for her to possibly climb over. Unfortunately when Rue dug the tip of her blade in the wall a purple light covered the area of the point of contact. Bringing her blade back Rue moved her jaw slightly back in forth looking around for anything that could be used. Rue could see nothing out of place, and the walls were getting closers by the second. Her eyes narrowed and she clenched her teeth,(theirs got to be a way out of here). As the walls drew closer Rue heard a muffled voice call out,"Hello!? The floor is an illusion here, I fell down into a trap, it's several meters deep. Watch your step!". Rue could not recognize the voice at the moment, but she could tell that it was another girl.With the information that the girl in the hole had given Rue, she stepped back. Looking to both walls getting closer, Rue had maybe a minute or two. Rue looked to where the voice came from and scrolled through her inventory with her eyes. She had a potion, some crating materials and her sleepwear plus the items she had equip. Licking her teeth with her tongue she quickly thought of a plan to escape her certain demise.Stabbing her sword into the ground she hammered it into the ground, till it was locked into place. Taking her light blue sleepwear from her inventory, she twisted the top and pants and tied them together. Tying off one end to her sword and holding the other with her hands she walked forward. Moving forward hastily, on her last step the ground disappeared right from under her. Rue's stomach turned from the sudden g force as she fell down. As she fell the make shift rope swung her into the right wall of the hole. The walls above closed stopped as they smacked together, Rue's sleepwear tightly rubbed on the edge of the holes entrance. Turning to look around the hole,Rue saw the girl who called out to her it was Janeiro. Rue looked at her with a blank stare and nonchalant tone as she swung on her rope."Hi". The top of the hole would close, but it seemed stuck half in between materializing do to the interference from Rue's rope.

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Janeiro]

Due to Rue constantly interfering with the illusion, it flickered like a computer error, letting single beams of light through from time to time. Janeiro saw the figure dangling a bit above her. "Rue!" She exclaimed in surprise, standing up. The ice under her feet cracked once more. She felt sorry for the girl who was now in the same situation for herself, while simultaneously being glad for the company. "The gap up there looks to narrow for you to fit in... it would crush you."
Sadly Janeiro saw no way to help her, looking up helplessly. "You shouldn't have gone here... guess we're both stupid. If you are going to jump down tell me, I'll help you."

[Rue]

"Never Falter Never Look Back!" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ Rue Lv2

Rue looked at Janeiro as she stood on the ice, Her expression was grateful that someone was here but their was sadness and despair behind her momentary happiness. Rue's eyes narrowed and her voice was calm but stern like a parent scolding a child."Yes it defiantly was not smart to examine a new area with no means of escape, but climbing down here to safe a person in need and a friend no less is not stupid in my books". Rue did not know how long Janeiro has been trapped in the hole, but prolonged isolation and the slow constant looming knowledge of demise would get to anyone over time. Speaking to Janeiro in a stronger more confident tone to get her out of her depression." We are still alive and unharmed we may be trapped, but theirs no reason to give up yet. Until are last breath lets struggle to survive and look are opposition in the face and move past it, and if you quit i'll drag you back from the darkness weather you want to or not"! Rue looked to the top of the hole, it flickered as Rue's rope moved through the roof. Griping the rope more tightly she swung her body back and forth, using her legs like she was on a swing. Rue would continue to gain momentum as she swung back and forth making the roof of hole flicker and glitch.

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Janeiro]

Looking up at Rue with tired eyes, Janeiro produced a faint smile. There was no point in stagnation, so one could at least try. She observed Rue's tactics. The illusion floor flickered, and the walls above almost behaved like an elevator door not being able to decide whether to close or not with an object being in the way. Finally it gave up, and the walls retreated, giving Rue an opportunity to climb back up. The illusion shut down completely, letting light shine into the deep hole. Janeiro felt a little relieved. "Go back up first. I'll be too heavy for you to lift. We'll find another way once you're on the edge again." It was in that moment that Rue felt her sleepwear not hold her anymore and the grinning red face of a kobold appeared, who had loosened Rue's sword enough to cause it to fall. Gravity started to pull on the small girl's body. Janeiro was ready to catch her if she did not get a hold on something.

