Realistic or Modern If December Freezes (IC)

[BillieRoss]

Bill
Location: Home
With: silverwhere , Out Of Words (Alyce)

I dunno how I’m going tae explain that to Mr Willis, Bill thought vaguely.

“Sorry about the wall,” Hatsu said, sounding remarkably calm. Good. That was better than him panicking.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, turning over her shoulder to stare at the thumping of the box. Hatsu stood and clamped his foot down on it before she could say anything about minding the circle. It’d be fine, probably. If the circle was smudged anyway she didn’t much like its chances of keeping anything in.

“Can you let the cat in?” Hatsu asked Alyce, and turned to Bill to ask, “and do you have any tape?”

Bill hesitated. Letting Mary in was unlikely to be particularly helpful, but the old street cat had a pair of lungs on her, and it’d probably be best to avoid irritating the neighbours. She nodded at Alyce, gesturing for her to open the door.

Right. Tape. Hatsu had asked about tape. To keep the box shut, presumably.

“Scotch tape,” she said under her breath, “but I dinnae think-“

Her eyes fell on the blue bit of fabric that had been wrapped around the box. She pushed herself to her feet and snatched it up, coming to crouch beside Hatsu. She could have probably cast a spell. A binding spell, easy enough, all she'd need to do was point her wand and say na gabh seachad. It'd been her favourite prank to cast on Grace when they were little. She knew it well.

But Alyce’s presence had made her magic unpredictable enough as it was, and she didn’t really want to be the one to explain it to Hatsu anyway. Maybe she could make Alyce do it.

Speaking of, Alyce had been useless, hadn’t she. For all her promises to help, she'd mostly stood frozen at the door.

“Do you know what these fuckin’ things are,” she asked Alyce, aiming for conversational but probably sounding a little snippy, "or were ye lyin' about bein' able to help?"

Without waiting for an answer, she turned back to Hatsu, nodding her head at the box. "On three, you kick the book off it and I'll tie this around it, aye?"

 

[Britt-21]

Indy & Augie & Silver & Roje
Out Of Words Silver- Rhyme
After Roje had picked up her sister, she held her comfortably in her arms as Augie tried to get friendly. "Indy. I like to call her my little sister because she acts like one." she said as she continued to enjoy the scent of the food. More importantly those onion rings that made her mouth water "I'm gonna ask you a question cause I'm genuinely curious: Dont you feel suffocated with all of those shells?" she nodded toward his sets of jewelry made with shells. "To me it just seems like a lot." the vampire shrugged.

Augie looked down, one hand moving to lift and hold the strand of one necklace. "These? Nah. They're light, and really you get used to them after so long." He ran a finger over a shiny pearlescent shell, it showed off a pastel rainbow of color whenever it caught the light just right.

"And, they're a reminder of what I can do if I put my mind to it." He grinned wide as his glance swept back upward. "I made these." Yes, he was proud of the fact, too.

Indy was fascinated by the man, the shine of his necklaces drawing her attention as she wiggled in Roje's arms. She knew him. How? Sea salt and the smell of fish, something different from the baked scent coming from the food he had delivered.

She had to know more, she decided. This was decidedly more intriguing that what was happening out the window. She jumped free of Roje's grip and returned to inching around the stranger's legs, tail flicking in curiosity.

Was that... dog that she smelled on him? She took another step closer, eyes flicking to the shells around his neck. (edited)

"Well you did a pretty damn good job." She said as she released a sigh when indy wiggled out of her grasp "Indy." Shaking her head, she put her hand on her hip and leaned more on one leg than the other "I guess she really likes you. Can't seem to get enough." She teased "probably would follow you if I let her go." Though it be a bad idea to split up, considering the rest of the group wasn't back yet "Indy, I'm sure you're hungry. Why don't we go eat the food Augie got us?" Asking that question in front of Augie was weird but hey, gotta act somewhat normal. Gazing down at the cat and then back at Augie, she gave a nervous laugh "sorry to keep you." Crouching down, she tapped indy on her back "Hey."

Silver nodded quietly, taking the food from Roje's hands and noting that she'd failed to mention her real name to the delivery man. He smelt of the sea, wet dog and something else she couldn't quite describe.

At Indy's curiosity, she looked up from setting up their food at the nearby table where Beth had sat by not too long ago. The feline was weaved through the man's legs, ears pricked and eyes wide with interest unlike when she'd been facing away from them all after slamming into the window. "She doesn't get to meet a lot of new people, maybe you should let her have a little social session. I haven't fully finished setting things up." She nodded towards Roje, signaling that maybe this man was a key part in getting Indy to come back to them as a human.

"Do you own a dog, by chance?" Silver asked Augie coolly, not meeting his eyes after the initial inquiry.

Augie chuckled and let the cat do its sniffing around without interruption. "A little Indiana Jones. Seems to be the type for adventure." He even hummed a small bit of the opening theme song to Indiana Jones.

When asked about a dog, he looked over toward the woman. "Well, I wouldn't say own.. but I do look after a dog, he's the town's mascot! Well.. unofficially I suppose, but close enough. He's blind and oh.. waiting for me outside."

Augie hefted his own bag of food, "And our food. I should get going. Uh, but if you ever need anything, most around here know where to find me. Enjoy the food! Tills is the best." And he looked ready to depart.

Town mascot, huh? Silver tried to concentrate on the other scents the man carried, feeling her wolf’s fur bristling at the heavy scent of something more intertwined with the dog scent. It was thick like how the air had been when the rains pummeled down on their backs and shoulders earlier. Magic, maybe?

Silver simply nodded a respectful goodbye to him, finishing setting up the food for her and Indy. “Have a good.. food?” She stammered a bit, wanting to say something but her hunger-stricken brain beginning to affect her. “Indy, c’mere there’s something extra here for us.” She cooed a lot more easily to the cat, taking a seat where Beth had been perched earlier.

Roje glanced back toward Silver as she mentioned a dog, to which Augie replied. A blind dog. Poor thing, might be a shifter though for all she knew. This town was already full of surprises. She'd assume every possibility regardless "Alrighty, Augie. Thank you again. Enjoy your food too." Silver then began to talk toward Indy to get her attention. "We can meet up with Augie again tomorrow after 'Brunch'." gently she nudged Indy with her boot, trying to nudge her back inside the room without forcing her too much.

Augie attempted to pet the kitten lightly on the top of its head before giving them a nod. "See you around. Hope you enjoy your stay." A little wave of a hand, and he turned to head down the stairs and out of the inn.

Indy could barely understand the speech around her. She wanted to follow this man, understand why she knew him—why he seemed so familiar. Yet Roje and Silver were calling her back and the man was leaving and Indy’s mind was throbbing. She couldn’t decide, tail quivering as it felt the two halves of herself were pulling her apart. Claws dug into the floor as she took a few hesitant steps toward following the departing figure, froze, then turned. She wasn’t hungry however, she felt ill. She just wanted to sleep and ignore everything confusing, yet something was pushing her forward. Driving her to stay connected to Roje and Silver, even if they did feel increasingly foreign with every second.

Stiffly, Indy jumped up beside Silver. Tail flicking, she eyed the food suspiciously, before looking away to the door.

“Brunch? Oh—“ Silver frowned a bit in instant realization that they still had to meet up with Beth in the morning. “I hope wherever we go is okay with us bringing Indy.”

She watched as the feline reluctantly moved away from Augie, wondering if perhaps he reminded her of someone she met—or least, that’s what was vibrating from her. Recognition. Familiarity. Yet not enough to fully tear feline from human. She wouldn’t have been surprised if Indy had bolted after him, forcing them to go out and collect her, but luckily she stayed.

