Chapter 04: Act III

[storyevents]

A MIDSUMMER ROSE: ACT III—

---

As everyone is taken from the second Act into the third and final Act of this story, they will all share the same visions of how the story has proceeded thus far:

Bonny Rose and Puck met and proceeded to blame each other for the donkey curse, but eventually took a moment to realize they needed to work together in order to brew the cure, with Bonny Rose protecting Puck while he gathered ingredients and brewed the potion. (All while bickering and swearing as only fantasy-Scottish redheads can.)

After freeing the town, Bonny Rose was in a much better mood and got along considerably better with her new traveling companion Nick Bottom, developing an amiable friendship until the two were separated by distracting swarms of butterflies and will-o-wisps.

Titania found Nick in the forest and he followed her willingly to her castle, with the queen demonstrating her considerable might defending her new paramour against a serpentine creature. The two indulged in a steamy bath and soothing Titania's wounds.

Surprisingly, Oberon and Carabosse had a scintillating past as lovers and partners on the battlefield, until Carabosse fell too deep into dark magic and Oberon began to fall for Titania. The two of them had a tense but surprisingly civil conversation about the past, the curse and her kidnapping plans, and Titania's mothering skills, and Carabosse promised to alter the curse and divulged that it can be broken with True Love, romantic or platonic.

Oberon managed to coax a particularly sharp Titania to their room, and eventually managed to break the curse on her.

Titania apologized to Nick for her behavior while under the love potions' effects. He accepted her apology, and the two agreed to part ways and for Nick to be left alone from now on.

Meanwhile, Bonny Rose and Tam Lin met in the forest, and the two normally outgoing youths were so stricken with each other that they became shy. They bonded over their shared feelings of being trapped in certain roles, and Tam Lin managed to charm her by introducing her to a wolf pup and taking her on a ride through the forest.

After the lovebirds parted ways, Tam Lin went to Puck for romantic advice. This was a mistake, as apparently fairy romance is much more complicated than Tam Lin thought, all he wanted was to know how to ask out a girl.

Carabosse managed to lure Tam Lin away with a handsome male visage before revealing her true form, offering Tam Lin a chance to join her dark forces. He refused, and she unleashed the (altered) curse on him.

When they awaken, the Aspects will find themselves in the middle of a desolate looking fortress, everything battered and filled with debris. A few bones and broken pieces of armor can be found scattered about, dark clouds constantly looming overhead—and along with the occasional cawing of crows, the loud roars of dragons can be heard followed by large, dark shadows as they fly overhead.

This is the fortress where Tam Lin is held captive and Bonny Rose must rescue him from. Once again those who must fulfil their role will find a path illuminated for them by glowing mushrooms and lead to different doors through which they must pass through before appearing in their designated scene setting. The rest will be tasked to try and clean out the fortress while protecting their safe location as well as helping the dragons roosting in the many towers overhead.

The Aspects will also discover that while they no longer are in their fairy forms, they can turn into something else—dragons.

---

§ instructions.

The third Act is underway! This is the designated log for all Main Scenes. Others are free to create their own toplevels for the Sub Quests, which are detailed below. Each Main Scene has their own unique toplevel and those cast into the roles are to thread their scene under each. All scene instructions are provided in the toplevels.

Fairy forms are no longer at play, but everyone will now have a dragon form they can transform into. It's mostly by their own will, but a few may have some accidents as they get used to it. These transformations can be either partial or full. IMPORTANT! Characters cannot transform into dragons while doing scenes. Only those playing Tam Lin and Bonny Rose in Scene 6 will be able to use their given dragon form to use.

Finally, just to be clear, characters who are in Main Scenes are not immediately dropped in to their location and will have to follow the glowing path of mushrooms to a designated door and then return. Threading all of that isn't necessary, but it's to help give a better idea that characters can take a break between scenes or wait a bit to help with other things like the Sub Quests.

Feel free to refer to the Game Notes for more detailed info as well as ask questions or clarifications.

---

§ sub quests.

Everyone is free to participate in the Sub Quests. There are no specific top levels, so you're free to incorporate them however you wish in your own top level.

¶ I. Dungeon Sweep. Another Act, another place to clear out to make it hospitable during their stay.

• Safe Zone. The safe zone in this location is a central outdoor plaza, which may not seem all that safe, but that's where they end up. Flowers from Tam Lin's forest can be found sprouting around the area and like before, the pollen can be used to help erect magical barriers to prevent enemies from entering. There are also small storehouses, barracks, and a kitchen nearby that can be used.
  
