Realistic or Modern If December Freezes (IC)

[Britt-21]

Out Of Words Silver- Rhyme


"We're not sure as of yet." replied Roje, giving her a half smile as the girl continued, seemingly very excited to try to help them get a room and get them situated. It would be rude not to answer her simple questions "I'm Roje, I'll take a room for 2." as for the menu, of course she could see it from her location. Though not read everything that was on it. "We might order some things, though I cant be sure when we're soaked at the moment." she used the best tone she could for this situation giving her a soft laugh to make the mood a little more light hearted.

Noticing Indy's actions, she knew that she was either embarrassed, anxious, or stressed. But because of the lack of bond and information, it was a little bit hard to tell which was the most accurate. However as she spoke, Roje heard this upbeat melody that was playing gently in the back of her head, almost causing her to grumble in annoyance. There was no such thing as peace and quiet as of late, was there? This thought had her zone Indy out for just a moment, but zoned back in when she asked something about food allergies. Food allergies? she thought before speaking "Food Allergies? Nah. I'm good." unfortunately she wasn't sure of the context for the conversation, and tried to wing it as best as she could "I know you forgot but that's okay." she patted her sister on the shoulder, trying to play it off, especially in front of the clerk. "Also don't worry about 'ma'. It'll be a good surprise."

The rain outside seemed to have lightened just a little bit compared to earlier. Which also made her realize that plenty of her senses were coming to their full potential once again. Feels pretty damn good to not feel like im a grape in the sun. When her sister asked her a set of questions, she nodded, followed by a shake of her head. It didn't take long for Silver to pipe up and answer the other brunette. While the two spoke, she decided that it was time to finally get a room, knowing that the girl was more than patient with their different auras causing maybe just a bit of chaos within the air. "I'm gonna get us that room key, Indy. I'll be back." with that said she moved to the counter and gave the girl a smile "Hey, thanks for waiting on us to settle down. Been kinda a rough day." she glanced down at the menu that was still sitting there, finding the food to be appetizing. But she wasn't going to get food yet, not when everyone else hasn't eaten.
​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
Tilly Tea Time​

The docks were quiet with the rain, and all the shops looked dark inside. However, as Hatsu grew closer to the Loving Spoon, signs of life were visible. There were a couple of people who decided to brave the rain and get home, letting the bell over the door jingle jangle a couple of times. Inside Tilly and Miranda were cleaning after a surprising crowd who sought shelter and thus, some food while they waited.

Miranda had just wiped down a nice booth against the windows when she noticed Hatsu walk in. "Here you go, let me know if you want to order something." She gave a dazzling smile before tucking a stray strand of hair behind an ear. Then it was another table to clean up, and some sweeping of the floors.

Tilly was there nearly as soon as Hatsu sat down, with a little cupcake, and a small teacup on a saucer. "Och, 'ere you go, laddie. Looks like you could use it. On th' house." It was one of Hatsu's favorite flavors and looked decadent with the swirl icing and sprinkles on top. And the tea was slightly steaming, the aroma quite nice, even if one didn't care for tea.




OOC Information

Hatsu silverwhere : Tilly pats your shoulder briefly as she sets the items down in front of you. The mood inside the cafe is relaxing, there's soft instrumental music in the background, the lights are set to dim but bright enough to see clearly. There are only a couple of other folks besides Tilly and Miranda, and they appear to be getting ready to head out and face the rain to get home as well. You'll be the only customer in a few minutes.

Until Wiri and Aódh arrive.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
Greenwitch Time​

Beatrice didn't seem to have any words, but gave a nod. Expression twisted slightly, unsure of her own magic, but willing to try and help. However, there wasn't any light that came after the spell was cast. For a good minute, it seemed like it didn't work and they were going to have to try and find the wand with their hands wrist deep in the mud.

Then the rain stopped. It wasn't a case of the rain easing up to a slow ebb that finally stopped. It full on stopped. The clouds were gone in the blink of an eye, and sunlight flooded the area. They wouldn't need a light now, they would need to be mindful of the puddles yet to be absorbed by the soaked ground, but they had plenty of light now.

In the light, both could see a lot of small twigs that came from the trees, likely during the harder parts of the rain. Sticks, twigs, and somewhere in all of it, was Bill's wand. And possibly, more than either of them bargained for.




OOC Information

Bill & Beatrice BillieRoss OrganicUFO : Good news, the rain's gone, the clouds are no more, and you have plenty of light. Not so good news, there's a lot of undergrowth to the forest floor, along with dead branches and more. Though, there's something neither of you likely expected to see.

You're pretty sure Hatsu picked up the safe and had taken it with him, but it sure looks like the safe Wiri tossed out of the house. It's slightly embedded in the mud, and Bill can see a familiar looking 'stick' next to it.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
Beach Bumming​

Wiri and Aódh had come to a stop not terribly far from where the shore met the water. The docks were visible to the West, and Hatsu's figure was quickly swallowed up by the rain still falling as he headed up the docks and toward the cafe. And then the rain wasn't there anymore.

Sage and Marius paused when the rain just stopped and the clouds in the sky dispersed like they never existed. That's when Sage noticed the other two closer to town, but his focus seemed to be on getting his father back to town. Aódh and Wiri were spared a few glances to see if they needed something, but otherwise they maintained their distance and minded their own business.

With the rain's departure, the tension in the air acted like it was sucked away in a vacuum. Aódh could feel the anger, the rage, start to swiftly subside. The downside left him shivering from head to toe. Much like a crash after having an adrenaline rush dissipate. And something else swam in instead.




OOC Information

Aódh & Wiri Larry Collidias Rex : A minute or two after the rain has stopped and the sun shines down upon you, Aódh feels like an addict needing their fix. Limbs want to shake uncontrollably, your head is pounding, and you're cold even in the sun's warm rays. Another minute after that, you're feeling a deep sense of loss. You want to sob, cry out against every single wrong doing you've done in your past. From high to low, you're a roller coaster for about five minutes before it all just goes away and you're feeling finally like yourself again since the fire alarm went off.

Wiri notices all the little nuances in Aódh, while also being aware of Sage and Marius within line of sight. They are minding their own business for the most part, and there isn't anyone else around to observe what's going on. However, in the air you can taste something almost metallic like, as if you bit your own tongue hard enough to make it bleed. But it isn't.

And what the hell happened to that storm? The only traces there was even a storm are the puddles on the water logged ground, and the drops dripping off trees nearby.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
Take Your Keys and Like It​

Seraphim's smile turned bright as some of the sea glass lamps when finally someone was coming to complete the check in process. "Certainly, a two double bed for you. Just please sign here." She quickly turned one of those small electronic signing pads around so Roje could use it. As soon as she had the signature, she handed out the key. "Your room is on the second floor, room two-oh-two. Lovely view of the Eastern shore. The bathroom is shared with room two-oh-three, probably will be someone from your group."

She was all happy now that she could move forward with getting rooms in the system assigned out. Meal vouchers were slid across the counter. "These are for the cafe, each person has two a day. Oh, and your rooms are currently provided free of charge for three nights. We'll need to recheck you in after that time if you're planning on staying with us." She did a little shoulder lifting as hands folded in front of her and rested on the desk counter.

A moment later though, her eyes strayed to Silver and Indy, then the door, knowing others were outside still. "Um, do you know how many other rooms you'll need for your group?" Her eyes widened and she laughed, "Oh! The rain's stopped! Lovely." Attention quickly returned to Roje, hoping for an answer about the rest of the rooms needed.

The leather clad dark haired woman remained at the end of the counter, not even hiding how she was drinking it all in while Seraphim worked. The woman looked like she wished she had a nice bowl of popcorn for the show.




OOC Information

Roje & Indy & Silver Britt-21 Rhyme Silver- : The idea of getting out of the wet clothes and enjoying the privacy of your own room was sounding like a solid idea. Seraphim will take any food orders at the front desk, and have it brought to the rooms as long as everyone checks in. She's growing antsy and seems to be the type of person who likes to get things done sooner than later, but also is bound to a certain level of politeness.

But her patience is wearing thin, and even as the rain just stops and goes away like it was never there, Seraphim eyes each member of the group in the inn who hasn't checked in yet. Silently screaming for them to do so.

The dark haired lady who gave Silver a blanket, is eating it up. There are little glances toward Seraphim, followed by a bit of a smirk, as if knowing it's just a matter of time before the poor woman loses her mind.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
A Chase Ended​

Levi led the way to the line of houses behind the shops on the docks. His wasn't at the corner, but two down from it. And the whole while, he was keeping an eye out for others, like Tucker. Once there, he unlocked the door, and the second lock on the door before entering first, however he was there to close and lock it behind them.

The place was like any modest, minimalist style home. Basic furniture, nothing flashy, but not worn down either. It was clean and tidy, with all the furnishings one needed and little excess. The couch seemed to be more like a sleeper sofa, with some bedsheets neatly folded on one cushion, and a pillow on top. There were a few dishes in the sink, but overall the kitchen was clean. Two doors were closed in the hallway off to the side.

"Uh.. yeah, have a seats and lemme check on Chase real quick." A hand waved at the chairs while Levi moved to the door at the very end of the hallway. He knocked but didn't really expect an answer, so he just opened it and disappeared inside for a few minutes. While waiting, Leif and Edwight would notice thick, heavy black out curtains on the windows, and they were kept closed with clothespins, so they couldn't be opened without actual effort.

Then the door opened and Levi led the way, talking quietly and soothingly. "Your friends is here. It's okay. Come on." Hands were held tightly by a familiar dark haired man with a fuzzy face needing a good bit of a trim. He clung to Levi's hands, and bumped into the doorway slightly. Blue eyes were wide and darting left and right repeatedly. "That's it. You's doing great." Levi would shoot the others a sharp warning glance if they tried to approach before he managed to get Chase seated in the recliner.

Still having to let Chase cling to his hands, Levi directed his next words toward the man's friends. "He ain't able see a thing, not real sure if he hears anything right now neither. I.. I's been making sure he stays safe. He can do some things on his own, eating, he likes taking his own showers, uh.." He eyed Leif then. "What's your name?"