Silver watched the cat’s uneasy movements, following her gaze back to the door. “Maybe he’s a friend.” She murmured quietly, offering her hand to Indy in a show of respect as if to mimic what one would do to earn a cat’s trust. “.. Or something else. Either way, food will help you focus.” Silver mostly spoke aloud so Roje would understand the motions that Indy was reflecting, soon unboxing the roast beef and tearing a bit away onto a napkin for Indy to test along with opening up her fish and chips.

“Roje—did you wanna try something?” She knew the vampire didn’t really need the human food per say, but Silver quietly wondered if it would just be bland and tasteless or just plain unappealing to the vampire.

Roje smiled a bit "Yep." she said in acknowledgement before eyeing Indy who hesitantly went back inside. Clearly she was hooked onto him, but what for? After closing the door, she heard Silv "Maybe. I wouldn't be surprised. We're going through loop, upon loop." shrugging, she moved to meet the pair. Her fingers gently scratched Indy's head as she tried to locate those onion rings of hers "Nah, I'm good. I got my onion rings. Hopefully they have cheese with it." upon finding those delicious, golden rings, she noticed the little cheese cup tucked in the corner which made her mouth water. "Now as I was saying earlier, to finish answering your question," she pinched a ring between her fingers and gently dipped it into the cheese before taking a bite.

It was obvious that it was pretty damn good, considering a small little dance she did. The vampire lifted her hand to her lips to hide her food as she spoke "I can eat human food, its just not sustainable for me. But it still tastes pretty damn good, and I'm thankful for that." with that said, she took another bite, doing another little dance. Nothing better than dancing to the flavors from food.​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
Twenty Six Questions​

At first, judging by Kai's expression, the man must have thought there was a wave of words in response to his question. He followed along, mostly, but there was a moment of perplexed stillness once Bernard had stopped speaking and asked a question. Then Kai gave a thumbs up, somewhat tentatively as it was clear he had wanted to get work done and not deal with people, but.. here they were.

The first few questions were pretty simple, his name, family name, date of birth, like some game of twenty get to know you questions. Each time, Kai swiped a hand along the front of the tablet to 'wipe it clean' and then he'd write the answer down. Rinse, repeat, though occasionally his customer service demeanor would slip a bit and show some of his impatience to get back to work.

I'm Kai. Tangaroa. June 6th.

Then came more questions, Kai glanced to the clock along one wall with a bit of a frown, but did indulge a few more. "How long has your family been present in Marasong? If so describe what they've done so far."

I've been here a couple years. Running the pub. Can we do this during the day? I'm trying to wrap things up.

But Bernard had more questions he wasn't hesitant to ask. "Explain how have you served Marasong so far?"

With alcohol. Look you'll need to come back in the morning.

And Kai gave a wave toward the door to help emphasis the moment, but the man pulled out a piece of paper, and held it for Kai to see. "Who is this man in the picture?" Kai's expression had already slipped into an exasperated, irritated one, but eyes did turn to look at the paper.

It was copy of an old article, and had been folded to showcase the accompanying photograph. He had to squint a bit, and looked at it closer. There was a growing frown on his face that stayed in place as he looked back up at Bernard. His patience had been reached apparently, as he started physically herding the man toward the door as he wiped and then wrote more words down on the tablet.

Your mom? We're closed. Come back tomorrow.




OOC Information

Bernard Worthlessplebian : It's hard to tell what the man was frowning about at the end. It could have been something in the photograph, it could be he was done dealing with someone who came in despite the closed sign. It was clear pushing the man further would not get any answers, and he was determined to make sure you left the pub with or without his help.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
Pandora's Box Best Left Closed​

Alyce moved to open the door and let the cat inside, and inside it came. It nearly flew across the room in a mad dash for Bill. The feline clung to one of Bil's legs for a brief moment before trying to climb higher, claws used as needed to gain ground. Which thankfully happened before Bill started counting to three. With the added activity of the cat trying to get to her shoulders, it's pretty certain trying to time things with kicking the book off and tying it shut would have gone horribly awry.

Alyce took the moment to reply to Bill's questions. "They're beetles. Scarab beetles it looks like. Why don't we just spell seal it shut?" Like it was the most obvious solution in the world. And she pulled out a wand from a pocket, and it looked like a Harry Potter replica one could buy on Amazon dot com. She held it out and gave it a little wave with a glance to Bill and Hatsu.

"Easy peasy, lemon squeezey?"




OOC Information

Bill & Hatsu BillieRoss silverwhere : Alyce doesn't seem to have the same hesitation to show off her wand, and talk about spells as Bill does. Speaking of Bill, until you either hold Mary, or let her find a spot along your shoulders, she's going to throw a hissy fit. Hatsu, you can still feel a small bit of bug residue on your cheek and hand, sticky and will likely take some good scrubbing to get completely off. You hope all the scrabbling you hear is from inside the safe, instead of another bug having escaped the box earlier.

Kinda makes you wonder what's in your safe.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
End Of A Day​

The food is as good, if not better, than it smelled. Plenty of food, enough to have some leftovers if one cannot finish tonight. They even included a little bag full of condiments one might want, along with utensils and a small card. At first glance it could be just a business card of the cafe, but something catches the eye and warrants a closer inspection.

One side did have the cafe's logo and name, but a small drawn arrow prompted the reader to flip it over. On the other side was a handwritten note.

Please stop by as soon as possible in the morning. Open at 8! ~Tilly

Now, one could assume it was maybe an advertisement to drum up some business for breakfast. However, there was something about it, something which tugged hard at the gut. Something that said it was much, much more than a breakfast flyer.




OOC Information

All : The writing on the card is definitely handwritten, you can see the pen strokes here and there. Also, there seems to be small items in the 'condiment' package which could have been tailored to each of you. Roje, there's a drawing of an iv pack on the back of a ketchup packet. Silver, there's a small wolf head drawn on one of the napkins, stuck in the middle so it might take a little while to discover. And there's a small cat toy buried in between all the ketchup, grape jelly, and mustard packets, a little toy mouse most definitely filled with catnip.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
To Sleep, Perchance To Dream​

It was dark out, and Aódh at first had difficulty seeing where he was. It was a little chilly out, with a thick scent of petrichor. Bit by bit, the darkness gave way to Aódh's night vision. Though it seemed more like thermal vision at the moment, as degrees of warmth were clearer and stood out to him.

Most of the area was cool, and varying hues of blue and gray. However, there was a brighter spot farther away, full of red and orange, full of warmth. And Aódh craved the warmth. Something was causing him to shiver, limbs shaking enough it brought Aódh down to all fours. It felt so cold, he was freezing without rhyme or reason. The chill seeped through to the marrow of his bones, causing muscles to spasm and his insides to clench.

It was enough to make Aódh snarl.

The warmth, those beautiful orange and red hues, seemed to grow still a moment. It had been approaching, but now the heat turned and began to move in the opposite direction. It was fleeing, abandoning Aódh to the cold! The thought of being left behind to freeze to death was abhorrent, and Aódh could feel himself giving chase.

He was much faster on all fours, and before long, was within reach. One hand reached out to grab at the heat, to draw it closer to himself, to stave off the cold grim reaper. Talons slashed through the colors, giving four bright red vertical lines. Everything was throwing off a strong deja-vu vibe, until he could feel something tangible being grabbed and pulled to the ground.

