a music box

You feel hidden powers in this room. A quiet glen of gnarled weeping willows encase all sides, leaves swishing softly in an unseen breeze. Hung from many branches are small cicada and blossom origami, as if the willow trees themselves bear fruit. Twilight cloaks the area, blanketing all in a ghostly glow. Soft grasses and leaves crunch underfoot, the soothing smell of decaying flora and wet earth flooding the air with each step. Large, fluffy bats flutter overhead, oddly docile despite their inherent natures. Freshly planted, a small rowan sapling grows in a clear place of honor, lovingly tended to. There are plenty of spaces for rest, a soft patch of grass here, a plush expanse of moss there. Piled next to a rather large patch of moss sits a stack of letters, each paper clearly well loved. A small vase sits atop a mossy stump, practically bursting with flower cuttings, bringing a spot of bright color to an otherwise unremarkable sea of greens and browns. Set gently atop a bed of moss, a twilight-colored cushion acts as a comfortable pillow. A large, fluffy crow's nest hangs from one of the many willows, full of shiny baubles and small bones of some poor rodent. The sound of a babbling brook seems to echo in the distance. Little else can be heard, save for the soft woosh of the entry portal. The darkness of night looms here. A thick bed of moss clings to the ground here. There are 3 moss-covered stump chairs here. Perpetually ticking away the hours, the Enduring Clock of Present's Resolution stands proudly nearby. A creature of starlit shadow is here, blending in with the ambient darkness. Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk floats here, suffusing the air with the sickly-sweet scent of blackthorn blossoms. They wield an atramentous athame of blackthorn and ivory in their left hand. You see a sign here instructing you to use the PORTAL command to enter the aetherplex system.
There are no obvious exits.

You blink.
You tilt your head curiously at Esei.
Cheerfully, you say, "Good evenings, Esei. Did need something?"

Looking suddenly quite awkward, Esei stills, swiftly hiding something in their hands.

You blink.
You peer at Esei unscrupulously.

Lilting in a dark, ethereal voice, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk whispers, "Ah... no..."
Esei gives a watercolor music box of sweet lullaby to you.

Suspiciously, you say, "What is in your- oh."
You blink.
You tilt your head curiously at a watercolor music box of sweet lullaby.
You hum thoughtfully at a watercolor music box of sweet lullaby, your mauve frills vibrating with song.
Your frills twitch as you detect an errant sound.

Lilting in a dark, ethereal voice, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk whispers, "I know I am... early, or late. But happy birthday?"

---> look box

Circular in shape, this cylindrical music box is short and stout, its
form wrought from dark willow wood. Watercolor in a dozen myriad shades
stains its carved surface, as though looking into a river: fish,
salamanders, and axolotls dart back and forth through carved waters,
with kelp, algae, and waterborne flowers growing within the imagery. On
the top is carved a single water lily, painted a soft white as it
reaches upwards. There is a small knob on one side, fashioned to look
like a river stone, which plays the music box when rotated. Opening the
lid reveals a peaceful scene. A miniature willow tree towers over a
silver pond, with a small axolotl mugwump kneeling before it, the little
figure fashioned from pink jade. Much care has gone into the carving of
the scene, from the ripples in the water and the tiny willow leaves to
the cattails and grasses around the pond and even the mugwump's glasses
carved to rest on her face. The mugwump smiles brightly at something in
the water, her tail curled beside her. When played, the box produces a
soft lullaby, with a low melody and a deeply harmonious rhythm.

Lilting in a dark, ethereal voice, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk whispers, "I... hope you like it...?"

You have emoted: Cheliyi blinks slower, running her hands along the intricate carvings within the wood in shocked silence. Her frills twitch this way and that as she inspects the box with utmost care, her smile slight and soft. "It... has a stones on the side?" She proceeds to open the lid, only for her breath to catch in her throat.

Tears fill your eyes and begin to slowly run down your face.

Warbling with tears, you say, "Eseiiiiiiii."
You hug Esei as best as you can, pulling them into a tight embrace.
Warbling with tears, you say, "I LOVE ITSSSSSS."

A sudden groan emanates out from the surrounding trees, casting deep, swirling shadows in the soft twilight.

Esei's ears bob, staring at you with the most awkward expression ever seen. They let out a faint wheeze as they are hugged.

You have emoted: Cheliyi pulls away, her delighted, teary grin almost as wide as her face.
Echoed by rippling waters, you say, "How do I use its!"

Lilting in a dark, ethereal voice, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk whispers, "Ah... see that stone there, that juts out from the rest? Rotate it."

You have emoted: Cheliyi gently twists the knob with one hand, her bandaged fingers delicately grasping the stone to wind up the box. As she lets it play, she glances curiously at the scene within the opened lid, a soft look crossing her expression. "... This is a lullaby, no?"

Lilting in a dark, ethereal voice, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk whispers, "It is."

You think to yourself: **a deep fondness, resting comfortably coiled in your heart like a seashell on the ocean floor.**.

Softly, you say, "Is amazing."

Lilting in a dark, ethereal voice, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk whispers, "I am... glad you think it is so."

Echoed by rippling waters, you murmur, "Now how do I get you to stick arounds..."

Esei blinks.
Lilting in a dark, ethereal voice, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk whispers, "E-eh...?"

Echoed by rippling waters, you say, "Hm?"
You tilt your head curiously at Esei.
Echoed by rippling waters, you say, "Oh! I was talking to the box, yes."
You pat Esei in a friendly manner.

Esei mimes wiping away sweat.

You give a trillingly melodic laugh, your frills resonating with joy.

Echoed by rippling waters, you say, "Here we goes."
You purchase a Great Rune of Enchantment (#204069) and it appears in your hands.
You attach a Great Rune of Enchantment to a watercolor music box of sweet lullaby.

You clap your hands together merrily.
You pat a watercolor music box of sweet lullaby in a friendly manner.

You have emoted: Cheliyi gently shuts the lid, and walks over to a nearby tree.

A warm breeze drifts through, caressing the surrounding canopy and scattering various foliage underfoot. Origami swing in the wind in an almost mesmerizing pattern, until all grows still once more.

The glittering mist around Muginn burns away, the moaning visages of the damned slowly seeping back into his coat.

Esei pets Muginn, the ghost-feathered magpie ingratiatingly.
Muginn glances at Esei warily, before nodding once in approval.
Esei sways back and forth.

You have emoted: She pauses for a long moment, staring into the wyrden willow bark with a hint of uncertainty before pressing her palm to the surface of its trunk. "Iyam... unsure if the trees here will listen. I guess more than the trees in Glomdoring itself, since they are in my manse, but..." Cheliyi hesitates once more, soft mist curling from her fingers. "Mm. We will see."

Esei pats you in a friendly manner.

You have emoted: Cheliyi presses her palm further into the wood, gently shaping it to form a little nook, within which she places the music box.

You let loose a long breath from your lungs, exhaling slowly.

Muginn ruffles his feathers, stirring up puffs of fog.

Esei tilts their head curiously.

You nod your head sagely.