OOC Information

Leif & Edwight KodakWolf Thropian : You can see truth to Levi's words. Blue eyes move around but Chase doesn't appear to see at all. His eyes don't focus on anything. For Edwight, you sense the familiar wolf spirit from the barbecue days, but it's stressed, whining and scared to the point of not knowing if it should attack out of defense, or cower and wait for whatever is going to happen.

For Leif, he smells like Chase, hands down, no doubt about it. There's a certain wolfish scent you've grown to know like the back of your hand. Yet, there's a touch of something more, like kelp or seaweed that clings to his usual scent. He jumps at any loud noises, has an absolutely lost expression coupled with a touch of fear and hopelessness.

And his wuffles are absolutely heartbreaking because Leif knows what they sound like when Chase was happy and well. These aren't those wuffles.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Larry]

Aódh McFaol
Location: On the beach, north of Marasong.
Mood: . . .
Interactions: Collidias Rex .
Mentions: n/A.​

Wiri's well-intentioned question swam around the young man's conscience, prodding but unable to effect any satisfactory answer from the youth. Indeed, Aódh wouldn't have been able to, even if he really wanted to convey the truth of his situation to the ranger standing over his hunched form, a concerned-look implied about his face. The young man staggered back to his feet, faltering on the first attempt, before groggily making his way into a standing position. If one were to happen their gaze on the lad, you'd be be well within your rights to gasp at his visage. A sickly pallescence had taken a hold of him, as though he were a snake in shedding his healthy paleness, in order to reveal its waned replacement. But, if there was something that seemed well more sickly than his bearing, was the unseen chaos of his mind.

Even though the voice had ceased to goad him on, and thankful was he for it's absence, something more ghastly had decided to cement itself. Almost contemporaneously with the dispersal of the rain clouds, a phenomenon completely overlooked by the youth, did a spontaneous pain course throughout his skull. Then, to compound the suddenness of that noxious feeling, Aódh felt his limbs want to spasm out of control, in the same manner that they did only a few moments previously. What was strange this time around, that instead of priming him to a uncontrollable transformation, they just seemed to shake without motive. It was beguiling and irritating all at once to the Irishman, who did his best to combat these excited nerves in front of Wiri, lest his image fall ever further in the man's eyes. Even the sun's rays did not seem to warm the haggard figure, an unbudgeable shiver wrapped around him, allowing no room for warmth to lodge with the young man.

The surge of these unwanted occurrences looked to overwhelm Aódh's mental state, as tears looked to spill out and the rapid in-and-out of hyper-ventilation threatened to grip his breathing. But the surprises were not quite finished just yet, as the the youth would be made painfully aware. A sudden sinking feeling in Aódh's chest, as though any emotion with the slightest association with happiness was sucked in without hope of ever returning. Loss, for whatever reason, weighted heavy on his mind and heart, and thoughts of his grandfather's passed across his mind's eye, a feedback loop that only served to increase the intensity of that feeling. Every instance in which he was wrong, or having unfairly charged someone to have done something they didn't, flashed before his eyes. For a brief moment, Aódh was lost, overwhelmed by the surge of these restive memories.

I'm sorry, so sorry...he thought to himself, thinking to himself that the more profusely he apologised, the quicker his guilt would be quashed.

It was too much.

A single tear slipped through, as though it were a precipitous sign of a dam struggling to contend with its swelled charge of water; the Irishman swiftly brought a drenched sleeve up to wipe away at it.

This episode, with its peaking highs and Tartarean lows, continued unabated for a period of five minutes, the sloshing of the waves on the sandy shore punctuated by the sound of Aódh's sobbing.

Then, peace.

An irenic calm landed itself upon the young man's shoulders, and the sight of Wiri's face, clearly seen for the first time since the fire, immediately called the man's question to mind.

"I..." he began, recounting the stretch of time from finding Hatsu to now, and how it ought to be explained, "A lot's going on, Wiri; and since I've arrived in Marasong, things have only gotten more chaotic. I can tell you the whole story now, or I can do so at the Loving Spoon."

He paused for a moment, his eyes, red with tears, gazing out at the ocean lapping the shore.

"We both need to warm up, and a cup of tea might do the job."

 

[Britt-21]

Out Of Words Rhyme Silver-

Roje signed the pad that was pushed toward her, only for that to be replaced with a room key in her hand. 202, got it. Easy enough to remember, and there's a view of the shore...Something nice to look at that isn't pure white walls or forests. she thought "Easy enough to remember." she said with a small laugh, being informed of the bathroom being shared with the one beside theirs, which meant that Silver would have to be in that next room. After all, Roje was sure that Silver would be more comfortable being around the girls more than the guys. But she could be wrong. Soon enough, Meal vouchers were handed to her, explaining that each person has two a day Not bad...for such a small place, I expected them to be more money gouging or something. Call me surprised. "Thank you, we really do appreciate it. We've had a rough trip and definitely needed something like this." she put her key into her pocket and held onto the vouchers as she glanced back at Silver and Indy.

"Hey, I have a quick question for you. Maybe more, depends on how the conversation goes." Roje asked, wondering how much information she could get from the girl. Granted, it was a little self explanatory that they were in a pretty secluded town, but that didn't stop her from asking for more information.

Spoiler: convo

Seraphim seemed to perk up. Her head tilted to the side, her eyes widened a bit, and her smile grew. "Certainly!"

Roje couldn't help but return the smile, finding her so intriguing "Alright," she pulled her phone from her pocket and showed her it "Would you -or perhaps someone else- have chargers for this kind of phone? It's low currently and it's kind of my lifeline to contacting friends and family."

Seraphim held out a hand so she could look at the type of charger needed, she didn't take it away, just tilted it so she could peer closer at it. "Hmm.. I might. Let me look." Her hand slid away and then she started to look at all the shelves and drawers under the counter.

There was a bit of rummaging around, things being moved, and Seraphim hummed while doing so. It sounded very similar to the melody that would sometimes play in the back of the mind.

After a couple of minutes, the correct charger was held up before Seraphim stood back up. It had a bit of tape around the cord here and there, but was the right type. "Here you go. Might have to wriggle it a little now and then."

Roje watched as she took a closer look at her phone and then proceeded to go through different areas of the counter, trying her best to find a charger. Though, the one thing that stood out to her was the humming. This damn song again? Is it something that's constantly playing no matter where we go?. Obviously, she was hating the melody more and more, though she tried not to show it. "Hey, wiggling is better than nothing, thank you. I'll return this to you as soon as I finish charging it. Unless you'd like me to pay for it?" not that she cared too much about paying it or not.

"Oh no, no. When you're done just bring it back. That's fine." She did the little shoulder lift again, hands folded together on the counter, the smile on her face. "I know where you're staying." And then she laughed like she had just made the funniest joke ever.

Roje rolled her eyes with a smile, followed by a laugh "Alright, fair enough. Also, I have a question about that melody you were humming." she paused for a brief second "Is that a song that plays on the radio or something?"

"Oh, oh no. I mean, maybe." Seraphim gave a little shrug, "I heard it somewhere, it's just catchy, don't you think?" Then she remembered, "Oh yes.. uh.. do you know how many rooms in total you'll need?" She really, really wanted to get them squared away.

Seraphim asked about the rooms once again and Roje had to answer this time rather than buy time "Uhh...Well I know Silver will probably want to by us in room 203 but we can double check if anything. We may need just one extra bedroom for the 2 guys we had with us. Whenever they walk in." she informed her, putting a hand on her hip "So just three in total, unless the guys want separate rooms. But I wouldn't know for sure, unfortunately." this girl definitely wanted to keep them on the right path of conversation, barely straying from it. Roje's hazel eyes shifted to one of the windows, confirming that it indeed stopped raining. Giving the vampire clear passages to hear and smell a lot easier than before. Scary how it just downpoured and stopped as if it was nothing. Quick showers for you I guess...

"Three or four, I can do!" She grinned wide, obviously happy to have a number. "I can even make sure they are next to one another, so the bathroom will be shared between each two. Excellent! Uh.. Names?"

"Silver is the girl in the blanket, and then Leif and...Ed I think his name was?" Roje responded, hoping that's what the one man's name was.

Seraphim jotted them down and nodded, "Great. Oh.. the rain's stopped?" Like she had just noticed it. "Wonderful. Wonderful." A moment and she slid over the room keys for her and Silver, along with a total of six meal vouchers. "Your room, and vouchers for the two, and the room and vouchers for Silver. Just tell the boys to come see me and I can get them their keys."

Roje's eyebrows furrowed a bit, wondering why she had pointed out the rain stopping once again. "Okay, thanks, again." Well now Indy and herself had one key each, and Silver now had hers. "We'll get outta your hair for the time being and get settled in our rooms then." she gathered the keys, as well as the vouchers and moved back to the girls to hand out the keys and the vouchers.​

 

[KodakWolf]

Riley Adler / Boy
Location: Talking to myself
Tags: Out Of Words
(Via Discord)
​

Boy didn’t know how long had passed since he’d curled up against Augie in the cave, eyes battling to stay open to appreciate the beautiful, fleeting sights outside for however long he could. He hadn’t really noticed he was losing the battle, and actually drifting off, until some movement in front of him startled him awake.

And then, he suddenly wasn’t sure he was actually awake. For what he saw (literally saw, in color and all) right in front of him was worthy of a very unusual dream. Head whipped around as he tried to make sense of where he was, but there wasn’t much to see around him other than a few outlines that hinted Augie was still sleeping. And eyes were soon drawn back to the figure in front of him. Not only because it was the only thing he could actually see, truly see, but because it was no one other than him. Himself. And the sudden fear that fact alone brought outweighed the almost exciting surprise of being able to truly see again.

The dog was soon standing, ears pulled back and tail tucked between his legs as he watched himself standing before him for seconds that felt like hours. His brain was unable to process what was stranger: the eerie blue glow in the figure’s eyes, the fact that he was seeing himself, or the fact that he was seeing himself in color.