He had it! Aódh had the warmth! The deja-vu was gone, and he could see clearly now. His thirteen year old self stared up at him, having been on the way home after a match. Only this time, there wasn't a truck coming to save either the young or old Aódh. Talons moved to dig into the younger man's torso, already feeling the comforting heat calling to him.

The werewolf just wanted to crawl inside like Luke Skywalker crawled into the Tauntaun for heat. To save his own life, in this case, he would need to take one. Both screamed.




OOC Information

Aódh Larry : When you wake up, it's nearly as violently. Sheets are all twisted around your form, wet from your sweat, or maybe your tears. Your mouth is dry as if you were screaming, and your body feels both cold and hot at the same time.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
Clandestine Company​

There was a small spot between the stores just before the docks, where it was dark, free from any sea glass lanterns, or fireglass pits. Where Leif had a chance to talk 'freely' with Edwight. When Leif and Edwight continued onward, and turned to head to the inn, they spied a man with a dog by his side, and a fox in his lap. They were between the two and their destination, however the man seemed currently occupied with petting both the dog and fox at the same time.

If Jay looked toward the western end of the docks, he'd see the two men facing and possibly heading his way. They stood close, as if they had been talking together. Jay wouldn't recall seeing either of them before, nor would his spirit companions. However, Jay could see something quite different, and yet similar, in one of the men. The bearded one.

Like with witches, there is a certain kinship shared between druids, even if of different sects, branches, or beliefs. It's a knowing which occurs, stronger than a gut instinct, the fellowship is felt deep down in one's bones. Also, there's an awareness of spirits around the other. Unless they choose to fully reveal themselves, it's more of a obscure cloud near the other druid, sometimes more than one. An awareness of the spirit guardian nearby, usually close to the actual size, however it's always up to the bound spirit if they choose to be seen by another druid.




OOC Information

Boy & Jay KodakWolf xAlter : Boy, two more people you don't recognize farther down the docks are slowly heading in your general direction. You can't get a good scent off either of them, whether due to the distance, or being so close to the ocean, it's hard to say. Jay, you can see a 'cloud' figure near the bearded man, larger than your spirit guardians, about the same general size as the other druid.

Leif & Edwight KodakWolf Thropian : Leif, with the blood you've recently taken in, your senses are sharper than usual. The dog carries with it a darker scent, one that reminds you of your own, yet different. It reminds you of... Mangy. Edwight, you recognize the man as another druid, and you can see a cloud form around the fox in his lap, and another, longer shape around the man's neck and shoulders.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[silverwhere]

Hatsu Black
A bug ridden room
Tags: BillieRoss Out Of Words
​

Hatsu watched at the cat darted towards Bill and scaled her, trying to get away from the floor. That cat was no hero. If anything, it just wanted to seek comfort in its owner. Afterall, Bill could just step on the bug and win that battle. Either way, Hatsu was glad that the cat didn't seek him for help. Even though he liked the idea of Bill's cat liking him better, he was certain that he would probably die if he was in her shoes.

After finding out it was just a bug infestation and not some weird house invasion, Hatsu was able to calm down a bit. He wasn't as jumpy or quick to swing a hammer as of right now. He was able to handle the bugs, even if he didn't want to keep killing them. The bug goo was sticky and he swear that he could smell it radiating off his skin. It made his skin itch but that could also be due to the cat. Hatsu just felt gross- house fire and bugs guts are not a good combination.

"They're beetles. Scarab beetles it looks like. Why don't we just spell seal it shut?" Alyce said in response to Bill's questioning.

Alyce was a genius. Of course no one else in the room knew they were beetles. He turned to look at her to say something snarky but saw her pull out a wand. Hatsu found himself in an unusual situation. He'd guessed that Bill most likely practiced some form of Wiccan. And he didn't really know much about it and had decided to not really ask any questions. He didn't know Bill well enough to ask her about her private life. Maybe in time he'd learn more about what she does, but right now he wasn't really interested. And he didn't want to start any misunderstandings. Maybe when he has time he'd do more research in Wiccan. However, the way Alyce nonchalantly pulled out a wand made it feel more like they were characters out of a Harry Potter book. And he was just the normal one in between some weird magic war. Either way, he tried his best to not question it too much- let them do them and if they want to explain it to him they can.

"Uh, sure if it works," Hatsu said in response trying to be supportive in the suggestion, "We can do both, tie it up and spell it shut?"

Hatsu really wasn't sure if the spell stuff would work, better safe than sorry after all.

"On three, you kick the book off it and I'll tie this around it, aye?"
"Sure, on your count."

It's on three, not after or before. ON three.

 

[Larry]

Aódh McFaol
Location: The Marasong Inn.
Mood: Panicked and frightened.
Interactions: n/A.
Mentions: n/A.​

"ARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

Aódh found himself, beneficently, unconsciously thrusted into a seated position upon the bed. The youth panted in frequent breaths, feeling as though his lungs were being rapidly squeezed like a stress ball wielded by somebody in an irate mood. Attempts were mad at trying to quell the tumultuous state he had awoken to, but the images in the preceding nightmare sprang too quickly to mind. The frightened countenance of his younger self, doing everything in his power to wriggle his weary form away from the wolf-shaped bulk of his future self. The dissonance between his recollected feelings, and the actions of his werewolf form, gouging out with knife-like talons the viscera held within the the child's body, to ward off the fierce winter cold, was enough to drive the Irishman into the bathroom, where he subsequently emptied his stomach's contents into the toilet. A wretched sight, Aódh's languid form hung over the toilet seat, his usual pale face taking on an even uglier pallescence, with small flecks of vomit and its constituent matter clinging to the side of his mouth. But the youth didn't care: his mind was too anchored to the mewls of his younger self, pleading with tears flooding from his eyes and blood descending in red-hued streams out of his mouth, for mercy.

The plea was to be found wanting.

Lowering the lid down on the toilet, the young man reached tentatively towards the handle, and exerted enough force to pull it downwards. The sound of the toilet being flushed coaxed an improbable thought from Aódh's mind, in spite of how unlikely it was, that the washing away of the toilets contents, might invariably lead to, like a sluice gate, to the removal of the nightmares hold on his mind.

But he knew it to be a forlorn hope.

Withdrawing to the bedroom, having flicked off the bathroom light and closing the door slightly, Aódh's dreary eyes passed over the scene that he managed to create whilst being in the grip of sleep. Sheets were tossed to the side, stained with madid drops of sweats, or perhaps tears: the clothes that he had collapsed onto the bed wearing, surprisingly, were flung into different corners of the room. This realisation, with a cursory look at the lower portions of his body, confirmed that were it not for the timely presence of his underpants, Aódh would have been stark naked. Yet, whatever shame he would have normally felt in such a situation was far from being considered. If anything, it served to enhance how tangible the transformation had been in the dream, that the closest real-life comparison to shifting was denuding himself of what he was wearing.

Given that it wasn't too likely for his mood to tip upwards, the young man went about restoring his room to something of a more neat appearance. It didn't take too long for him to do all this, merely folding his clothes and straightening the bedsheets up a bit before changing into the pyjamas.

Aódh sat at the side of his, wanting to sleep but afraid of what it may bring; yet, his worries weren't the only thing keeping from taking that one step. His body was wracked between heat on the one hand, then biting cold on the other. It was an apt somatic representation of where his emotions were at the current moment.

The youth, feeling resigned, languished his face into the palms of his hand, not making a sound.