[Rue]

"Never Falter Never Look Back!" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ Rue Lv2

Rue yelled in surprise as her makeshift piton was pulled out and gravity took hold. letting go of her rope her hands moved wildly trying to find something to grab on, as she fell backwards. Falling down the hold Janeiro caught the small tank with both of her arms cradling the Rue the ice cracked more from the force of her fall. Looking to the top she saw a red kobold looking over the edge at the two girls grinning and laughing at their misfortune as it walked away. Rue looked around her new environment as she noticed that Janeiro had caught her. Slightly embarrassed from being held like a doll or a infant and feeling shameful for not taking into account that whatever was watching her would foil her recuse attempt. Rue slightly bushed and looked away and spoke with a disheartened tone, "sorry for messing up, but don't worry will defiantly get out just...". Rue stopped and spoke in a more embarrassed and small voice, " Thank you for catching me, but could you lower me let me down please"?

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Janeiro]

It was difficult to catch the falling girl, but Janeiro did it, the ice cracking below her feet from the impact. "You have no reason to apologize. I think it was a pretty good idea." She was a little embarrassed by this much body contact as well and carefully let Rue down on the ice floor, her cheeks changing to a subtle pink hue. This emotion was not something she had seen of the usually cold and rational tank so far. A motivated rumbling could be heard from above, more walls shifted, and the illusion rebooted, leaving the two girls in the darkness. Janeiro knew that Rue was right in front of her, hearing her breath and some of her movements. "That's how it was before you came. If anything's wrong or you notice something tell me."
She walked back to a wall, carefully, the ice cracking more with each step, until she found a spot at the wall where only a little pressure was enough to break through the floor, splinters of frozen water falling away. There was no sound of them hitting something else, apparently being swallowed by the dark infinity that seemed to fill this room and tried to creep into their heads. Janeiro got down to her knees, feeling around the edge of the whole that appeared. As she thought, the ice was only a few inches thick. She fumbled around more, to the side, where the wall would be - but below the ice it didn't continue. They were at the lowest point of the shaft, with apparently nothing but air below them and to the sides. Putting her whole arm in she could feel the bottom of the wall. It was roughly as thick as her forearm was long. Behind that she could feel out the other side, the outer wall of the shaft. Her fingers got hold of an indentation, deep enough to put the ball of the foot on.
Janeiro shared her discovery with Rue. "On the other side of the wall... we could climb up. But I have no idea what will be there. If we even get out. And I don't even know how we are supposed to get on the other side. We could try, but I don't have the greatest body control. I might fall down."

[Rue]

"Never Falter Never Look Back!" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ Rue Lv2

Fixing her clothes and regaining her normal composure. Rue responded to Janeiro in a calm tone," I will and tell me if you spot anything as well". The room was dark and cold, Rue remember were she saw Janeiro and where her sword and nightwear was. Rue slowly slid her feet along the ice, her light body fortunately did not cause the floor to crack under her weight. The floor was slightly melted and was causing Rue's boots to become damp. slowly kneeling down, Rue slid her hands on the floor where she remembered seeing where her sword fell. Her right hand touched a wet piece of cloth, standing up she pulled the wet cloth until she touched the guard of her sword. sheathing her sword and putting her clothes back in her inventory, Rue walked to the nearest wall and slid her hands around to see if she could find a switch or hiding wall..anything. Rue's searching so far seemed to bare no fruit. She continued to go along the walls till Janeiro called to her. Slowly moving over to where Janeiro's voice came from, Rue's eye acclimated to the darkness and she could see a silhouette of Janeiro. She explained that they could possibly climb around the wall, but she did not feel confident of her climbing skill. " I haven't found anything as of yet, so at the moment this seems to be are only escape. I don't have the climbing skill but I light and more then strong enough to hold my own body weight. I could climb up and then lower a rope for you, however my nightwear in not long enough to reach all the way down, do you have anything to extend the length"?

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Janeiro]

Janeiro was not sure about the plan. Rue would probably have to hold Janeiro's weight with just one hand, the other one clinging to the wall. She would have liked to see Rue's face to get a better feeling for how determined she was, but in the darkness it was impossible. She had to agree with Rue though, it was the only way they found so far to get out.
"I have my own pajamas." With a flick of her fingers Janeiro opened her interface and navigated the menu towards her equipment, spawning the two-piece sleepwear in her hands. She twisted the cloth into a rope and tied them together. "Here. Just... be careful." She touched Rue's arm and gave her the makeshift rope which she could use with her own version. "This should do it." Then she made way for the younger girl who seemed ready to climb to the other side, hoping she was right.