And in those moments of confusion, he lost himself observing the features he wasn’t aware had been so blurred in his memories. He hadn’t seen himself in years, not in human form, not in dog form. And perhaps it was that, or perhaps there’d been some actual decline throughout the years, but he’d looked better. Healthier. But past the initial shock, he wasn’t really surprised.

With all the thoughts swirling in his mind, soon the dog had almost forgotten to be scared, although all it took to remind him was for the figure to start speaking. Ears flicked back and forth anxiously. It was his voice, but at the same time it wasn’t. Or was his blurred memory confusing himself again? It’d been a while since he’d last heard his own voice for sure, but it’d been a much longer while since he’d last seen himself. Something was very wrong, perhaps something in Marasong, as Augie had said. The voice, or voices, reminded him of his own magic, but never had he ever experienced that sort of communication before.

He, or it, was mocking him. Mocking him for changing, for choosing something different than what had already provenly led to pain and undoing. Mocking him for learning from past mistakes, and most importantly, mocking a life he now treasured above everything else. And it made him feel a spark of anger threatening to light up inside his chest. No, it hadn’t been easy, learning how to live a stray dog’s life. Not for someone like him. But if anyone thought they could shame him for such a choice, they were wrong. That life had done him a lot more good than his past life ever had. Ironically, it’d only been made possible by his shifting of forms.

When Rio started walking toward him, and as he spoke further, the dog gave an anxious step back. Only one, because if he gave any more he’d be placing Augie between him and… well, him. The more Rio spoke, the harder it became to tell all the voices apart, all the noises, the chilling laughter… the less he sounded like himself. Or perhaps it was the fact he was getting closer. And the closer he got, the more anxious the dog became. What could he, or that magic, or whatever that was, possibly want from him? Hadn’t they taken enough? What kind of power, what kind of life could be hidden behind such a proposition, behind that extended hand?

The hint of excitement he suddenly noticed behind those last thoughts surprised himself. But it wasn’t something new. Much like an addiction, possessing such magic and resisting its bargaining power was a constant battle, one he’d been fighting, and occasionally slipping, for a while now. But the longer and the more fully he lived his new life, the stronger he felt to resist, the more reasons he had to stand his ground.

The dog didn’t step back, but he also didn’t step forward, eyes glued on the outstretched hand. And a low, quiet growl rumbled in his chest.


The hand lowered and Rio tilted his head to the other side with a bit of a scoff. "Really? That's how you want to play this?" Another sound as he slowly stood back up. "You'll regret it later. When you need me to help protect your friends? Or save you from some big bad something? It'll cost you more then. You know this."

He took only one step back, hands at his side. "I'll give you a moment to reconsider."


The dog stood still as the man spoke, as still as a dog was able to stand, the low growl ebbing away as he paid attention to what Rio was saying. Muscles tensed up more after the words that followed, threatening words. And more when the man stood up, and Boy could feel his heart pounding against his ribcage. It even made him a bit lightheaded.

The dog didn't believe the man's words, didn't believe that there'd be no immediate retaliation, until Rio gave a step back, and the dog slowly let out the breath he'd been holding, relaxing just a little bit. It allowed him to think better, to focus on what the man was saying rather than on what he was doing.

Boy knew being on good terms with dark magic could still be detrimental. Being on bad terms, though, was sure to be very, very bad. And like it or not, despite all the undoing it'd brought him, such magic was still working in his favor on a daily basis. Without it, he wouldn't have just rescued Marius, he wouldn't be seeing, not even the outlines, and he wouldn't even be a dog. Just to name a few. The conclusion: he was a slave. He couldn't get rid of it, couldn't turn it down, but yet couldn't fully embrace it, at the risk of losing himself in the process.

A quiet, barely audible whine escaped his throat, and the head lowered a bit. It was the mention of friends that broke him. He could stand his ground and accept any consequences that'd eventually befall him, but he couldn't put others at risk, others that had nothing to do with his poor life choices. All the way, he forced himself not to look in Augie's direction, as if it'd somehow prevent the figure that stood in front of him from noticing him.

He gave a hesitant step forward, head still low as eyes focused on Rio's feet, ears pulled back and tail still between his legs. What could it possibly want from him? Even if something would cost him more later, how could he possibly pay? He had no more power lust, no more dark feelings of revenge to fuel the dark magic. He didn't have much more to offer, and he didn't want to lose what little he was able to keep. He wanted to ask those questions directly, but dogs didn't speak. Still, it was all in his mind anyway, so the questions were telepathically directed at the man standing before him. Himself. Even if the answer wouldn't really weigh in on his decision. And he gave another, small step forward, forcing himself to ignore what he now acknowledged as mostly fear. And a bit, a very, very distant bit of curiosity. Or excitement.

 

[BillieRoss]

Bill
Location: In the depths of the forest
With: OrganicUFO


Bill snatched the wand out from the undergrowth, checking it over for damage. A rush of relief ran through her at having the familiar wood back in her hand, safe in the knowledge that if something came for them she’d be able to do something about it.

The relief at having her wand back almost made her forget about the sudden change in weather. She was halfway through tucking the wand into her inner jacket pocket when she noticed that the rain had stopped falling. She glanced up at the sun beating down through the leaves overhead.

“Did you do that?” she asked Beatrice, more than a little suspicious. Stopping the rain like that'd take at least two of them, given that they'd been the ones to start it. But then she shrugged, and trundled on before waiting for an answer. “Ah. Disnae matter, really. It’s stopped and that’s just about all I care about.”

She turned back to the ground, about to lever herself up, when she caught sight of the safe. She squinted at it. “Wasn’t that Hatsu fella carryin’ something like this?” She asked, over her shoulder. “It fell out of the window, didn’t it?”

She reached out to pick up the safe, examining the sides, testing the handle. There was a part of her that couldn’t stand the sight of the lock, the same part of her that hated being told what not to do. Putting a lock on a safe was as good as putting up a sign that said ‘No Entry’ - it just made Bill more determined to open it up and take a look.

“We ought to bring it back to him, don’t you think?” Bill said, even as she was going over the locking mechanism, wondering how difficult it would be to just open it and take whatever was in there. If it was even just a basic, manufactured combination lock it wouldn’t take much more than asking nicely, something she still just barely had the energy to do. The words were practically on the tip of her tongue. “Or we could just…see what’s inside ourselves. Make sure it’d be worth his time.”

 

[Collidias Rex]

Rawiri Reaves​

Tagging: Larry silverwhere

---

Aódh was having ... something. Something was the word. In any other situation Wiri would have shuffled closer and put a hand on the man's shoulder, but that little voice in the back of his head told him to give the lad some space. Whatever he was going through was strange and unusual, and that warranted compassion and caution in equal measure.

And maybe a towel, Wiri noted, glancing skyward. The rain had subsided, but he and Aódh had already borne the brunt of it. He glanced between Aódh and the duo further along the beach, where he'd spotted Marius and Sage. His curiosity piqued for a moment - where was Marius headed in weather like this? Where was Marius headed at all? Wiri reigned in his curiosity - Sage appreciated every moment he got with his dad, and it wouldn't be right to interrupt the two.

Instead, he knelt in the sand just a few feet away from Aódh, watching the sea next to him in silence.

"Something on your mind, kid?" His dad would ask. Wiri wouldn't say a thing; instead he'd hunch forward more and stare out across the lake. His dad would sigh - not resigned or dissapointed, but weary. Tired. Empathetic. He'd sit on the deck beside Wiri, not meeting his eyes, and they'd just sit there silently, together. Sometimes Wiri would talk, and he'd feel his dad nodding along beside him. His dad would murmur, sigh or chuckle as he listened, but he didn't say a thing. Sometimes Wiri would stay silent, like the words bubbling up in his throat couldn't quite find the force to surface. Even then, his dad would just sit there with him and listen. Either way, it always ended the same. Just as Wiri started feeling restless, his dad would -

"A lot's going on, Wiri," Aódh spoke eventually, "and since I've arrived in Marasong, things have only gotten more chaotic. I can tell you the whole story now, or I can do so at the Loving Spoon."

Just as Wiri started feeling restless, his dad would finally turn and smile at him.

"We both need to warm up, and a cup of tea might do the job."

His dad would clap a hand on his shoulder, and he'd say:

"Let's get you inside, mate, and get you some kai." Wiri clapped a hand on Aódh's shoulder, climbing to his feet. "An empty belly ain't good for the soul." With that, he offered a hand to Aódh to help pull him to his feet. Aódh wasn't feeling good - and it was clearly something more involved than what Wiri could fix for him. But small gestures could go a long way. "I ain't much of a tea man, but I'll try anything warm when I'm this soaked-through. Let's get going."

Wiri lead the way through town - though his wilderness survival had failed him this time, he knew the town like the back of his hand. He passed the clinic on the way, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw his truck out the front. A quick inspection revealed the interior to be damp; he should have been irritated that someone apparently left the door open, but drenched seats was hardly new, nor a particularly big issue. Glancing through the window, however, revealed the keys weren't in the ignition. Wiri glanced over his shoulder, eyeing the clinic for the moment before glancing at Aódh.

Eh. Mum's probably got my keys - she'll be safe here for another hour. He clapped a hand down on the hood affectionately and headed North. One problem at a time: the fact that his truck had reached the clinic meant the newcomers to town were in safe hands, which meant he could focus on Aódh.

He moved up to the docks and past the inn, glancing at it for a moment and noticing vague figures moving about inside.

Huh. Usually not this busy, he noted, curiously. Could have been an outlier. Could have been someone who had relatives in town. Could have been Marasong's new band of mysterious misfits. He filed that away in the back of his mind and continued along the docks to the Loving Spoon. Opening the front door and stepping inside, he felt himself releasing a breath he hadn't known he was holding.

"G'day Tilly. 'Randa." Wiri nodded to the women as he strode inside. "Can we get something for Irish here? Poor lad looks like a wet dog and could use something in his belly. Could you grab us a towel if you've got one? Ta." He paused for a moment to scope the place, quickly zeroing in on Hatsu and moving to join him at the table. He pulled out a seat, spun it around, and sat straddling it, with his chin resting on the backrest. "A fucking day and half, huh?"