 

[BillieRoss]

Bill
Location: Bedroom
With: silverwhere , Out Of Words (Alyce)

Bill grunted in annoyance, grabbing ahold of Mary and perching her up on her shoulder. Trying to divine the will of Mary was a fruitless endeavour, but she thought she might as well. It seemed like she wanted to be part of the action. So here she was. Part of the action. Bravely shredding her hoodie to ribbons.

“They’re beetles. Scarab beetles, looks like,” Alyce said pleasantly.

“Aye, I fuckin’ know they’re beetles, I meant how did they-“ she started, and then promptly shut up as Alyce drew her wand and said:

“Why don’t we just spell seal it shut?”

“Why don’t we…” Bill trailed off. She glanced up at Hatsu.

Why don’t we just spell seal it shut? Well, how about the inert fella standing in the room with them? How about the fuckin’ rabbit that still hadn’t made itself scarce? How about the fact that a simple rain spell had caused a torrential downpour over the whole town? Was Alyce fuckin’ thick or what?

“Easy peasy, lemon squeezey?”

Alyce was still standing there, wand out, offering to spell-seal the box shut. Holding up her wand. Something from Harry Potter, probably. Bill wasn’t the kind to care too much about the kinds of things people chose for their wands, but she knew her mother would have a fit if she saw a bonafide witch with that. She was traditional like that.

Bill had made hers, sitting in front of the fire with her granny, carving arcane symbols into it.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Christ.

“Uh, sure if it works,” Hatsu said, and Bill snorted a laugh. She’d never heard anyone sound less convinced in her life. “We can do both, tie it up and spell it shut?”

Bill heaved a heavy sigh, pushing herself to her feet. A binding spell would probably work better than just tying it shut. Whatever had kept the beetles in the box and in a safe all this time was probably not going to be defeated by a little bit of force. She was more confident in her ability to charm the box than tie a knot that would last.

And anyway, her alternative was telling Alyce that was nonsense and magic wasn’t real. That didn’t feel right. Sure, she’d never met her before today, but in many ways they were sisters. It didn’t seem right to push her under the bus.

“Sure, okay. Binding spell,” she said to Alyce, “But you’re the one who’s gotta explain it tae him.” She drew her wand and took a few steps back, Mary still on her shoulder. “In Latin, aye? Ah, what is it…Alla…Alligari, that’s it. You know it?”

She turned to Hatsu, trying to think of an explanation.

“Same plan. On three, kick the book off it and we’ll...” she knew that what she was about to say would sound ridiculous. “Cast a spell.”

She rolled her shoulders and got into the stance, feeling the leyline beneath her feet. She pointed her wand at the box and nodded for Alyce to do the same.

“One…” she said, glancing anxiously up at Hatsu.

“Two.” Her fingers flexed around the wand. She turned her attention back to the box.

“Three!” she flicked her wrist in a practiced, familiar motion. "Alligari!”

 

[xAlter]

Jae-eun
Location: The Docks
Interactions: KodakWolf Thropian
Mentions: N/A

On nearly multiple occasions in the silence befitting the boy, the “dog”, and his two spirit companions, Jay had almost dozed off multiple times. A sharp pain in his neck, a slight stabbing sensation would keep him awake, his hands never going idle, the petting motions on both Yun and Boy continuing. Yeung had decided to poke out now, the serpent’s tongue flitting with each passing second. A scent was caught, and the serpent warned his contractor.

“Ssscentsss on the wind. Two I do not recognize…” Yeung drawled out, his serpentine eyes boring into Jay’s own vision. Poking Yun, he urged the fox to jump off his lap, and remain alert. The kumiho did so, and Jay did his best not to startle Boy at this side. His petting did cease as Jay brought both his hands into his jacket pockets. He could fight if needed, magic wasn’t off the table just yet, especially if the clouded scents were an indication.

Standing Jay turned his head to face the two, his body still facing towards the ocean. Yun’s full attention was now on the two men as well. “Spirit…” she hissed out, her tails, all nine of them, splaying out as she assumed a defensive stance. Yeung coiled around his upper bicep, the serpent also keenly aware of the two. Paranoia shook at Jay’s core. Should he run, should he fight? Fight of flight was kicking in, and Jay didn’t know which to choose.

So of course, Jay decided to make the dumb decision. Thinking with his mouth before his brain, he spoke. “H-hello there!” he called out nervously. “H-haven’t s-seen you guys before! Welcome to beautiful Marasong!” His hands clenched into fists, his heart racing. Another druid and an unknown. Life truly did have a beautiful way of being chaotic.

 

[Silver-]

Silver Blackwood
Location: Marasong Inn Tags: Out Of Words Britt-21 Rhyme


The cheeseburger alone was enough to warrant silence from Silver for a good while before she chuckled a bit at Roje’s little happy dance. Who knew that vampires could seem so.. human? Roje played her cards well after who knew how long she’d been alive for, probably beyond her own years, Silver assumed. She could taste food like anyone else, showed her delight upon receiving something she liked—she was just another person getting through life. Silver could feel her shoulder’s losing their tension further after successfully managing to eat her fill after what felt like far too long. Her stomach threatened to conclude her meal with a rude bout of nausea that had a brief shudder passing through her, but she ignored it after grabbing a bottle of water from the mini fridge that was tucked inconspicuously into the TV stand.

It wasn’t like her to be eating so easily in front of strangers. Normally anxiety would be the sole cause of her nausea or discomfort, prompting her loudly to chew slower to ensure no one could hear her munching and yet these two put her at ease. She almost wanted to straight up blame it on the fact that Indy was a cat right now, after all it would make more sense. Roje’s words of onion rings not really being sustainable had Silver shaking her head in amusement, crumbs lining the side of the other woman’s mouth when her non-ring wielding hand subsided as she danced again. “I’m sure nobody can live off of just onion rings and cheese sauce forever either,” she muttered jokingly, another grin flashing across her face as her mischievous side was stoked and a hand came to rummage through the utensil bag she’d opened earlier.

She sifted through the stack of napkins until she grabbed one though paused when the scent of catnip wafted up from a few of the folds that had mixed in with some sealed condiments. She pulled out a mouse toy, it’s tail tinkling lightly with the tiny ribbon and bell attached to it. Her heart thudded just a little louder in chest the longer she didn’t breathe until she caught sight of a card with a few words scribed purposefully onto it’s surface. “Tilly.. wants us there? Isn’t she the owner of the Loving Spoon?” Surely Beth had gone out of her way to perhaps reserve something for them, but after catching the comical ketchup packet and the image of a wolf on a napkin that she was about to hand Roje to wipe her mouth with on accident, Silver felt they were almost obligated to go.

The doubts that had pooled in the pit of her mind earlier grew at the sudden tug to make sure they got there at 8 as they were told. Maybe it was natural rebellion, but she didn’t like how the idea of attending the breakfast had settled in her mind far too well. I don’t even have good clothes to go with. Silver suddenly realized this, but said nothing aloud. She didn’t like asking for Roje to call things for her let alone the fact that she was sure hotels and inns didn’t just give clothes away... or did they?

 

[Rhyme]

Indy

Location: Legal Cat Drugs
Tags: Silver- Britt-21

When Silver offered her hand, Indy sniffed it appraisingly and bobbed her own head. She appreciated Silver anchoring her, her movements clear with their intent. Yes, Indy was alright. She had absolutely no idea who the man was, other than he smelled so painfully right--just a memory right out of reach...

The sound of a styrofoam box grabbed her attention and a new smell flooded the room; fish.

