YAAAAY FINALLY A COURTYARD EXPLORE

Also if I don't respond to anything directly, assume the action didn't produce anything of note!

FLOWERS: Ori may, in fact, establish communication with the flowers! She will be able to understand what they are saying, though they are kind of. . . well. Super cranky. They talk a lot about being soooo hungry, about how ever since mother and father left they don't have aaaaaanything to eat, and how father said they aren't supposed to eat the new people who are around, and how much that super sucks!! Because they're just STARVING over here. The flowers are not able to be pacified; no matter what Ori says to them, they will continue to be cranky.

And, quite frankly, if she attempts to steal a few cuttings for Sphinx, they will LOSE THEIR ABSOLUTE SHIT ON THE TEAM. The moment any of the flowers are uprooted is the moment they attack! The vines will lash out at the group and try to drown them in the pond, and the flowers will attempt to take huge bites of flesh out of anyone who gets too close. They are pretty weak, though; they can be beaten back into submission fairly easily. However, everyone in the group is probably getting chewed on a li'l bit.

THRONE: Yanfei can play with the throne like it is her playground. . . the moment she sticks her fingers into the eye sockets of the skulls, however, something nips at her hands. Ouch! The injury won't be severe, and she won't be able to see what it was that was nipping at her fingers, but whatever it was didn't appreciate having their eyes poked out B(

Playing with the throne doesn't produce anything else of note, if only because of what happens with Ori and the faerie!

IN THE POND: Ori and Arthur's faerie can dive into the pond, where they will find that the pond is filled with fish and more pond plant life. It's pretty unremarkable down here, but. . . is there something weirdly? Sparkly and shiny? Buried in the dirt at the very bottom?? However, before Ori and the faerie can get a good look at it, something zips past them in the water! It is a (nsfw warning: minor nudity!) HALF-SNAKE, HALF-WOMAN swimming through the water with easy, and she launches herself at the duo with vicious intent! She will chase Ori and the faerie back to the surface, where she will accuse them of trying to steal her treasure and proceed to attack the group with fire-based attacks. She is extremely powerful-- lvl 80 compared to everyone else's lvl 20-- and cannot be outright defeated.

But perhaps she can be outsmarted??

FOLLOW UP: what does the group do next!