 

[Silver-]

Silver Blackwood
Tags; Out Of Words Britt-21 | Mentions; Rhyme | Location; Marasong Inn
​

The moment the rain ceased, it felt as if a shadowy curtain had lifted from the entirety of their surroundings. Silver's eyes snapped opened with a renewed sense of energy and she stood up slowly so as to not startle anyone with how quickly she would've done so otherwise. Roje was conversing with the woman at the front desk--Seraphim, wasn't it? Half of her had already forgotten while the other half was more so interested in drawing towards the nearest window to catch sight of the world outside.

The asphalt was dry save for some puddles of water here and there, to her surprise. Normally the ground would be a darker shade of concrete and the gutters in nearby establishments would be draining water into the sewers like crazy, but there was just nothing. It was like the rain had been summoned and dispersed without any necessary cleanup.

"That makes no sense", she whispered under her breath, dark eyes lifting skyward to catch a glimpse of a very blue sky beneath the roof of the inn. What is this? And how did all that weight and magic just go away like that? She'd known Marasong wasn't normal but this was beyond even that little town they'd leapt backwards into before. Something or someone here had enough power to manifest an artificial monsoon to cover the entire town, let alone the fact that having any sorts of 'powers' or supernatural tendencies appeared taboo enough that even the woman at the clinic had a backroom dedicated to treating their kinds.

And Wiri, he's something else. Does that mean Tucker could be too? Could everyone be something else? If so, who or what was keeping them so tight lipped about it?

Silver shook her head at the whirlwind of thoughts that were beginning to make her head pound again, instead pulling the blanket from her shoulders and deciding to fold it, tucking the towel Seraphim had provided her as well right underneath it. She hadn't peered out the window long enough to notice if Edwin and.. Leif had been in their proximity but she hoped that whenever they’d returned they’d be just as dumbstruck at the clarity the day was suddenly providing.

Gathering the items she’d been given, Silver glided quietly over to where everyone else was, casting wary look at the dark-haired woman whom had yet to speak but was looking at Seraphim as if she were about to pounce on her. The receptionist seemed as if she were going to blow a gasket until Roje mentioned that they were finally acquiring a few rooms, Silver blinking at the idea of having been set up with her own. She bit back any sort of refusal for Seraphim’s sake, not wanting to make things harder with the idea of her deciding to just stay out here or something. The idea of staying at an inn by herself was.. frightening. She’d never even been to a hotel before. Calling for room service, being all too aware of the way the room was and expecting there to be a knock on her door at any time, it all threatened to turn her normally stoic expression alight with a bit of fear. From what she’d heard at least, there was a shared bathroom but even then, would she be able to even relax? A good shower might do, but she had no extra clothes.

This place was really starting to make her skin crawl. Even the once comforting lights felt as if they were glowering at her, brightening the room but allowing the shadows to stretch even further. She suppressed a shudder before Roje handed her a key along with food vouchers, remembering now the laminated one that prodded at her side every so often. “Thanks, Roje. Sorry,” she murmured distractedly, her eyes briefly betraying her calm expression. “I’ve, uh, never been to one of these places before so I’m not sure how they work.” Staying a few nights for free wasn’t entirely unheard of but it wasn’t something that Silver thought happened normally and that amongst other things was beginning to put her on edge.

Pocketing the extra array of vouchers and now her key, Silver faced Seraphim and the woman, handing them each back the items they’d so kindly allowed her to borrow. “Thanks for giving these to me. I’d dry them myself, but alas.” She nodded respectfully to each of them though her heart was threatening to leap into her throat if she didn’t calm down. Should someone look a little more closely at her, Silver’s shadow was wavering. Rather than being that of a human that mirrored her every move, the shadow travelled on four legs, ears seemingly pricked forward and tail stuck out from the rest of it’s body. It was cast along the carpeted floors of the inn, jumping into plain sight once they strode through the hallway to their rooms. If you blinked one too many times, you’d fail to catch sight of it as it would appear to be a normal human silhouette. Silver paid no mind to it, distracted by her thoughts and simply moving forward automatically, stopping or dodging past anyone whom may be in the hallway with them out of instinct.

 

[KodakWolf]

Leif Hjalkarssen
Location: Climbing the mountain
Tags: Out Of Words Thropian ​

As Leif followed Levi out of the docks and toward the houses lining the backside of the shops, he didn’t see much. Eyes were focused on the back of Levi’s head as he walked, and they looked, but didn’t truly see. He paid no mind to any of the shops they passed by, nor to how Levi seemed to constantly check if they weren’t being followed or about to cross paths with someone undesirable. Leif didn’t even know if Edwin was still following along now that they’d found Levi, so busy his mind was.

It reeled over Levi’s lack of any further explanations before he set off for the houses. So Leif didn’t know whether they were just going somewhere safer so they could talk freely, or whether Levi was already leading them to Chase. Which one made him more anxious was obvious, but both cases made him impatient enough that he paid little attention to anything else.

Once finally inside one of the houses, eyes quickly scoured the place, and upon seeing no one else, returned to Levi as he closed the door behind them. Nothing else was noticed, not immediately. Instead, he focused on trying to pick up any scents in the house. And sure enough, eyes brightened as he picked up a hint of something familiar, just a second before Levi told them to take a seat, and that he’d check on Chase. No, it wasn’t an illusion. He was really there.

Leif didn’t move to sit down after Levi left, he just couldn’t bring himself to. But eyes did look around with more interest, and he noticed the neatly folded bedsheets on the sleeper sofa, suggesting the presence of a guest, and… strange black out curtains, unusually kept closed. Eyes also briefly lay upon Edwin, registering his presence.

It was too much to make sense of at the same time, while still having to keep his anxiety under control. Impatient hands kept themselves busy wringing some excess water off the lower part of his shirt. He didn’t really remember the last time he heard his own heartbeats hammering in his ears like that; or maybe the situation just made his memory really bad. Regardless, the minutes Levi took before showing up again felt like hours, and it took a lot of effort for Leif to stay where he was.

And when Levi did finally show, accompanied by the person he was searching so fiercely for, Leif did manage to stay where he was, although a breath was held, and fists were clenched, which Levi probably noticed. Leif’s gaze only moved from Chase briefly, to meet Levi’s warning glance for a moment before returning to the man he’d finally located. He didn’t know what he was expecting, his mind had really tried to conjecture different scenarios, but this wasn’t one of them.

He'd tried to connect the descriptions of Chase’s and Marius’ afflictions he got from Marianne to what he briefly saw when running into the old man outside the clinic, to anything similar in his memory files he might’ve come across. Yet when eyes lay upon Chase, all that conjecturing was proved useless.

Eyes sought those blue eyes so familiar, but couldn’t meet them. As Chase’s eyes shot left and right repeatedly, over and over Leif felt like he’d meet them, but they passed right by as if he wasn’t there. Eyes that reflected confusion, dread, despair. These weren’t those curious eyes that asked a million questions on that road trip, only to fall asleep in the car next to an avowed killer without showing a trace of fear or distrust.

No, Leif had never seen that expression on Chase’s face before. It was so unlike him it even made a small part of the vampire’s mind doubt that it was really Chase, but scents didn’t lie. Nor did the wuffles, and they made his heart sink as he tried to swallow the lump that formed in his throat. Those were undoubtedly his wuffles, but at the same time were so, so unlike him. They even evoked a certain feeling of guilt and powerlessness within the vampire. How could this have happened, where was he when this happened? He had no answer to such questions, no true idea if such guilt made any sense, but the feeling was there regardless.

Leif listened to Levi’s words, just barely processing them. He didn’t answer for a full minute or more, caught up as he was in his own thoughts and impressions.

Marianne had talked about some kind of dementia, yet that didn’t seem anything like it. And Marius, Marius had looked deep into his eyes when they met outside the clinic, yet no matter how long he waited, Chase’s eyes seemed unable to find his. And the scent he picked up in the air, it was Chase’s without question, but there was something else, something oceanic he couldn’t quite place yet, but it wasn’t just the scent of someone who’d been living by the ocean a long time. It was something else, stronger. Chase wasn’t wearing a necklace of kelp, and last Leif remembered, dementia didn’t smell like seaweed. It made him slightly hopeful, but also afraid to find out the depth and the true source of the problem. He’d at least identified something.

There were so many questions he had to ask, but he really wasn’t able to formulate them just yet. Eyes didn’t leave Chase, and mirrored his lost expression to a lesser degree. And then Leif finally moved to sit down, a hand holding tightly onto the backrest as he circled around the seat and finally sat, eyes still on Chase, constantly moving from his hopeless expression, to how he clutched Levi’s hands.

Only then, sitting down and leaning slightly forward did his eyes move away from Chase for another moment. With a blank stare, Leif let out the breath he’d been holding, breathing in and out a couple of times while a hand ran through his hair once, before eyes moved to find Levi.

“Leif.” He answered, voice almost faltering, and then he added, purely on auto pilot as eyes shot back to Chase. “L-E-I-F.”

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
A Loving Spoon-ful of Sugar​

Tilly and Miranda both looked up when the bell over the door jingle jangled. Tilly caught Wiri's eye and nodded when he asked for a towel and more. "Och, ye go'it loverly. Ol' Tilly knows jus' the thing." Two towels were handed to Miranda who walked it over to their table with a smile, then headed back to help Tilly with the cooking.

The cafe was calming, like usual. There was nice background music playing, the type meant to relax and ease away one's troubles, never intrusive. The crowd had left with the stopping of the rain, and fresh smells of baked bread and cookies began to fill the cafe. Tilly even had a few goods ready, perhaps alerted to their coming by Hatsu.

Two plates were set down on the table within a couple of minutes, if that. Aódh had a chicken fried steak with gravy, freshly mashed potatoes, with gravy, and a side of green beans cooked with bacon. Wiri had one of his usual plates, the kind he ordered when he was really famished and needing a good bit of fuel. Another plate was brought over by Miranda and set before Hatsu, just what he had ordered shortly after arriving.