Indy was still thinking about the strange man as she began tearing into the fish. She could hear Roje and Silver talking and, yeah, she should be listening. It was important, definitely important enough that she shouldn't have been drowning them out with the sounds of fried fish crunching between her teeth. But, Jesus did the fish taste good. She couldn't even remember liking fish, though maybe it was because her usual fish and chips came from a box in the Walmart frozen section. When Roje sat beside them and began picking at her own food Indy froze, tail twitching. The number of times she had watched this girl chug blood like a juice packet only to find out she could eat curly fries.

At the mention of Tilly and the Loving Spoon, Indy looked up at Silver. Her ears twitched. She didn't recognize those names, either the owner or the cafe. Perhaps neither had existed when she had originally lived in Marasong? Then again that was so long ago, it wasn't like new businesses were never going to pop up--

Indy froze.

A small toy had been pulled aside by Silver as she had gone through the bag.

It smelled divine.

Fish forgotten, Indy dived onto the toy--its herbal, earthy stench stinging her nose as she rolled onto her back. Static crackled in her brain, the walls spinning as Indy continued to kick at the toy with her feet, propelling herself off the table entirely as she fell with a clunk to the floor. She couldn't stop burying her face in the toy, rubbing it against her cheeks as Silver and Roje's forms morphed before her eyes, the world twisting like a wet washcloth.

To be fair, catnip was technically legal.

coded by: @s e v e n

 

[KodakWolf]

At first, Leif didn't pay the figure sitting near the docks much mind. When he spotted the dog beside him, the scene became slightly more interesting. But it was when the other dog in the man's lap turned out to be a fox that Leif knew for sure there was something absolutely not ordinary about whoever was sitting there.

He didn't need to pick up any scents in the air to tell that. But he did, and what he picked up surprised him even more. It was familiar, and made him freeze in place for a brief moment, eyes on the dog. Leif could have sworn he saw a wolf , and not any wolf. Maylee. A memory activated by scent, but the wolf was soon replaced by the large black dog when the vampire stared at it long enough. There were at the very least two people there.

And part of Leif still carried a small hope that perhaps Maylee was different in this timeline, but that she was there regardless. But at the same time, deep down he knew she wasn't. Knew that it was just his hopeful mind playing tricks on him, and that although the scent was similar, it wasn't the same as hers. Those kinds of shifters weren't too rare to come by.

Perhaps he'd been staring too long. He noticed the fox's defensive stance, and the presence of a snake, which seemed to have startled the not a dog, which . And he noticed the man had the intention of engaging them before the first word left his mouth. He wasn't really in the mood for that, nope. But anyone could be a clue, especially someone not ordinary, someone with a magic fox and a magic snake as pets.

But just as Leif was about to approach the man who'd just greeted them, a bruef glance down revealed his shirt (and possibly face and neck) were still covered in dried blood, not enough for a Tarantino movie but enough not to be socially acceptable. So he resorted to just waving at the man, hoping it was dark enough he wouldn't notice much.

"I need to wash up, be right back." He mumbled to Edwin. "Be careful."

And instead of approaching the stranger, he turned around and headed to the beach. He'd walk on the sand all the way to where waves were rolling in. He tried to keep an eye on Edwin and the stranger the whole time, but couldn't help getting caught up in thoughts as his eyes watched the swaying of the waves and the sprakling of the town lights on the surface of the water.

Leif was no stranger to the ocean. Although in the last decades he'd been mostly away from it, he'd been by it a lot longer than that, he'd sailed it more times than he could count and he'd lived enough to know no eternity would ever be enough for one to truly know and decipher the sea. He knew the answers he needed lay within. Somewhere in those dark waters of Marasong, something had taken Chase away. And it might as well be something that'd managed to stay hidden, until now. The pieces of the puzzle were somewhere to be found and put together, and he'd do just that.

Stepping forward, he knelt down on the wet sand, intending to wash away the dried blood from his face before returning to where Edwin and the strangers were.



Boy had jumped back when he saw the snake, but didn't move away with the man's reassuring pets. He watched cautoously as the two men approached, prepared to run if he had to. But when one of the approaching strangers waved and turned to the ocean, he felt panic creeping up his throat. No, that was maybe the third time in less than a day in which he was watching the sea try to take someone. No, not again. But he just couldn't bring himself to get any closer to the water than he already was.

So he started barking, barking, barking, barking, as loud as he could.

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
Safe and Sound Bound​

Alyce grinned big when Bill seemed to go with the spell it shut. She didn't seem to bat an eye at explaining something to Hatsu, but that would be afterward. For the moment, she focused on the box, wand at the ready. "Yes, Alligari." Her eyes were bright with the excitement of doing a co-op spell, she might have even bit her lip briefly to contain her glee.

Alyce gave a little nod at each count, the one, the two, and on three, very nearly in tandem with Bill, she waved her wand and said the magic word. "Alligari!" There were little, visible ripples in the air as the spell shot toward the box on the floor. It even rattled mightily for a brief moment when the ripple collided with the box. One might believe the insects were about to burst forward, but they didn't.

Instead, the box slammed down against the floor with a heavy thud, but the lid was very clearly sealing itself shut. The top bound itself to the bottom half, until there wasn't even a seam left visible. Another second and they could see the wood of the floor and the metal fusing together. The box was now a part of the floor as much as the floor was a part of the box.

But it wasn't stopping there.




OOC Information

Bill & Hatsu BillieRoss silverwhere : In a small circular pattern, originating at the box, a ripple can be seen slowly spreading outward along the floor. Anything touching the floor, was quickly becoming like the box, part of the floor with the floor becoming part of it. From the bottom part of the nightstand, to a loose shirt tossed on the floor just shy of the bed. It looked like it might very well catch your feet if you stayed where you were.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
Winding Down​

As night truly arrived, life in Marasong was winding down. From Room 202, with full bellies, and an eventful day none of them had seen coming, the beds were whispering a sweet lullaby any would find hard to resist. Even if one didn't need sleep, the notion of laying down in a very comfortable looking bed, and just not being for a little while was so alluring.

Of course, in the little space between the mind catching up to the restful state of the body, small details made themselves known. Tiny thoughts bantered about in the heads, a last effort of the day to claw out a resistance to be forgotten, or pushed aside. For some, the body would win out over the nagging voices, and sleep would be found, though for how long was anyone's guess. And others might battle mini wars with the mental conversations, until sleep came at last, with a blanket of oblivion, however temporary it may be.

Yet others, like Bernard, were just barely making it to their room to call it a night. Having seen the group on the docks, Bernard opted for a less traveled path. He dipped between the houses and the back of the stores, taking the back way, circling around to enter the inn without the group even being aware of the missed encounter. His room was a welcome respite, as the expenditure of Bernard's abilities left him needing sustenance. Something more than batteries would be needed soon, as the energy would continue to deplete faster than he would be able to recharge it at this rate.

Then there was Aódh, restless and recovering from a nightmare he'd rather not experience again. The voices in his head would be louder, more anxious. It almost felt like some great beast stared at him from the shadows in the room. Was it under the bed? In the dark corner? In the closet with the door slightly ajar? Maybe not everyone would get a good night's sleep.




OOC Information

Roje & Silver & Indy Britt-21 Silver- Rhyme : The day has definitely taken a toll on everyone. Your bodies feel exhausted and your mental energy isn't much better. Indy, you feel the need to peer at the reflections in the windows still, or maybe investigate the little spaces under the bed. The feline side is quite awake, even as your body thrums for rest. Silver, your mind is slow to settle, but focusing on Indy helps stave off thoughts of home, of your parents, and the conflict you've had between yourself and the wolf. Roje, the body is done for the day, between the ravenous hunger you had earlier, to everything else going on, it wants to just not be for a little while. But your mind is wondering why no one came to investigate the wailing Beth had earlier. Almost like no one outside the room heard it.