  
• Haunted Armor. Aside from the monsters, there is an army of haunted armor patrolling the halls and walls of the fortress, and some will even try to break into the safe zone. Although mostly armor, they are formidable foes, each one carrying the spirit of a strong, powerful knight of ancient times. Even if one were to hack off parts of the armor, they will still be able to move and even reattach themselves. The only way to completely destroy them is by piercing through the center of the chest piece where a stone core rests inside.
  
  
• Disabling Traps. There are numerous traps within the fortress, ranging from classic spikes from the walls to sudden pitfalls to revolving walls and even a rolling boulder. When venturing through the fortress, take care not to set them off because where there's on trap, there are sure to be more.

¶ I. Dragon Egg Hunt. Many dragons can be seen flying overhead, but they don't really bother the characters all that much. If anything they seem to be focused on dealing with some other problems, and those who venture up to the other towers will discover the reason why—as well as why they're able to transform into dragons.

• Egg Thief. There are several dragon nests scattered about the towers, but there are these harpies that keep trying to steal them and fly away with them. Chase after them and return the eggs to earn the dragons' favor.
  
  
• Protect the Eggs. One would think a dragon wouldn't have trouble protecting its roost, but when it comes to smaller threats such as small basilisks and other large snakes, their large size becomes a disadvantage, especially if they don't want to accidentally crush their own brood. Help fend off these threats to earn the dragons' favor.
  
  
• Egg Hunt. Now some of these eggs are on the move. Whether taken by something else and hidden somewhere, rolled off on their own, or on their way to hatching with their little legs or wings already breaking through, they need to be found and returned to their nest before something truly terrible happens.

¶ IV. Wildcard. Make up your own prompt!

Comments

[forachange]

[Wembley sat up- Too quickly, oops, bumped his head on the bottom of the chair, there... But he smiled at Gobo, even as he rubbed the sore spot through his hair.]

I'm okay! I mean, I am now, 'cause... Well, 'cause you're here, and that other nasty place isn't.

[Their current location may be less than charming, but in Wembley's opinion, it's head and shoulders above the dark fairy realm.]

Besides, it all only happened because I was helping with the story, and I'm really glad I did!

[gobetween]

[A faint and brief smile at the somewhat-compliment, though the worry was back as he sat down in front of Wembley.]

Well- yeah, me too, but-...

[His eyes flicked him up and down and there was a concerned noise in his throat.]

Do you need anything? -Uh, can I help somehow...?

[forachange]

[The upside to Wembley's simple nature is that he doesn't overthink things the way others might. Now, for example: He doesn't hesitate to scootch forward, still sitting, until he can hug Gobo. He would've done it before they were in love, so he's definitely gonna do it now.]

I'm okay. It woulda been really fun without all the traps and monsters, actually! [He grins.] I met another Aspect I hadn't seen before, and he's like some kinda tree creature, and he flew me to where we needed to go.

[gobetween]

[That hug was warm- He returned it while Wembley was close, and sat back to look at him.]

Well that's good, I'm glad you met somebody nice!

[Still... he chewed on the inside of his lip, unsettled yet.]

[forachange]

Uh-huh! He was, but, uh... Gobo?

[He tilted his head to the side, watching Gobo carefully. Wembley is simple, but he and Gobo are roommates. Best friends. Something else, now, too, that he doesn't have a word for. And so he can tell that something's off.]

Is everything okay?

[gobetween]

Yeah! Yeah... no.

[That was of course accompanied by nodding and then shaking his head.]

I don't know, Wembley, it's just...

[That noise again, then-]

Why not let me take care of you?

[forachange]

[...Oh. Well, that was very sweet. Wembley blushed a bit as he glanced aside.]

I'd like that. I just-

[Should he say it? Maybe he shouldn't, because that would just make things strange, right? But... Maybe he should, because it wasn't like Gobo knew about this stuff either...

Mostly, he didn't want Gobo to feel like his help was unwanted.]

This is new, Gobo. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do, or what you're supposed to do.

[A little chuckle.]

I also don't know where we'd get a mosspack here.

[gobetween]

[He chuckled faintly, with a crooked smile.]

Well I'd like to think "tend to my best friend's cuts" counts as pretty typical reaction.

I don't know where we'd get a mosspack but... [He looked up and around them, then made a 'hold on' gesture before walking off. After a short while he returned with some scavenged cloth, remnants that'd been caught in one part of the plaza.

Sitting down again, he started tearing it into strips. He had a little container of water on hand, and he wet one bit of cloth to dab at the worst cuts and bruises, which would then get a strip wrapped around them and secured. He worked in this way for several minutes, silent with his diligence to completing this.]

[forachange]

Heh, yeah, that's true.

[Wembley's tail waved back and forth, hitting the ground to one side of him, then the other. This started when Gobo was gone, and continued as he worked. He didn't have much to say, but silence has never been a favorite of Wembley's, not if he notices it anyway, so he started humming bits of made-up tunes again.