"Good ta see ye back, Aódh." It was just that morning when he and Beatrice had enjoyed a rather hearty breakfast. It was likely surreal to realize everything they've been through today, and it wasn't close to being evening yet. "Ye wan' one of th' table heaters fer a bit?" She had small space heaters that could fit on the table top. The standard plug and go type as opposed to the fireglass fireplaces popular through the rest of town.




OOC Information

Aódh & Wiri Larry Collidias Rex : Food was nearly ready for the two of you, suggesting Hatsu might have ordered ahead for the both of you. Hatsu's still in a bit of a daze, with an empty saucer to one side, a cupcake wrapper betraying what he had eaten before they arrived. The towels given are slightly warm, as if hung by the oven, but Tilly was usually prepared for most things. Uncannily so.

Hatsu silverwhere : Aódh looks a bit worse for wear, but they join your table and before long it's filled with plates of food. You also receive a text on your phone. It's from Angelo: Don't worry about the house, there was insurance. Will file everything for you and get back with you soon. A.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
Roomies​

Serpahim was relieved to have some of the rooms taken care of. She excused herself and put a 'Back in 10!' sign on the counter. The dark haired woman at the counter who had been watching it all, gave Silver a smile as she took the blanket back and began to fold it. Her eyes followed the floor for a bit, then patted the blanket before leaving it on the counter and heading for the doors.

The rooms were on the second floor, with the stairs just to the side of the hallway. They were easy to find, with 202 and 203 sharing a bathroom, and across the way were rooms 204 and 205. They didn't follow the usual even rooms one side, odd on the other. The layout didn't really allow for it. The place was more like a big house than a hotel setup. The door swung inward, and Roje and Indy's room showed two double sized beds nestled along one wall.

It was quaint, and homey, and they even had their own fireglass fireplace opposite the beds. The room also had a small table and desk chair in the corner, decent closet space where they'd find two thick robes waiting. The door to the shared bathroom was along the wall with the fireplace. A modestly sized television sat atop a six drawer dresser, and their window did have a nice view. The bathroom held a single sized shower and tub combination, along with the usual toilet, sink, and cabinets stocked with oversized towels.




OOC Information

Roje & Indy & Silver Britt-21 Rhyme Silver- : As soon as you get into the room and turn on the lights, the fireplace turns on. There is a switch to control the heat, from no heat and light only, to a temperature range up to 78F/25.5C. The beds have a small packet of mints wrapped in a bow, one per bed, and the place just feels very homey, comforting, like a place you could see yourself staying in for a while.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
You've Got A Friend In Me​

Rio's voice dropped, "Aw, see? You are a good boy, Boy." He laughed as once again he crouched before the dog. One hand delved into a pants pocket, and an item was held in a closed fist a moment later. "It won't be that bad." The other hand came around to rub at the top of Boy's head, a little roughly. "You've been through worse. we've been through worse."

The hand moved to grab Boy by the scruff of the neck, the hold firm and not without a bit of pain. Rio's voice growled, nearly matching the underlying tone of darkness. "You can't turn your back on me. You're the one who started this, we'll finish it together." Rio's clenched fist opened to reveal an orb of darkness, dark but bright. Blinding nearly in the sharp, intense black, something seemingly impossible, but it was there all the same.

"Open up, doggy." The hand on the neck dug in, making sure the dog would open up either with a yelp of pain, or willingly. Rio just needed that muzzle to open wide enough to shove the orb down the dog's throat.




OOC Information

Riley KodakWolf : The moment Rio makes contact, your insides recoil, and your gut instinct is screaming at you to break free. Something is different, this darkness you're feeling now is very similar to those first few days when you reveled in the power, but twisted and more intense.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
Safe Deposit​

The lock on the safe mocked Bill, taunting more and more with each rattle of the lid during the inspection. Something was inside, and the knowledge of that dug deeper and deeper into Bill's mind. So much, before it was a conscious thought, the wand moved, Bill whispered the words, and with a click and turn, the lock slowly turned in the chamber, releasing it's hold on the lid.

Once opened, there was something wrapped inside a thick blue cloth. The cloth itself was somewhat remarkable, it was softer than silk and slightly warm to the touch. However, once Bill started to try and remove the item, the safe nearly slipped from her grasp, still wet from the rain and bits of mud made it rather slippery to hold.

There was a bit of jarring when Bill had to catch it and stop it from falling into the mud. As a result, a sound started from inside , not quite a rattling, not quite a scratching. After listening closely, one could best describe it as a scrabbling noise.




OOC Information

Beatrice & Bill OrganicUFO BillieRoss : Once the sound starts, it rarely stops, and only for a few seconds when it does. Feeling the object wrapped in the cloth makes you believe there's some type of box inside, but you might risk it falling into the mud again if you try to investigate it further while in the muddy woods.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
Blind Chase​

Levi nodded, and patted Chase's hands. "Leif is here. Your friend, Leif? I'm gonna let him come closer, okay?" Levi's expression showed he still didn't know if Chase understood or heard him, but was hopeful. He gestured for Leif to come closer, gesturing with his head to the small ottoman the man could use to sit on.

"Hold his hands, I need to make sure he has something to eat and drink." There was a little bit of a struggle when Levi tried to pull his hands free. He wound up having to keep one held, and then guide it over to Leif's hand. Chase latched on immediately, his hands shook slightly, but he seemed to be aware enough to not squeeze tight enough to cause pain.

Wuffle wuffle.

Blue eyes moved around, only it wasn't blindly darting left and right. It almost seemed as if he was looking at something, or for something. Movement wasn't as desperate, and seemed to even calm down as he grasped Leif's hands. Fingers squeezed off and on, and his wuffling sounds matched the rhythm.

Levi had waited a moment to make sure Chase was somewhat settled before he moved into the kitchen. "So, uh.. how did you know Chase was here in town?" He was preparing some leftovers, by the smell of it, some kind of stew with lamb. It was dished up into a bowl and then microwaved to a decent temperature. "Oh uh.. did either of you want a bottle of water?"




OOC Information

Leif & Edwight KodakWolf Thropian : Chase's hands are slightly cold, but start to warm up as he holds onto Leif's hands. The wuffles start to lose the heavy tinge of fear and hopelessness, becoming quieter, less frantic, but with an underlying sorrow filled whine. The wolf spirit Edwight is aware of matches this. It grows less defensive, but remains unsettled. The whining inside those wuffles come from both man and wolf.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Larry]

Aódh McFaol
Location: The Loving Spoon.
Mood: Calm, or so he would like to think
Interactions: Collidias Rex | silverwhere
Mentions: Out Of Words ​

The young man couldn't believe that everything which occurred, from the shattering of the light-bulbs in the Loving Spoon, to the fire that engulfed Hatsu's house and the torrential downpour that doused it, had all happened in the one day. His thoughts ran back through the events of the day, given that he was now in better straits, mentally, with a towel gently draped around his shoulders by Tilly, with Wiri sitting in beside a somewhat-dazed Hatsu, while Aódh took the seat facing the two of them. Taking into account the speed at which Tilly and Miranda produced the towels, it should have come at no surprise that the food would be forthcoming at a similar pace. A plate, with a mingling of smells that teased the Irishman's hunger, was placed before him, with a sizeable chicken steak lathered in gravy, with spuds doused the very same alongside some pork. For a man as carnivorous as Aódh, in a cruel, double-sense, it was pure delight to look upon. Before digging into the dinner as it laid so appetisingly before him, and its piquant scent inviting him to take a bite, he had to confess some things to Wiri, and, by his presence, Hatsu.

Tearing away his eyes from the dinner, he then planted them on Wiri's likewise-drenched figure.

Readying himself, for it was a secret he had not even told his parents, he began: "Wiri, I...I can imagine you're more than a bit curious as to why I started acting the way I did back in the forest, and at the beach. To be truthful with you...I...I'm-"

Though he felt the words welling up in his throat and longing to issue from his mouth, they were snagged, as though they were flies, caught up within a spider's web. To make this attempted admission even more difficult, an oppressive feeling of paranoia suddenly washed over him. A scene of him telling Wiri the truth, only for the latter, alongside Hatsu, Tilly and Miranda, to pounce upon him with any instrument they could brandish, to butcher him for the confession. The cosy warmth of the towel now contended against the cold sweat that broke out upon Aódh's imagining of that fantastical scenario, though, anxious as he was, all things seemed possible.

"...very thankful for you bringing me back here. I think the rain might have affected me more than I thought it would."

Aódh stopped for a moment, unfurling the knife and fork that were wrapped together by a beige-coloured napkin, before placing it directly to the left of the plate, clasping the utensils tightly in his hands.

"I hope you don't mind Wiri, Hatsu," he said, his eyes still red from the earlier tearing, though drooping now from tiredness, "But I really need this."

With that, tools in hand, the youth plunged into his meal, without so much as a cursory glance to see if others were put off by the voraciousness at which he did so. Fuelling this, was hunger itself, and ,more immediately, the need to distract himself from recalling what happened to him moments prior. What was it about Marasong? Why did it have such an effect on him? Were there other people in the town that were affected as he was? These questions raced across his mind, having devoured the chicken steak in mere seconds, before he got onto munching on the spuds.

This place was a mystery that seemed to cajole the young man in further, without even a snippet of the truth being found out.

It was all so annoying.

 

[BillieRoss]

Bill
Location: In the depths of the forest
With: OrganicUFO


Bill held the objects out at arms length, listening carefully at the scratching, trying to work out what could possibly be making that noise. The thought briefly crossed her mind that the stuff had been put in the safe for their protection, rather than…whatever was inside the box, but quickly dismissed it. They’d have buried it if it was dangerous. Putting it in a safe with a lock? That was just asking for trouble, surely.

She gently shook the package, making sure to keep a good grip on the bundle. She listened to whatever was inside move around, scrabbling, almost like it was sentient.

Huh.