Aódh Larry : As you're working on just recovering from the nightmare, and the weight of imagined stares upon you from all the dark areas of the room, you're realizing no one came to investigate the noise you made. Had you imagined making such a racket? Was it part of the strange space between dreaming and waking up?

Bernard Worthlessplebian : You make it back to your room avoiding further encounters save for a wave from Seraphim as you head up the stairs. Once you hit the confines of your room, the energy you spent with the lock hits you harder than expected. Those battery drains are not going to cut it for more than another day, maybe. You're going to need to 'really' feed soon.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
Just Docky​

Just as Jay spoke out a greeting, the blonde man waved, but then turned and walked away. He headed off toward the end of the western docks, in the direction he came from. It looked like he was going to the beach, leaving Jay with the bearded man. Which was followed by the dog letting out a stream of barks, the sound carried a distinct sense of panic.

"Boy! BOY!" Another voice came from the direction of the inn, and steps swiftly ran along the dock toward the sound of barking. Augie came running to see what was wrong with the dog, and his gaze swept over Jay, and the the unknown bearded man. At first, he worried something had happened with the fox, or something the other man had done to cause Boy to bark so worriedly. Then Augie saw Boy was barking toward the water.

"Shh, Boy. It's okay. Come on. We have food to get home." He shook the bag of food, hoping to distract the canine enough to stop the barking and get the dog's focus. "Sorry, about that. Boy.. come on." And he clicked his tongue repeatedly.




OOC Information

Boy & Jay KodakWolf xAlter : Augie's doing his best to get Boy's attention diverted, even as his own worry creeps up higher with the unknown man. Augie does give a slight wave of recognition to Jay, but seems eager to just get Boy and go home. Jay, you believe you saw the other druid waver slightly, or maybe it was the clouded form accompanying him.

Leif & Edwight KodakWolf Thropian : Leif, you see another figure joining the group on the docks, carrying a brown bag with the scent of roast beef and more. He is focused mostly on the dog, and doesn't seem to have seen you. Edwight, you're still reeling a bit from all you've experienced in barely one day. Currently you're steady enough on your feet, for now.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[BillieRoss]

Bill
Location: Bedroom
With: silverwhere , Out Of Words [Alyce]

Bill’s eyes went wide. One hand firmly on Mary’s back, she bolted for the bed and leapt on top of the bedsheets. Alyce was probably near enough to the dresser to get her feet off the floor, but Hatsu was right near the box. Before she could really think it through, she waved her wand towards Hatsu and cried fleòdradh!, sighing in relief as he started to float off the ground. A few of her things on the desk behind him started to float too. That was fine. She could take care of that.

She huffed a sigh of annoyance and picked her way over to the windowsill next to her bed. There was a half-burned candle there, covered in sigils. She picked up her lighter (usually she would have just lit it with her wand, but she was starting to learn) and lit it, waving her hand around the flame three times. The smell of menthol and pine started to fill the room. She felt a little rejuvenated, a little refreshed. A little less exhausted from all the weird magic she'd done today.

She put her wand down next to it and turned to Alyce, forgetting for a moment that Hatsu was there, floating amongst her possessions.

“Alyce,” she said, trying not to sound snappy, “This is going tae sound rude, but what the fuck is wrong wi’ this place? Every fuckin’ spell I’ve cast today has gone absolutely ape shit!” Bill pointed emphatically at the rabbit. “That thing came from a find the path spell I cast like, an hour ago, and earlier when I needed a bit o’ light the Greenwitch lit up half the fuckin’ forest! Oh, and remember that fuckin’ downpour? That came from two- two of us, Alyce, and one of us so green she pissed grass - calling on the rains. It should have been just enough tae put out the fire. It fuckin’ drowned the whole town! You should all be fuckin’ thankful I dropped my wand in the forest or I’d have hexed that damn Paddy, and the way things are goin’ we’d probably all be stubbin’ our toes for the next six weeks! I swear to Christ-“ she readjusted Mary from her perch on Bill’s shoulder, “that has never happened tae me. I’ve lived some weird places and with some weird people, but Marasong? Marasong takes the fuckin' cake. Most other places at least behave when I cast a normal fuckin’ spell. Is it you? Is it the ley lines? Also, what the fuck is up with these bugs - and don’t just say ‘they’re beetles’, I can fuckin’ see that - I mean why in the hell were they in a fuckin’ safe in the fuckin’ woods?”

She let out a long sigh, getting her breath back.

Oh yeah, Hatsu was here. She turned to him, trying to think of where to begin. In the movies, it was usually a wise old woman, or some paternal old fella with a beard. They always had the wise words to say, something about how the world was wonderful and there’s more than you know and blah blah blah. If her Granny was here, she’d know what to say. Fuck it, if Harris or even Laura was here, they’d know what to say.

Unfortunately, they weren’t. And Bill was.

“Magic is real, by the way. Sorry.”

 

[Larry]

Aódh McFaol
Location: The Marasong Inn.
Mood: Calming down...
Interactions: n/A.
Mentions: Out Of Words | BillieRoss ​

For what seemed like an eternity, Aódh sat there; when once there was a panicked state of breathing, now found itself replaced by the soft, rhythmic sound of a man with his feelings, on the face of it, under control. Yet, for all the resumed poise, there was a degree of nervousness still clinging to the young man. The room, to a frightened person, might hold possibilities, often imagined on the part of the sufferer, to prolong their anxiety. And that, for Aódh, and partly why he was still cemented to that spot on the bed, was the feeling of eyes, heavy with malice, gazing upon him. Even though his head, particulated with idle drops of sweat, didn't so much as attempt to crane, he could feel the creature's ponderous presence envelop the room. At times, it almost felt as if its frame, if it could be described as possessing such a thing, struggled against the confined space, almost as if it were in a cage.

It was strange, since at any one moment, the creature's gaze seemed to be cast on Aódh's sedentary figure from a number of different positions. It might seem for the young man that the creature didn't move and then, as almost to dash whatever equanimity he had re-attained, the creature would loom in close, keen for what seemed a better look.

Aódh didn't move an inch.

But it didn't seem that even his mind would be spared Marasong's continued intrusiveness. Not only was he the object of the shadowy creature's steady gaze, but now voices, much to the same degree as they were in the forest, resounded about his head in anxious tones. The first time around, the sheer suddenness of the voices, coupled with the uncharacteristic display of anger against Bill, was what proved to be the most shocking at that moment. Now, in a much safer environment without the concurrent personality change, it allowed the Irishman to exert a decent bit of control, enough that he wouldn't end balling crying as he did on the beach. Whilst the voices tottered about his mind in lamentations, Aódh realised that the equation to what caused these thoughts to appear in the first place hadn't been so readily solved, as he had assumed back in the Loving Spoon.

This...fuckin' place, Aódh mentally expressed, edging out the other voices in his head through sheer exasperation, has made me express more emotions than I knew I feckin' had, or cared for having!

Just as he thought he wouldn't have to experience another too soon, one popped into his head: where was everybody when he let out that roar? If it were him on the receiving end of hearing that bellow, two things things would have happened; he would have had the shite scared out of him, and then he would have ran into whoever let it off in the first place, livid. So, either the rooms in the Marasong Inn were astoundingly insulated against sound or the people working there just couldn't be bothered to check in to see whether he was alright. Seraphim, though, didn't seem to the sort to act in such an aloof manner. In fact, the young man felt confident that Seraphim, a tinsy bit fretful as she was, would have hankered up the stairs to see what the disturbance was.