It felt really nice. Not that it ever hadn't felt nice when someone took care of him. He'd always loved that. But this was... Different. Extra-special.]

[gobetween]

[He glanced up at the humming, then smiled and continued his work, adding his own voice to it now. They did it together for a good minute or so but, either them being Fraggles or him being him and Wembley being who he was, with a lightly impish smile, the humming became a song.]

♫ Well when I'm wembling west
I take the friend I like best
So we can wemble, wemble, wemble, side by side... ♫

[forachange]

[Wembley's face positively lit up when he realized, before Gobo had started singing, where the humming was taking them.]

♫ And when we're wembling south
We stick our feet in our mouth
And we just wemble, wemble, wemble as we ride ♫

[On the "wembles" in that last line, he leaned in to nuzzle his snout - carefully, the horns - against Gobo's.]

[gobetween]

[He laughed at the nuzzles, which added a skip to the already wordless vocals of this part of the song.

He still had some strips tangled around his fingers but he grabbed Wembley's hands, holding them. It just felt right.]

♫ Cuz the wemblin' song can't go wrong~ ♫

[forachange]

[Wembley found himself laughing, just hearing Gobo do the same, and it awakened his relief at being safe now, so much so that his little giggles kept growing. What he was doing could barely be defined as singing at that point, with maybe every third word getting out, but he didn't care. He was just so very happy.]

[gobetween]

[Hey, he'll take it! He keeps right along with Wembley, even if the laughing was contagious and bungled his own words. He was gonna try, though.]

♫ We wemble most to the east
And north- [snort] -we wemble the least
But still we wemble, wemble, wemble along ♫

[He crossed their muzzles, giggling a bit more at the cross-fur feeling that caused.]

♫ Come on- [snrrk] -and wemble and you'll
Be just a wemblin' fool
'Cuz that's the wemble, womble, wemblin' song~ ♫

[Yep, that's all he's got, because he outright dropped into laughter then, every ounce of worry before being erased now.]

[forachange]

[Wembley rocked back as he laughed, and on a lean back too far, wound up on the floor - and still holding Gobo's hands, he took the other Fraggle right down with him. And that just made him start laughing all over again.]

Sorry!

[gobetween]

[He landed down on him with an oof, which started another peal of laughter after a moment.]

It's alright, it's alright! [Backing up, he pulled Wembley up with him, smiling brightly.] You okay?

[forachange]

[Wembley's smile in return was just as delighted, as he got up with Gobo's help.]

Yeah! [He chuckled.] I'm good! Thanks for wrapping me up and stuff.

[gobetween]

Of course! I couldn't just not do anything.

[He was still giggling a little, but there was a soft touch to his smile.]

See? We know what to do with this.

[forachange]

Yeah... Yeah! It's just us, right? Just us, but, oh! Now we can do this!

[He leans up and kisses Gobo's cheek.]

[gobetween]

[That got a bit of a bashful throat-clearing from him and he ducked his head a bit, smiling some.]

Y-yeah. Guess we can.

[forachange]

[He raised his shoulders up to about his ears, in a sheepish sort of way, though he was still smiling.]

Uh-huh.

[He stepped out from under the chair and glanced around. He hadn't seen much of this new place, yet - he'd been to the kitchens already, and the barracks now, but that was it thus far. And while he stood by this being an improvement over the dark fairy realm... He would be happy to get back to the Index.]

I wonder how long we've been in this story...

[gobetween]

It's hard to say.

[He got up as Wembley did, tail idly resting around behind him. Behind Wembley, that is.]

I've kinda lost all track of time here. It seems like it's been really short, but really long, too.

[forachange]

[That was a very comforting gesture, that hold of sorts. He leaned into it a bit.]

Good, then it's not just me. I couldn't decide if it was a long time or a short time that we've been away, but [snicker] I thought I was just wembling.

[gobetween]

Guess not. [He snickered some himself.] It might even be the story's time being weird, and we'll find something completely different when we go back to the Index.

Magic can do whatever it wants.

[forachange]

It sure can, that's why it's magic!

[Judging by the grin and chuckle that accompanied the statement, that made perfect sense to Wembley.

But, now that he thinks back, he can't remember what time of year it was back in the Index when they left. Sure, part of it is above ground nature versus below ground... But it's still kind of strange. He mostly remembers realizing it had been Gobo's birthday- But that was a pretty long while ago, right?

...Wait a second. He chuckled again, then glanced at Gobo, looking sheepish, but mostly amused.]

I forgot my birthday again.

[It wasn't the first instance of that, not that that was unusual for a Fraggle, honestly. Passage of time was weird, and birthdays were often celebrated whenever one felt like it.]