“Here,” she said, thrusting the bundle at Beatrice. “Take it. I’m covered in mud, n’ the shawl seems nice. Dinnae want tae get it dirty. We ought tae take it back tae Hatsu, seein’ as it’s his, technically. But maybe we should…I dunno. See that whatever it is isn’t dangerous. Or magical, I reckon it might be magical. Or hexed. Or cursed. Or any number of other undesirable things.” She got to her feet, and tried to wipe the worst of the mud off her front.

“We’ll take it back tae mine first. Unwrap it, see that it’s no’ goin’ tae cause anyone any trouble. And I need tae phone my sister n’ have a shower anyway.” And keep away from your Irish friend, she thought, but didn’t dare vocalise. He could try what he wanted on her now. She had her wand back. He’d be roughly the consistency of jam before he got the second word out.

She was Elizabeth H. McNemara, after all. Nothing scared her. Especially not weird lanky Irish wasters who looked like a stiff breeze would bowl them over.

Or at least, she told herself that.

She shook some of the mud off her wand, and drew a little circle in the air. She thought about her bed, her little cauldron, her shower, her washing machine. Pictured it in technicolour detail. “Lorg an t-slighe,” she whispered, the words old and familiar. It was the first spell her Granny had ever taught her. Basic safety, with all the wandering off into the woods she and her siblings did, all the galavanting off in the middle of the night in search of Lord knows what. Lorg an t-slighe. Find the way. Doing her best to keep a lid on the magic (she wasn’t sure how this one could possibly go wrong, but she wasn’t particularly keen to find out), she waited for the thin, translucent ribbon of light to appear in the air, snaking its way through the forest, and back to her home.

 

[silverwhere]

Hatsu Black
Location: Finally, some peace and quiet
Tags: Out Of Words Larry Collidias Rex
​

It was nice and comforting being in the Loving Spoon. He had been the only person in the dinner for a bit and Tilly had been nice enough to give him both a towel and a snack. He took the time to dry himself off and had the towel hanging around his neck. It was peaceful, finally. And the peace gave him time to relax and time to think about the horse. Was this going to be his horse phase? He wasn't sure if he was ready for that, especially with everything else that had been piled onto him that day. He really should be more worried about his house. His priority should be fixing that, however the thought of having to figure it out like any adult kinda made him a bit sick. He tried his best to block it out so he could at least eat some comfort food. So he ate the double chocolate cupcake and poured the tea back like with was a shot. Honestly, it was comforting, but he felt bad for the free food. Maybe he'll just find out how much the cupcake is and add it as part of the tip? Yeah, he'll just do that. He sighed and went to pull out his phone and pressed the on button and sat there for a bit looking at his black screen. He tried again. Still nothing. Fuck it must have died. He really didn't want to ask for a charger, but he had important horse research to do...plus he should probably order some food. Flagging Miranda down he asked her, "Is it alright if I have a plate of just hashbrowns? Oh and three apples on the side," Horses like apples right? "And if you have a phone charger to spare, can I borrow it?" Thankfully, a phone charger was given to him and he pushed the safe, he had place beside him when he first enter, closer to the wall so he could get under the table and to an outlet.

He let his phone sit for a bit before trying again and this time it lit up as the bell on the door rang out. As his phone buzzed to life when he realized that Wiri and Aódh had finally made it. He had half hoped the two would forget, but then again Aódh was looking- well like shit. He doubt that either of them would pass up a hot meal after everything. Before Hatsu could claim his booth seat to himself, Wiri had made himself home right beside him as Tilly brought out food. Great! He was trapped now! Thankfully, food was just brought out. Normally food is what makes the family gatherings quite, right?

Hatsu reach over for some of the ketchup and hot sauce to pour an ungodly amount onto his hashbrowns. Comfort food at it's finest. His phone buzzed again and he took a minute to look at it.

Don't worry about the house, there was insurance. Will file everything for you and get back with you soon. A.

Hatsu took another bite of food. How should he respond. He really wasn't in the mood to talk to more people then he had to. He's a simple man. A thumbs up emoji should work just fine right? Yeah. He took some time to find the Thumbs Up emoji before hitting send and pausing before typing, "Thanks". That was enough right? He'll find out soon enough. Hatsu went to get another bite of food when Aódh started to talk, "Wiri, I...I can imagine you're more than a bit curious as to why I started acting the way I did back in the forest, and at the beach. To be truthful with you...I...I'm-" was he about to witness a confession? Too much has happened today and he wasn't see if he was comfortable being forced to watch this. Wouldn't this have been better at the beach- "...very thankful for you bringing me back here. I think the rain might have affected me more than I thought it would." Hatsu paused, so he misread that situation. "I hope you don't mind Wiri, Hatsu, but I really need this."

Hatsu wasn't really sure how to react. Aódh looked like he had been crying and he looked tired. Hatsu really wasn't sure if Aódh wouldn't start crying again. It was a complete departure from how piss he was just a while ago. Hatsu took another bite and swallowed his food. "Don't worry about it. Get as much food and drink as you'd like," he said as he grabbed a few napkins to hand to Aódh, "It's been a long day for all of us." God, he was ready to go home.

 

[KodakWolf]

Leif Hjalkarssen
Location: Chasin' Chase
Tags: Out Of Words Thropian
(Via Discord)​

Leif had to restrain himself so as not to move too eagerly when Levi told him to approach, so he stood up and moved extra slowly, the sound of his own heartbeats now accompanied by a faint ringing in his ears. He waited for Levi to pull his hands free, or try to, and quickly reached both hands forward when he ended up guiding Chase’s hands to his, taking a seat on the ottoman.

They were cold. Fingers rubbed against Chase’s a few times in an instinctive attempt at warming them up, made a bit more difficult by the slight shaking Leif wasn’t sure came from Chase or himself.

And eyes widened a bit in surprise when the vampire realized the wuffles had a change in tone, and Chase’s eyes weren’t moving as frantically. Instead of appearing blind, he now seemed to be looking at something, something only he saw, as when Leif quickly glanced around, there seemed to be nothing unusual.

Leif was caught in the rhythmic sound of Chase’s wuffling, and didn’t immediately register Levi’s question. With each squeeze of his hands, the lump in his throat he’d unsuccessfully tried to swallow grew larger, as if the underlying desolation in Chase’s wuffles was being partially channeled to him, prompting him to try swallowing that lump again before he spoke.

“It’s okay. I’m here.” The tone was low, quiet, a faltering whisper meant for Chase only, although Leif wasn’t making a conscious effort to keep the other two from listening. “We’ll figure something out.” And one corner of his mouth tilted slightly upwards with that last phrase as maybe a memory, or a sort of déjà vu hit him, but he wasn’t able to continue speaking.

It was Levi’s second question that brought him back, and Leif gave a slight shake of his head as his gaze and attention were again briefly directed at Levi, and only then did his brain seem to fully process Levi’s previous question.

“Oh, sorry… no, thanks. I’m fine.” Tone was still quiet, but less than before, and more composed. He really just couldn’t even consider letting go of Chase’s hands for a bottle of water right now. And then, to Levi’s first question: “I didn’t know he was here, it was a guess.” There was a small pause as his eyes sought Chase again for a second before looking at Levi again, though the hands, they were still latched onto Chase. “I turned up here somehow. Figured the same could’ve happened to him.” He explained, barely.

As his mind gradually regained reasoning and started thinking more clearly, he started paying more attention to Levi’s reactions, just so he could figure out just how much he could or should tell him. Last thing he needed was for Levi to think he and Edwin were insane.

“How did he get here?” The question was posed softly, but there was an underlying tone of eagerness for the answer.


Levi was watching Chase closely, like some protective family member. However, when it was clear Chase was doing better, not worse, in Leif's presence, Levi relaxed slightly and focused on getting food.

Chase didn't seem to register anything Leif said, other than a small turn of his head in the direction of the sound. Hands still clenched in tune with the wuffling. When there was other sound, he either tilted his head, or turned however slightly in the direction. It appeared he could hear something, when he was in a calmer state of mind.

"Chase came about... maybe a year ago?" He stirred the stew and made sure it was heated all the way through without being too hot. "Got a job pretty quick like on the docks. They's always needing more hands to carry things, 'specially in the peak trading season."


"Right..." His slightly confused expression gave way to resignation. That had to be another timeline. But his heart did feel a little bit lighter when Chase appered decidedly calmer than when he first arrived.

"Do you know anything from before he got here?" Since Levi was the one taking care of Chase, it only made sense that they were at least somewhat close. He had to know more.


Levi brought over the bowl and a couple of paper towels, along with a bottle of cold water. He sat on the edge of the coffee table and debated how best to proceed. "No, he was like a lot of others. Marasong just sorta called to 'im. Theys find their way here, and make it a home."

He held up the bowl slightly, "Uh.. do you wanna...? Just gotta guide the spoon where it touches his lips and he'll eat it fine."


"You don't think that's a little strange?" Eyes followed Levi as he approached. "Did the same happen to you?" He asked with curiosity.

And when Levi held up the bowl, Leif didn't hesitate. "Sure." Although eyes shot a quick glance to his hands before finding Levi again, wondering if Chase would let them go. "Let's try." He added.


Levi gave a bit of a shrug, green eyes on the bowl as he held it out for Leif to take. Chase wouldn't let go of both hands, but would hold just one of Leif's hands with both of his own. "Been here long 'nuff, I ain't sure no more."

Chase wuffled, head tilted to the right. It was clear he could smell the food, but wasn't quite able to hone in on where it was. Both hands tightened briefly around Leif's, seemingly distracted between trying to listen, and wanting to eat.

Once Leif took the food, Levi moved back a bit, leaning against the wall as he observed the two a little bit closer. "What brought yous here?"


Levi's answer was both disappointing and strange, but it kind of allowed Leif to tell him the truth without sounding crazy. Or at least not crazier than Levi himself. Sure, Levi wasn't as young as he appeared, but to forget how he ended up there in the first place? Now, if Levi was lying for whatever reason, then Leif would risk sounding like another liar, but a liar had no right to accuse the other.

He focused back on Chase, and carefully pulled a hand back. Chase let it go, as if he knew food was there, though he kept one of Leif's hands between his own. Leif took the bowl, carefully placing it on the coffee table, then proceeded to take some of the stew in the spoon and carefully guide it to Chase's lips. Thankfully, the shaking had pretty much subsided, or he'd have risked making a mess.