And yet, she wasn't anywhere to be seen or heard from.

So that begged the question...was Aódh actually awake right now? Or was that another assumption of his he let go unchallenged?

The only feasible way to go about falsifying that, then, was to lie down and attempt to sleep.

So, with eyes firmly shut, lest his concerns about the nebulous presence prove to be true, in one smooth motion, he rolled over onto his back, attempting to sleep once again.

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - Discord Compilation ​

Dwight was surprised to see the man sitting outside. But more strange than him and the spirit wrapped around him, was the creature in his lap. A fox with a spirit. A fox druid? Natural predator to the rabbits perhaps? Dwight was torn between walking away and pretending he saw nothing, and attempting to talk shop with a native druid.

The choice was made harder as the man greeted them, and Leif excused himself to walk away. Dwight had only known a few other druids, namely his parents, so a chance to meet another was too good an opportunity to pass up.

Dwight took a few confident steps closer, enough to not need to yell, before raising his own hand in greeting. "Hey, thanks. It's a pretty nice little town. Is that a fox? It's very pretty, did you train it?"

Jay dared not look away from the two men in front of him... now one man. His eyes locked onto the hazy shape of the spirit next to Dwight. He was nervous yes, but a whisper from Yeung telling him to remain calm only made his fists clench harder, knuckles turning white within his hoodie's pocket.

Yun made a low growl, so low only Jay heard it. "Yeah..." he started off slowly, unsure of what to say. "T-that's Marasong for ya..." With the answer to the first question answered, Jay quickly stole a glance at Yun.

The fox's fur was up, an aura of caution surrounding her. He felt his hand grow warm... he wouldn't fight... right? "Yes... she's a fox." he answered the second question slowly. "I-I wouldn't say trained..." Glancing another look at his wayward, animal companions, Jay took a glance to Boy.

Dwight saw the fox bristle slightly, or perhaps the spirit around it did, at his approach. The man's hesitance on saying 'trained' suggested he was aware of the movement. Definitely a seer if not a full druid.

"If it isn't trained, you have a way with animals. Never seen a wild fox allow a person to approach, let alone pet it." He glanced off toward Leif. They still needed to get back to the inn. It was a small town though, so odds were good of running into these strangers again.

"It was nice meeting you. I'm D-, Edwin." He caught himself, the others would likely be calling him Edwin still. "Perhaps we'll see you around." He waited a moment for the response before giving a friendly wave to catch up with Leif and head towards the inn.

When his barks seemed to have no effect stopping the man from approaching the ocean, earning him just a brief glance before the man continued towards the water, the dog shut up, suddenly afraid he might end up attracting the creature he was so scared of. Then his head snapped as he heard Augie's voice calling for him, just as the bearded man was getting closer and closer.

Noticing the fox's cautious reaction to his approach, and the strange small talk that was going on, the dog found Augie had arrived just at the right time. The right time for him to get the hell out and back to safety, yeah. He quickly ran to where Augie was, tail wagging as he sniffed the bag of food, but soon had his attention turned back towards the three men, and the sea. He barked again a few times. Maybe Augie would know what to do if he saw someone heading into the water. He'd saved him when the water had trapped him, hadn't he?

So he trotted back to where the two men were talking, slightly cautious about them, as at least one of them seemed tense, but not too worried either. He was more concerned about what could be lurking in the water.

Hearing all those barks, Leif did throw another glance at the dog. It was barking at him, no doubt about that. Good thing it wasn't 'just a dog', meaning he could even straight up ask it what the hell. Once he was done washing away the dried blood, he shot another glance at the dark water before starting to head back to where Edwin was.

Jay stood still at where he stood. His eyes never left the form of Edwin and Leif, trailing to the inn. Yes, he would have to be careful. A druid and a man with an unrecognizable scent, an unrecognizable face. Two new strangers to the oddity that was Marasong.

Letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding, Jay he quickly sent a glance towards Augie and Boy, ensuring the dog was in better hands than his own.

Yun relaxed at his side, and the coiling tightness around his arm from Yeung relinquished its grip. "The future doesn't seem kind to us, Jay..." Yun spoke softly, the vixen coming to sit next to his leg. "If anything... your life will be much more interesssting." Yeung chimed in the serpent's eyes gleaming in the night.

After a moment of silence, Jay let out a small noise of unease. "I really don't want it to..."

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
Dance Magic Dance​

Alyce had indeed jumped to sit on top of the dresser. She peered closely as the spell finally wound down, after half the items in the room had been literally fused with the wooden floor. It stopped short of the closet doors, and the main door to the bedroom was also untouched. However, three of the four legs of Bill's bed were affected, her dresser and nightstand, along with everything touching the floor in between.

When Bill spoke to Alyce, she looked up, unable to contain the grin she had because truthfully, the spell had been pretty cool in her eyes. "I like rabbits." She looked toward the bed and for a moment, she might have appeared to be able to see the rabbit relaxing on Bill's pillow. However, her gaze returned to Bill after a short glance and giggle at Hatsu just sort of hovering in the air, looking more than shell shocked.

"I don't know. Maybe someone didn't want whatever they were hiding in the safe to be found? But.. I don't think they could live long without air or food, unless you know.. magic." She whispered it a little, just for emphasis perhaps because magic was out there. Hatsu was still experiencing it first hand after all. "I guess we won't know what they might have been guarding." Alyce gave a little shrug.




OOC Information

Bill & Hatsu BillieRoss silverwhere : The spell does appear to be over with. Their still is the occasional scrabbling noise from within the box which is apparently now a permanent feature of Bill's room. Bill, if Alyce is right, and they were magicked to be inside without food or air, the scrabbling might also be a new permanent fixture in your room. Hatsu, you're faced with a bit of a crisis. Either you believe magic is real, or you believe this is a dream, or some hallucination. Maybe it was something you ate earlier in the day.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
Inn-ception​

For those who called it a night, or were in the process of doing the same, once they fell asleep, a sense of weightlessness would sweep through them. And a lullaby would begin to play on an endless loop in their dreams, or nightmares, whichever they wound up having. For those who heard the tune during the day, this was different.

It was more haunting, burrowed deeper, and it touched the subconscious. The weightlessness became floating on the waves of the ocean. The currents sending them gently dipping, rocking to and fro. The moon was bright above, and the stars were absolutely brilliant. Without the light pollution of a big city, they were crisp and clear, and the galaxy felt as if one could reach out and touch it. It made one want to reach out and touch it.

For those who didn't need sleep, there was a much fainter melody. When it was listened to, a lighter sense of floating would seep through the body as long as the mind was allowed to drift aimlessly. Various thoughts echoed in the head, depending upon the person, and any emotions they brought were heightened. As if the melody latched onto the sentiment, and increased it ten fold.

Then there were the late check ins. Seraphim greeted Edwin and Leif with her usual smile, assigning them to rooms 204 and 205 respectively. She advised them about the shared bathroom even as she handed over a couple of vouchers for the cafe. "When you need more, just let me know. You get two for each night you stay with us." Keys were handed over, and a good night was given to each.




OOC Information

Bernard Worthlessplebian : For you, the night brings you hunger, and the keen awareness of needing more than just batteries. Based on how your feeling, you estimate maybe one more day before you start experiencing severe symptoms.

