PS: i am witch core to the bone

hey @Poinsettia,whens your next post on here gonna be?i don't want this roleplay to die

Part 2

Wolfy smiled as she stepped into the spacious buffet room next morning. The hotel had taken all night to get to Ancient Egypt - "time travel is slow," the attendant had told her - but she was finally here. Upon waking up, she had heard men's voices shouting outside, wagon wheels rumbling through the streets, and horses whinnying. She had jumped up and flung aside the thick hotel curtains.

A blaze of warm light poured into the room. Wolfy's eyes widened as she saw the narrow dusty streets, teeming with people. Just opposite was a stately building that looked like a temple. The sky seemed to be a blue dome, carved out of marble. Far away, beyond the huts and palaces, Wolfy could see palm trees and - pyramids.

It was a far cry from the view in her own suburban neighborhood.

Last night, the hotel staff - some of whom were from different time periods themselves -  had shown them all over the hotel. After that, everyone had gathered in the TV room, but nobody wanted to sit around watching television at such an exciting time. The quieter ones started reading the books that were scattered everywhere, while the others talked. Wolfy had gotten into a friendly argument with Darkvine, and a game of tag had developed which left the elegantly furnished room in ruins, but they had all had fun - "and everything can be replaced," the attendant Marcus had told them.  Because of this, it was easy for Wolfy to find her way downstairs - she prefereed descending the red-carpeted staircase to using the slick modern elevator - and into the dining room. 

No one was there but a bewigged gentleman in a coat and stockings, who was laying the table.

"Good morning, Miss. You're up early, Miss," he said. "Breakfast will be served in a few minutes."

Wolfy stayed in the doorway, enjoying the elegance of the dining room. Presently, a girl with bluish hair and a black cloak came along the hall. It was Luna Silvermoon.

"Hi!" Luna said, smiling. "The hotel's pretty empty, isn't it?"

"Well, it's early. Look at the clock - 6 AM!"

"And what's wrong with gittin' up that early?" inquired Luna's cloak, Nightly, with a cowboy twang. "When I was alongside of Cowboy Jim we useter git up at four to chase them cows! Yeeehaw!"

As Nightly had only the night before spoken in an erudite 1890s British accent, Wolfy may be forgiven for feeling quite startled.

"Nightly talks in different ways all the time," Luna explained. "I've been all over the world with him, and in lots of different times - you know I'm a witch. A good witch," she hurried to add. "Anyway, Nightly likes to imitate the different ways of speaking that he's heard."

"He's kind of sweet," said Wolfy, smiling.

"Sweet? Humph!" exclaimed Nightly, and did not speak again until the waiter served the girls their breakfast.

By this time the other CBers were coming in, in small groups or alone. The room was filled with happy small talk and eager questions about what they would see that day.

Just as they were finishing, they saw a tall woman with smooth dark hair and a merry smile come in. She had an air of briskness and eagerness without being unpolished, and she wore the dress of an elegant society woman of Napoleon I's time.

"Hello, everyone," she said in a slight French accent. "My name is Madame Daphne Agalier, and I"m going to be your tour guide for the day. We'll start at nine o'clock. First we'll see the ordinary markets and streets, then the palaces, and then the pyramids by evening. Or you can choose to live for the day in the house of an actual Egyptian. If you choose the latter, please be back by seven - this city is dangerous after dark."

A buzz of excited conversation started as everyone got up and headed off to get ready.

Halfway up the stairs to her room, Luna remembered that she had forgotten her cameoora on the table. She turned and sped noiselessly down the stairs, then slowed outside the dining room as she heard men's voices.

"Oh, the kids don't supect a thing," said one man carelessly. "Least of all the one we're interested in."

"Monsuier? What do you mean?" asked Madame Agalier, sounding troubled.

"Oh, Madame Agalier! I didn't see you. The thing is, my friend Jim here is interested in studying the reactions of these kids to time travel - he's a psychologist, you know - and he was wondering whether maybe the kids suspected they're being watched."

"That's all it is, really," said a girl's somewhat snarky voice.  Luna tried to remember it. Oh, of course - it was Reuby Moonnght's voice. But what was she doing here?

Quickly Luna made herself invisible and tiptoed past the men. The only drawback was, being invisble meant that she couldn't see anyone else, so she didn't know who they were.

Well, never mind. Pyschologists tended to be odd. She would just forget about it and enjoy Ancient Egypt.

(reads expert)EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Day 2, Part 2

Artemis was tired. They had been going over the city all day. Eclipse and Silver Crystal had chosen to leave the group, but everyone else had been going to the palaces, to the market square, down to the Nile - "Watch out for hippopotumasuses," Hex had warned - and now, here they were, standing next to the set of three pyramids.

Evening was coming. The sands were the color of liquid gold, for the sun was still just above the horizon. Long black shadows lay on the grund, looking almost grotesque whenever their owners walked or stirred. Warmth still lingered in the air, but it was a pleasant, soft warmth with an undertone of cold air.

Artemis shifted uncomfortably on the sand, where she was sitting. Madame Agalier was still talking. Wolfy was asking questions - "But Madame, what about the other pharaoh?" and Hex was chipping in with random facts, any one of which would have interested Artemis if she hadn't been so tired. It would be dark soon.