When Levi spoke again, he took a bit to answer, focused as he was on the task at hand. "I... don't remember." And he'd make a small pause, a blank expression on his face as a thought got to him. Was he suffering from something similar to what Chase and Marius had? Was Levi, too? With all that talk about not remembering. "I just remember waking up by the waterfall this morning." He added as he regained some of his focus. And another pause, as he focused again on Chase and the food, trying not to let thoughts run too wild. "How did he get like this?"


Chase felt the spoon against his mouth, he opened to take the food, leaning his head forward just a bit. Blue eyes finally grew still and looked straight ahead, in the direction the spoon was coming from. The wuffles even changed, after a spoonful of the warm food, they had a trace of happiness back. Chase might have even smiled sometimes between feedings.

Levi listened, paying both of them close attention, more so when Leif spoke of just waking up by the waterfall. He frowned and crossed his arms across his chest, but didn't say anything. Until Leif asked how Chase wound up like that.

"He..." Levi cut himself off, pushing away from the wall to approach one of the curtained windows. He stood there, quiet for a minute before ever so slowly, pulling a teeny tiny part to the side so he could peek out.

It was only for a moment, then he let it go and turned to head back to the kitchen. In passing, as quietly as possible without being completely inaudible, Levi whispered, "I can't say."


Leif did his best to divide his attention between Chase and Levi, trying to gauge the latter's reactions, but when Chase's wuffles changed, and perhaps there was even a small smile, eyes focused longer on the man, and he gave a small smile himself. He didn't know what that change meant, if it meant any sort of significant improvement. But it did to him.

When Levi started speaking and moved to the window, eyes focused back on him, and Leif followed his movements with a frown. He understood what was going on, or guessed, even before Levi whispered again when passing by on his way to the kitchen. Eyes focused back on the stew as he let out a long sigh and nodded slightly, and it'd be a minute or so before he spoke again.

"These curtains are... strange. Is this your place or his?"


Levi grabbed a bag of chips and proceeded to snack on them while remaining in the kitchen area. The small counter that separated the kitchen from the rest of the living room seemed to give him some comfort, like a shelter of a sort. A barrier against whatever troubled him currently.

"Mine. Chase was renting a room fer a while at the inn, then gots himself a rented room over at Mister Willis' place. When he.. he took ill, couldn't keep it goings, so.." He made a gesture toward the bedroom where he had led Chase out. "Gave 'him the room, and I's take the couch. Packed up his stuff and .. most of it's still in boxes."


Again, all he did was nod, eyes moving back and forth between Levi and Chase at a moderate pace, taking a mental note of the places mentioned by Levi. Places he'd have to check out somehow.

Leif wanted to ask Levi about Marius next, but figured he probably wouldn't be able to give a full answer. And besides, as much he wanted to learn more about whatever was afflicting them, the more Levi talked about it, the harder an invisible hand seemed to clench his heart, so that a light change of focus for the conversation was welcome for a short time, so he could breathe a bit better.

"That's nice of you..." he finally spoke quietly, focus turning back to Chase for the next minute. "Could I see those boxes?" He added, shooting Levi a quick, hopeful glance.


Levi nodded, speaking between hurried bites of chips. "Yeah, sure. Once he's done eating. Yous can tell when he's done, he'll shake his head."

Chase so far seemed grateful and eager for the food. It certainly appeared to calm him, or give him something else to focus on than whatever it was he was or was not seeing. The wuffles had a bit more space in between, and held more positive sounds than before.

He would gladly eat for another five minutes or so, the bowl nearly empty, but not quite. Then after a spoonful, he shook his head with a wuffle or two. And not once did he let go of those hands.


"Thanks." And Leif's heart rate was speeding up again at the thought of what he could possibly find in those boxes. Even if just a bunch of ordinary stuff, with no relation to any of his memories, they'd still grant him insight into who Chase was, what his life used to be like in that universe. Or timeline. Or whatever that was. So he nodded with a bit more energy this time.

And his attention turned back to Chase, and he continued on the feeding task until Chase indicated he was done eating with the shake of his head.

Despite the somewhat happier and calmer wuffles, and even what seemed like occasional smiles in between, it wasn't enough to draw another small or half smile from Leif. It was pretty damn hard seeing him like that.

Leif would then put down the spoon in the almost empty bowl on the coffee table, and switch to offering Chase some water, doing his best to prevent too much spillage while using only one hand, the other still held firmly between Chase's. And lastly, he'd reach for the paper towels and take his time carefully and gently wiping Chase's face clean of any water or stew spillages, mind focusing on the mechanical task rather than the whole context of things, although a slight shaking had returned.

 

[KodakWolf]

Riley Adler / Boy
Location: With myself
Tags: Out Of Words ​

‘We’ve been through worse’ was definitely not reassuring in any way. Boy didn’t know what was hidden in the figure’s closed fist, and he didn’t have the slightest curiosity to find out, not anymore. The rough, affectionless rubbing on the top of his head could very well have made him lose his balance, were he not so stiffly planted on the ground. Or perhaps it was the stress still making him lightheaded.

He wanted out, he desperately wanted out, the intensity of the feeling increasing each moment passed in which he endured Rio’s touch, but he was frozen in place for a second that felt like an eternity. When muscles were finally able to muster up the strength and courage it took to make a move, the dog flinched back, but was unable to actually move away, the painfully tight grip on the back of his neck preventing him from actually getting anywhere.

And when Rio’s other hand opened to reveal an eerie dark orb, a thing that defied the known laws of nature, that looked like it shouldn’t exist, the dog tried to pull back again, unsuccessfully. With his magic working against him, he was just a weak, skinny dog. And a terrified dog. The darkness the orb gave out was familiar, yet stronger, darker, more twisted. It made him scared instead of thrilled, or perhaps the darkness was the same, but Boy wasn’t, though the dog was too distressed to ponder on it, the underlying growl in Rio’s voice only adding to his terror.

When the hand on his neck dug in and Rio spoke again, the dog squirmed in his grasp, unable to get away, whimpering in pain until it turned into a higher whine. If he were to think rationally, he had no bargaining power, the odds were fully against him and attempts at resisting would be fruitless at best, possibly backfiring at worst. But he wasn’t thinking, he was just reacting. He wouldn’t go for an intentional bite, he was too frightened and too busy trying to writhe away, but he’d try to keep his mouth shut to the best of his strength.

 

[Collidias Rex]

Rawiri Reaves
​

Tagging: Larry silverwhere

---

"Yeah, mate. Take your time." Wiri nodded along slowly, almost absentmindedly as he watched Aódh wolf down his meal. "We've all had a day of it."

Damn that man can eat. Wiri fought a grimace as he watched, using Hatsu as an excuse to takehis eyes off Aódh as Hatsu spoke up.

"Ain't that the half of it." He nodded, firmly this time. "You gonna be okay for boarding? I'm sure Sera will take you in for the immediate future." That was ... not completely honest. Wiri had no doubt that Seraphim would take in Hatsu if he needed a place to stay, especially after his house just burned down ... but Sera was also the kind of person who would house Hatsu for as long as he needed. She was a sweetheart, but a bleeding heart all the same. He didn't relish the thought of dumping Hatsu in Sera's care for too long, because he had no doubt she'd take him in for much longer than just the immediate future. The thing about Marasong was - when sticking around one person for too long, you tended to ... notice things. Wiri figured he'd rather avoid anyone digging too much into Seraphim's life, especially in times like these.

His attention drifted back to Aódh, and to his hesitation just moments before. His eyes drifted between Aódh and his plate, pondering the moment.

"You know Irish," he sighed, "I don't know what you're going through, and ... honestly, you don't have to tell me if you don't wanna. Folks are allowed to have their secrets, and it ain't my place to pry ..." He lingered on his words for a moment, tasting them on his tongue. "... but it's my job to make sure people are safe around here, yeah? So for as long as you're in town, if you ever start feeling like something's wrong and you need anything to help out - hit me up. I'll see what I can do and I won't ask questions."

That was the best he could do. Whatever Aódh had on his mind, he wasn't ready to share. You had to respect folks' privacy while being willing to help out all the same.

That said ...

It was one of those days again, and now that Aódh had calmed down and Hatsu had been secured, his mind drifted back to his truck, and the band of misfits he'd picked up on the way into town. It was one of those days again, after all - he'd have to check in with them, or perhaps his mother to see how things went.

He could only hope it was one of those days, because the alternative would likely be a week long affair.

 

[Britt-21]

Rhyme Silver- Out Of Words


Even though Roje knew Silver had her own bedroom, it was probably best to stick together for a little while. Her reasoning for this was because she had noticed something going on with Silver's shadow on their walk to the rooms. Before Silver could unlock her room, Roje spoke up "Silver, come in this room for now." did she really need to give the girl a reason? Probably not. She looked up and down the hall and landed on her sister for a moment as she opened the door and let them in. The room was cute, definitely gave home-like vibes. Though it wasnt the vampire's first choice when going to an inn. "After all, we do share the bathroom so im sure you'll be able to get into your room from there." she gave her a small smile

Spoiler: Story

Indy was finding it hard to focus on her sister or Silver. As Roje had conversed easily with Seraphim, the words mixed into a muddy white noise as constant hammering of rainfall against the windows abruptly ceased. She took a few hesitant steps forward toward the windows in the lobby, staring out at the pristine streets and unbothered people tucking away their umbrellas. As if something had not just pinched out the downpour like one pinches out a lit match.

She could see Silver was bothered by it as well, the anxiety rolling off the girl in palpable waves as she quietly skittered away, thanked Seraphim and Roje, and hustled up toward their rooms.

Silver could sense it as well, then.

Out of the corner of her eye, Indy could swear she spotted a foggy black tail warping out of the shadow at Silver's side. Indy should say something. Should comfort her, maybe, or at least reassure her that it would be okay. Beth was coming. They could leave soon.

Fuck knew if that was true or not, though, and Indy was too wet and too hollow to lie today.