Aódh Larry : The sensation of being watched doesn't abate, and sometimes the shadows feel darker than before. If you dare to turn off all the lights, you feel as if it will be a pitch black you haven't experienced in some time. Do you dare to turn off all the lights and face whatever may be lurking?

Roje/Silver/Indy Britt-21 Silver- Rhyme : Roje, you find yourself thinking of your past. All those you've loved and lost. And a fear for those in your life now. Will you lose them too? Silver, when you sleep, it's a home you didn't have the comfort of growing up. It's warm, welcoming, embracing for both you and the wolf. It's a place one typically doesn't want to wake up from. Indy, you dream of little fireflies, or are they will 'o wisps? Either way, they float around you, dodging your attempts to capture them, leading you along a garden path as they twinkle and sing to you.

Edwin/Leif Thropian KodakWolf : You're both checked in by Seraphim, giving adjoining rooms on the second floor, and meal vouchers for the Loving Spoon. Leif, this gives you a chance to try and charge up the extra phone, and maybe try to sort out the puzzle pieces of the evening. Edwin, when you sleep, you dream of a certain bear spirit, rumbling and letting out little gruffs. You can't see it, or see where it is, but you hear water. It echoes slightly, reminds you of a certain underground cave from another time, another place.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
Marasong at Night​

The docks were quiet again, once the others had made their way to the inn and beyond. Quiet, save for the sound of the waves, the creaking of the planks, and the faint sound of the fire pits spread out here and there. It seemed like a good time for Jay and his companions to muse and ponder over the day's events.

However, after a few minutes, both Yun and Yeung would feel on edge. It wasn't something they could see, but it was felt and the uneasiness would quickly spread to Jay. Something in the water, unseen, but the gut instinct said there was something or someone there. And it was moving.

From the direction near the one blonde man had stood, it moved along the front of the docks, until it was straight ahead of where Jay was sitting. It was too dark to see, and there wasn't any type of a spirit Jay or his companions could make out. It felt dark, ominous in a sense. And it had stopped moving.




OOC Information

Jay xAlter : There is most definitely something in the water, you can feel the weight of a gaze on you. It isn't pleasant, and after a few minutes, you can tell its moving again. Only now, it's moving toward the docks, moving closer.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
Home Again Jiggity Jog​

Augie walked briskly away from the docks and toward his humble abode he called home. Along the way, he would rustle the bag, or click his tongue, making sure the dog knew where he was at any given time. When they reached the shoreline, he kept an eye on the water, and kept themselves as far from the water's edge as possible.

"We'll eat well tonight, Boy. Maybe we'll uh.. sleep in the far back room tonight, eh? Winds might be a bit strong tonight, and chilly. I'll even drag in some more blankets for us." Yeah, that was the reason, to stay warm. Augie just didn't like the feeling he had on the docks, as it felt like it followed him home.

"Food should still be fairly warm. Tilly knows how to pack it all in." Augie made sure Boy entered the cave first, and he gave the waters one last look before he followed inside. There were a few good pats to the dog, some scratching behind the ears, and then Augie moved to dish up two plates of good food.

"Eat first, and then we'll settle in for the night. In the back." With the number of blankets they had, it would be real comfy. Maybe Augie hoped the more comfortable their bodies were, the less on edge his mind would be.




OOC Information

Boy KodakWolf : Lots of food, food you can even see this time around. You can tell by looking at it, it was made with care, and would settle well in one's stomach. You even saw something written on the back of a napkin, something Augie hadn't yet seen himself.

We need to talk about the dog. ~Tilly

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Worthlessplebian]

Bernard Greve
Location: Marasong Inn;
With: N/A
Interactions: N/A Only mentions: Larry (Aodh), Out Of Words
Art by leevolt on DeviantArt
Mood: A variable spectrum ​

Despite the venerable attempts of the electrified Dane, the potentially supra-mortal being known as Kai Tangaroa eluded them. It occurred to Bernard later that he should have done away with any notion of civility and simply trounced the village-goer's personal boundaries, subjecting him to an unwarranted (rather unwanted) nervous system prodding. Alas, Bernard ceded that right when he foolishly decided to act like an upright person. Never fear, Bernard will rectify that behaviour. Another time, as the lanky Dane began to prepare himself for reclination. Rather, he threw on pyjamas and tucked himself into his bed, nicely and comfortably. In truth, the electronically-tuned vampire has no need for the physiological process. While some regard sleep with the notion of rest; Bernard sees it as a tool in the truest sense of the word. Analogous to a button that fasts forwards time (while yes, leaving the operator in a semi-vulnerable state). Though entering the state isn't like the analogical button, as much as Bernard wishes it were. It did not help that he heard awkward yelps or grunting from his neighbour. The degenerate.

But with stubbornness, the veil between reality and the dreamscape melted. The Dane's presence, his sense of self beginning and instantly succumbing to the state. In Bernard's life, he has heard many first-year philosophies students dragging out the tried and true rhetoric. Something, they heard off-hand in a lecture or two. That slumbering is the closest the human consciousness ever comes to death. The same first-years also bring up the idea that the identity ends as the Moon rises and a new one springs up in the morning. Ah, the Cutty Sark. The ship had been destroyed and renewed with skilled hands. Of course, Bernard is not a man that discusses the nature of knowledge, existence, etc. He simply studies the nature of the world and its' materials. Right about now, Bernard had desired for his consciousness to be obliterated.

An unmistakable sense of floatiness crept over Bernard's "spirit." Penetrating, corrupting. Feeling it utterly, even in the blackness of his mind's eye. Then... What could only be described as a deadly hymn reverberated in Bernard's very being. Blasted through him, the sense of weightlessness entered a state of dissolution as it sickeningly twisted itself (and by extension: Bernard's sensory stimulus) into the sensation of rocking waves. Not viciously, mind you. Simple rocking. Bernard's eyes were filled with the light of distant, twinklin' stars. Enticing, this galactical scenery. An Insidious worming began to burrow in Bernard's mind. Touch. Reach for the sky! As if it became a tune that repeated.


It's always around him... All this noise... But, it isn't or rather wasn't as loud as the voice. It began as a whisper on the nightly wind, but grew as time passed. "SILENCE!" A hand gripped the man's face and 50 000 volts circulated through Bernard at 200 milliamps. "HHHNNNNGGGGGGGGGHHHHH—" The muscles in his jaw were shut tight by the unexpected current, eyelids shot open, while the rest of his body spasmed uncontrollably. Mercifully, this self-inflicted attack had done its' job. He found himself propped up by his back muscles, sitting in bed with his hand firmly encapsulating his face. First came laboured breathing, then his sweat pores opened and drenched himself with the salty fluid. If Bernard had remained human, then he would be dead or close to it. But due to his unique... change, he finds himself alive. Alive... Furious. His hand removes itself in shame, eyes contort into a scowl. Lips parted to the side, teeth ground against each other. The body responds in kind by hastily leaving his roomy bed, which now seemed uninviting. "Hrggh" Bernard struck a wall. "Jeg vil slå dem ihjel." A murmured threat, one that Bernard might actually accomplish or has the will for it.

As the situation began to settle, a devilish hunger dug its' nefarious claws into him. Likely prompted by this supernatural event. Estimating that he has a day left before falling victim to hunger pangs. A battery simply won't do. How annoying. He could hunt now! The blanket of the night is an ample opportunity. But his humanity won out in the end. He'll resist for as long as he could, he'll feed on his own terms. Will not meekly capitulate to the infernal Beast. For now, he will wait for the dawn of the morning while he... catalogues this event.