A figure detached itself from the group and came over to ARtemis - it was Darkling.

"Phew, I've had enough Egypt," he said, throwing himself down on the sand next to her.

"Tomorrow we go on to Rome," Artemis answered dreamily, looking at the blue sky above the pyramids.

"Yes. If Madame Agalier can stop talking."

They both fell silent. Artemis fixed her eyes on the rough, newly-hewn outlines of the pyramids. They were only a few years old, but already they looked just the same as they would thousands of years from now - impersonal and stern, with uncalculable human labor and misery behind them. The Sphinx looked different - it hadn't been worn away by time, and its impassive features were still clear and marked.

Artemis idly started counting the CBers. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven... Only seven? That wasn't right. There should be eight. They were all there...

No. One was missing.

Sterling.

She turned quickly to Darkling. "Have you seen Sterling?"

"Yes, Sterling went to look around the pyramids without us," Darkling answered. He was lying on the ground, his eyes closed.

"I'm going to walk around a little," Artemis replied, and got up.

She felt distinctly queer, walking away from the others. It was so empty, so quiet - as if all life there had been unnaturally stilled. There was no movement. There was no sound. Even Madame Agalier's voice was blocked by the heavy stone pyramid - or eles it had ceased.

And then the terrible silence was torn apart - by a far more terrible outcry.

"Help!"

Run! ordered Artemis' mind. Her legs started pumping as she panted for breath, trying to get away. Then she realized, with a start, that she had lost her sense of direction - she skidded to a stop.

Befre her stretched a great, shadowy expanse of desert, empty except for one thing.

There, not far from the last pyramid, lay a prostrate figure. Sterling?

-------------------------------------------------

Dead: 1

Alive: 12

This ski lodge is wonderful so far!!!! :D

Day 3, Part 1

Rome. A city of palaces and emperors, commoners and markets, villas and libraries. The streets were thronged with people. It was hot outside, but inside the houses it was cool and beautiful, with serene pools of water, green courtyard gardens, and balconies on which to sit and gaze at the sunset.

Darkvine stepped listlessly outside. She had decided that morning, when everyone arrived in ancient Rome, that she wanted to go off on her own again and live in a Roman family. Being part of an Egyptian family for the day had been fun. But a Roman family was... different. Her "father," Octavian, was so strict! And she had ten brothers and sisters who were always bouncing around chattering - there was no privacy.

Besides, of course, there was Sterling. 

Darkvine shivered as she remembered last evening - the golden desert, the ebony shadows, and Sterling lying on the ground, dead. And the large, heavy wolf pawprint, solidly imprinted on the sand, lying next to a button that had been cut off of Sterling's dress.

Next to her, Amethyst sighed. "I can't stop thinking about Sterling," she confessed.

"You can't? Me either," Darkvine whispered, with none of her usual sassiness. 

"You can't stop thinking about who?" asked her "sister," Septima. "Do you mean Gaius? I can't stop thinking about him either. He's so handsome..."

Disgusted, Darkvine shook her head, about to launch into a full-length argument about why it was silly to think nonstop about romance, when something caught her eye.

Wait. Was that... the attendant from the Time Travel Inn? Yes, it was! He was dressed in a toga and sandals, but his sleek black hair and clean-cut features were identical - even if the evil smirk on his lips had never been there before. And as he passed, with a nod and a smile at Darkvine, something fell from his pocket with a clink.

Darkvine bent and picked it up. Turning it over in her hand, she gasped. The tiny golden, round circle she held was a button. The button from Sterling's dress.

Darkvine turned to Amethyst. "Look."

Amethyst gasped. "It's - the button that was lying on the sand! But we left it where it was, right?"

"Yes. But Marcus just walked by, and this fell from his pocket."

"This is strange. This is definitely strange," said Amethyst.

Darkvine glanced ahead. Their Roman family was already in the distance - she and Amethyst would never be missed. Excitement filled her. 'Let's follow him!"

Both girls started walking in the direction Marcus had taken.

Luckily, the hurrying, black-haired figure could still be discerned in the crowd. The two girls watched as he turned into a main street and hurried up the steps of a public library. 

A few momets later, Darkvine and Amethyst entered. It was a quiet, studious place. Shelves lined the walls with scrolls and stone tablets everywhere. One man sat in a corner, deep in an enormous curly-edged scroll covered in fine writing. Faint light came in through the window.

"Look," whispered Amethyst, clutching Darkvine's arm. Marcus was hurrying down a side hall. Then he pulled open a door - and disappeared inside. The two girls rushed after him.

Over the door read a sign: RESERVED FOR DANGEROUS PEOPLE.

"Well, I'm dangerous," Darkvine muttered to herself. "When I want to be." All the same, it took courage to take hold of the handle - and push open the door.

It swung open with a long-drawn-out creeeak. A single ray of sunlight fell into the darkened room. Darkvine and Amethyst could see no one.

Darkvine took a step forward, unconscious of how much like part of the room she looked, in her long black robes. Her own steps made n eerie tapping on the plastic floor.

BANG! Darkvine whipped around, but the door had been slammed shut, leaving the room in utter darkness.

"Say what you're doing here," whispered a voice.