"Best stick together," she grumbled instead in agreement with Roje. "Even if everyone else is fond of splitting up the fucking party." God knows what the others had gotten themselves into at this point. If Augie was here, chances were they were hunting down their own counterparts from Narnia. Head-first into danger.

Indy followed Roje into the room, allowing Silver to choose whether to join them or not. The fireplace was already lit, green flames licking the edges of smoothed sea glass as Indy fell heavily onto the floor in front of it. Every part of her wished to change, to shed her clothes and morph into her feline form so she could stretch lazily against the warmth and allow it to shelter her.

"Definitely an upgrade from a cage in an underground fortress." Indy's lip twitched in the start of a small smirk as she glanced at Roje, one hand absently rising to rest where the coin lay beneath her shirt.

The very walls themselves felt as if they were crowding Silver, igniting several urgent fires with every door she passed, ringing alarms in her head at the idea of someone coming out and seeing her pass or knocking into them on accident which would imply an interaction to follow suit.

The stairs to the next floor had her wincing at the sound of their footsteps, wondering if they seemed too loud to anyone else or if they could hear the way their clothes shifted as they moved. It was all too loud.

Silver’s eyes flared with amber-gold when Roje addressed her, noticing how she was automatically reaching for the doorknob to her room but not even thinking about the fact that she’d need her key to unlock it. She swallowed a lump of embarrassment, nodding to them both in response just as she caught sight of her own shadow. A wolf, but how? Indy’s words about keeping their more mundane appearance slipped into her mind again and she cursed mentally, wondering how long her shadow had been looking like this for. Had anyone else seen? Did that woman see me?

Pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance, Silver followed them into the well-lit room, the green firelight making her shudder at it’s almost unearthly hue. The rest of the room was homey though. Two decently sized beds along with nightstands and even a chest with a TV perched atop it. The inside of bathroom wasn’t visible since it was tucked into a bit of a hallway but she assumed it would be one of those ‘Jack and Jill’ ones that were still relatively large.

“Underground fortress.. so you remember being underground as well? That was real then, right?” Silver stepped towards the both of them, her shadow growing in size as a result of getting closer to the firelight as well.

“That.. fairy. She did get us out of there as well, she had to be real too, right?” The wolf grew in detail, it’s fur bristled as it stood in a defensive posture. Silver averted her eyes at this, her emotions running amok as she couldn’t quite settle on how to feel. “Sorry.”


Roje moved over to the window, peering outside to have a better look at the surroundings, it was probably obvious she's done something like this before...Being all suspicious "Yeah I don't know about the guys, but it's their funeral honestly." she pulled away and looked over her shoulder, turning her body a bit as she chuckled "Listen, that was a Dungeon. Don't remind me." her eyes then darted to Silver and nodded "I'm not 100% sure about a fairy. Indy and I were practically kidnapped and sent through one hell of a train ride." the vampire made her way to the door and locked it, listening out for a fly on the wall. "For our side, it was hell, from blood, screaming...You get the gist. Very traumatizing."

She began to set up her phone to charge. After all, that thing needed some juice if she were to call more people "I don't think we're where we're supposed to be. Otherwise we'd be right back where we were. On top of that, between the lady at the medical place, and my friend on the phone...it's like we cant talk about our 'special skills'." she used her fingers in quotations to add a little bit of something to the mix.

Silver rolled one of her shoulders uncomfortably, feeling the familiar ache returning into her body the longer she stood away from the firelight. “I’m sure they’ll find their way back eventually. This town isn’t all that big, after all.” From what she’d seen it, Marasong appeared to be a literal ‘small town by the ocean’ unlike what she was used to back in her home state. She tilted her head at Roje’s talk about the dungeon, images of the gentle Minotaur and his meticulously cultivated garden bringing Silver a sense of safety that eased her buzzing thoughts a bit.

“When you say ‘where we’re supposed to be’, do you think there’s some sort of plan in the works?” Crossing her arms, she cast a weary look at her shadow as she added, “There’s something wrong with the way this is all.. coming about. That rain didn’t feel natural nor do the people here seem ‘regular’.” There was something crouched in the shadows of the town, working its way out of every crevice and darkened corner for sure. “I don’t know if you guys noticed but.. that rain is literally gone. There isn’t anything left outside but a few pools of water and nothing even looks damp. It was like an illusion.”

A fairy? Indy glanced at Silver. So they had been in the compound as well, maybe. In some capacity. A fairy—a helpful fairy—would be a departure from any of the horrors her and Roje had been subjected to at the hands of the Coven. Indy would have to try and ask Silver about it later, try to fill in the gaps left between questions still left unanswered as to what the Coven was up to.

Indy dropped to the floor in front of the fireplace, stretching her arms forward as the heat baked into her body. She could feel the exhaustion weigh down her words as she spoke. “We’re not supposed to be here,” she grumbled. “No one ‘special’ is supposed to be here. They don’t believe in it. They preach against it. It’s why I left. Or was taken away. It’s why we have to stay quiet until we can get the hell out.” Indy glanced over her shoulder, sending a pointed look at the ever-growing shadow puppet prowling at Silver’s back. Safe to assume Silver was a shifter as well, then.

She turned back to the fire, pressing her palms against the floor until she heard her knuckles crack. She watched the flames for a second before freezing and turning slowly to Roje. “You called someone? Someone who knows about us?”

"At this point anything is possible, after everything we've seen." She sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned forward, elbows resting on her legs and lacing together. "I don't know what's going on in this place, quite frankly I don't care either. I want to get out just as much as the next person." She replied, trying to figure out what in the hell was going on. However, her sister spoke up and caused her hazel gaze to shift onto her. She was definitely worried about who Roje contacted during their rough times.

"Sounds like we're gonna have to kick some ass if people start coming at us. Not out of the woods yet, that's for sure." Roje was both serious and joking, though wasn't sure how the girls would take it "Yeah, he knows about us. He's a friend from a long time ago...speaking of, his name was practically first in my call list..where as back in the world we did belong to, he wasn't in my recently called. That's another way we could tell we aren't in the place we should be in general." It was a bit frustrating to say the least. They needed to get out but how? Who knew what was outside the walls of this secret place? For all she knew there could be a war between supernaturals.

“They?” Silver murmured but didn’t question further, instead taking a moment to lean back against the wall and close her eyes. Indy’s look told her something was wrong and upon following its direction, she caught sight of the silhouette of a canine sitting behind herself. It was both a comforting and frightening sight considering she might’ve exposed them all on their way to the room they were given.

“How many places do we get dropped into before someone starts answering questions?” She huffed quietly, annoyed for the first time at it all. Perhaps a trip to Tilly’s might be good once they all rested and showered up. “I just hope the people either of you contacted aren’t going to secretly plan something against us, seeing as we’re in a predicament.”

Indy could feel every organ twist into deadlock at Silver’s words. Not at the implication, but at Indy’s immediate hesitation to reassure her otherwise. To reassure her that Beth wouldn’t plan something. It wouldn’t be the first time Indy considered the possibility, though she still refused to stomach it for longer than a second. Part of her didn’t trust Silver either, to be frank. She hadn’t seen the others any time before they were transported back in time, despite Silver implying they had also been with the Coven. For all Indy knew, they could be plants. Or loyal to the Coven. It would explain why they were dealing with fairies while her and Roje were being tortured and forced to sign contracts in their own damn blood.

“We just need to get out,” Indy repeated. The mantra keeping her going. “We need to get out. Beth has smuggled people like us out before, I can convince her to do it again. We get out, and we go our separate ways back to where-ever-the-fuck.” The words were sour, the falsity grating on her tongue. She knew there would be no going back to quiet nights in her apartment and following rich men to find proof of their affairs, not after this. But she could pretend. For a moment, anyway.

Silver could sense the distrust reeking the air from the both of them. The exhaustion crying out in her body melding with the hunger beginning to gnaw at her stomach along with the tossing around between dimensions had caused her to all but forget one simple thing—she didn’t know any of these people. Hell, this had been the first time she’d been away from home without her parents watching her every move. They had every right to cast suspicion on her just as much as she did to them, causing the fur in her wolf’s shadow to begin bristling at the heightened emotions she was beginning to feel.

“I will.. help as much as I can.” She murmured again, her voice cracking slightly at Indy’s words. Separate ways. What way was there for her to even go now? She couldn’t go home nor did she have someone to rely on other than maybe Rhevens but who knows if they’d ever cross paths again knowing this inter dimensional shit. “I’m probably useless in all this, seeing as how I didn’t even know ‘special beings’ existed until that dungeon stuff started, I guess. But I’ll go out on a whim for you, if you have need of it.” Silver chose her words carefully, not because she didn’t trust them but because it was hard for her to admit that she could really offer them no assistance in this time. She’d only shifted recently, had a sparse idea of supernaturals and the world being full of magic and controlling her shifting appeared to be harder than she’d thought even with Raven’s guidance. “I have more faith in you guys than I do in myself, so whatever I can do, let me know.”

Roje could feel the two practically radiating stress. They needed some way to relax and sitting in front of the fire wasn't doing anything. "There was one person I trusted the most, but as far as I know, he isn't here anymore." Reassurance was one of her weak spots but she tried her best at expressing it for the sake of others. Her eyes glanced at the shadow of silver, knowing very well she needed something to calm her down. "Go separate ways just to be tracked down again? I think the fuck not. We need to find out what Is going on. Who knows if the Coven exists in this world or not-" ...the man in her contacts...the lamb chop guy... she gritted her teeth and knew there was a risk to calling that number. "Ah fuck..." She muttered

"Listen, before we start snipping at eachother, how about we start with taking showers. You both need it the most." She recommended "Once you guys get cleaned up and in dry clothes you may actually feel better. Considering how hungry I was, we may stop by the Loving Spoon for your food. You both deserve it." adjusting her position, she got back to her feet and moved over to her phone, taking a look to see if it was charging. Unfortunately, it stopped so she moved the wire about just a little more and eventually got the vibration that it was charging. Though, while it was charging...Should she look through what else her phone had in store?

​