[Rue]

"Never Falter Never Look Back!" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ Rue Lv2

Rue arm slightly tensed up as Janeiro touched it. Even though she could not see her face Rue nodded and at Janeiro's cautionary advice. Putting her small hand on top of Janeiro's Rue spoke with confidents. "Don't worry I said I would get us out and I will". Rue took Janeiro's tied pajamas, Rue felt a little embarrassed holding another girls sleepwear. Tying her pajamas with Janeiro's Rue formed a much longer rope. wrapping the rope around her left shoulder Rue laid on her back and slowly slid to the edge, the wet cold pinched her back as it soaked in to her clothes. Feeling around Rue's hands felt the wall, sliding her hand up and around the wall her fingers dug into the groves of the wall. Pulling herself forward Rue's body slid through the small opening and dropped down, dangling above the black abyss. Rue lifted her body up for her feet to touch the edge, digging the tips of her boot into the groves, Rue used one hand to search for the next grove. Rue slowly continued her climb. Releasing one hand to find a grove, her feet slip out of the groves do to them being wet from the ice. Rue held in a yell to not worry Janeiro and brought her feet back to the wall, her feet and hands scraped down the wall. Getting her toe and fingers back into the groves on a lower part of the wall Rue stopped to calm herself and slow her heartbeat. Rue continued to climb the wall with bleeding finger, they pulsated pain through her body with every advance. Fighting through the pain Rue reached what appeared to be the top of the moving maze, unwrapping her rope Rue lowered it and yelled down to Janeiro. "I made it to what I think might be the top of the maze, i'm lowering the rope tell me if you can reach it"!

[Janeiro]

Janeiro was nervous. She listened attentively, trying not to make any sounds that could distract Rue. When the younger girl slipped over the edge, leaving her body dangling it felt like Janeiro's heart stopped for a moment. Same when she heard something slip, but Rue's climbing continued to make noises. "You're doing fantastic. You can do it." It was atypical for Janeiro to try to be motivational. This however was the right moment and her words were absolutely honest. The faint noises became more distant as Rue advanced. Finally she heard her voice again. Good, she must have found some sort of platform to be on. Once again Janeiro laid flat on the ice, extending her arm through the hole, trying to feel the cloth. After a while she got it and grasped it as tightly as possible, wrapping it around her wrist once. "I got it. I'll try to climb through!" She yelled up and slowly slid through the hole on her back until her hips were just over the rim. Under her back was the eternal abyss. It felt like it was sucking her down. Janeiro tried to regulate her breathing and grapsed the outer edge of the wall with her free hand. It was rough and cold, hurting her fingers. "Hold tight. I'm coming!" She informed Rue again before slipping over, trying to hold herself with the hand grasping the indentation in the wall, but Rue had to carry part of her weight now as well. While dangling there she almost panicked, feeling the makeshift rope tremble, but finally she got her knee raised up enough to pull up her body and clinging to the wall, breathing heavily. "Th-thank you..." Janeiro said quietly, unsure if Rue even heard it. There were tears in her eyes. Carefully and very slowly she climbed up, sometimes having to pause for several seconds, her fingers suffering just as Rue's. But she made it. "I'm here." She said crawling over the edge, laying down flat on the surface they were on. "Thank you Rue."
In the distance there was a faint warm light coming from a torch, which appeared to be over some sort of gateway.

[Rue]

"Never Falter Never Look Back!" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ Rue Lv2

When Rue heard Janeiro say that she had hold of the rope, Rue widened her stance and tightened her grip. Rue could feel the rope slightly pull back as Janeiro moved to the edge of the hole. Her second confirmation made Rue twist the rope around her wrists, the top half of Rue's body jerked forward as Janeiro started her climb. For a moment Rue's held most of Janeiro's weight as the roped shook. "Don't be afraid I've got you"! Rue spoke at the darkness in a raised and calming voice. The pulling of the rope lessened as time went on, Rue tightened to slack as the rope relaxed and gave words of encouragement for every pause. Janeiro made it to the top clawing over the edge and laying flat on the floor she thanked Rue. Rue undid the makeshift rope and put her sleepwear in her inventory and folded Janeiro's. Holding Janeiro's pajama's in one hand and helping the older girl up with the other, Janeiro faced Rue it was dark but Rue saw the red in her eyes. Handing her pajama's back, Rue spoken in a calm voice with a serious expression. " Don't thank me it was a team effort, you did most of the work. We are also still in danger, we don't know where we are and I only see a gateway with a light. Light means something is there by climbing out we only averted one of the dangers, we can't relax now". Rue did not want her to be grateful of her for doing nothing and she needed Janeiro to be focused. Rue still felt a tinge of guilt for acting a bit cold towards Janeiro, it was odd for her to feel this way about someone. Could what she said about being friends be true and not just a figure of speech. Rue refocused herself, (I can't be thinking like this in a situation like this what's wrong with me).

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS