Fantasy Steamhaven: Land of the Lost

[ArcticFox]

Children, for Lianna they were sometimes scarier than werewolves. And a witch child was another thing completely. Two unknowns combined.

"Hello." She tried with a calm voice, but not forcing on a fake smile. This child has been through a lot over the past few days. He did not need her to patronise him as well.

"What is your name? I'm Lianna. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

The boy didn't spare her a glance. Rather, he stared at the wall, eyes stoic. The only indication he heard her was the white-knuckling of his fists, small and bony. He looked older than she remembered. Almost as if the cell itself had sucked the youth right out of him. Then again, it had been a while and she'd seen him from a distance.

- Try again
- Scold him
- Tell him a story
- Bribe him
- Give up
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna frowned, but tried again.

"Maybe I can help you if you help me?' She said, "It can't be that comfortable, here in the cell."

 

[Cartoonicat]

"That's what they told Mum," he said. "But now she's—," his lip began to tremble, voice strained, "—now she's never coming back." What wall the boy had built appeared strong at first glance, but now, as he spoke of the witch who'd been put on trial, Lianna could see the cracks.

- Offer condolences
- Threaten
- Bribe
- Stay silent
- Other
- Leave

 

[ArcticFox]

"I know, I'm sorry." Lianna said. One one side she felt sorry for the child, but on the other he was a witch as well. If given a chance he would grow up into a man that sacrifices humans. Not much better than vampires.

"But, you are still little. And I am a Hunter. Do x5ou know what that is? If i vouch for you, they might even release you." Maybe he was still small enough to be saved.

 

[Cartoonicat]

For the first time, he looked at her. "You're tricking me," he accused with suspicious eyes, palm wiping away the inklings of tears. In doing so, Lianna could clearly see his demon's mark: A crescent moon bisected and encircled by a swerving line. "Hunters don't help people. They're evil."

Brainwashed or not, it seemed the child firmly believed his claims.

- Argue
- Agree
- Bribe something else
- Ask about his mark
- Ask about his mother
- Give up
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"Hunters hunt witches like you, yes." Lianna agreed, "But only to help humans. We are protecting humans from your kind, while you are protecting your kind from us. Who is evil here and who is not is debatable... I'm not even sure any more." She admitted. "Okay, if I manage to convince the people to release you, will you then trust me?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

He eventually nodded, "Okay... but I want to watch." Held out a hand, palm open. "Give me something of yours."

- Agree
- Disagree
- Ask a question
- Leave
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna felt chills down her spine at the request. She had been a subject of way too many supernatural experiments lately. For some reason she seemed to be getting used to it.

"Fine. Here. You can have my cloak." She said unbuttoning it and pushing it through the bars.

 

[Cartoonicat]

The boy scrambled to his feet only to sway with dizziness. He steadied himself on the bars of his cell, one hand gripping Lianna's wrist instinctively before he could fall. As he blinked back his composure, he took the cloak with a small smile and draped it over his shoulders.

Its length dragged on the floor, revealing just how small the boy actually was. He opened his mouth to speak, then paused before sitting back down. The boy concealed his witch's mark within the cloak.

"In hoc fragmen te, et accipies oculis vestris," his eyes turned black, empty, as if there were no eyes there at all. Lianna's skin crawled with the sudden sensation of being watched, right down to her soul.

After a beat, his body spoke outside the spell. "Okay, you can go now."

- Go talk to the receptionist
- Go find the Commissioner
- Go to city hall
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"You better remove the spell when I get you out of there." Lianna said, dead serious. It would be just creepy to have a little boy inside her head at all times.

She left the holding cells and went to the receptionist to ask where the Commissioner might be. Perhaps he might be able to convince him to release the boy into her custody. Although, the last time he released a supernatural into her custody it did not go well.

 

[Cartoonicat]

The receptionist looked up from his notebook again. "Any luck?" He glanced towards the front door to the building. "They aren't back yet. Downtown is quite a mess."

- Ask for the keys
- Ask a question
- Go Downtown
- Go to City Hall
- Do nothing
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"Would you be able to let me take the witch boy with me for questioning?" Lianna asked, hoping beyond hope, "The Hunters are very interested in his particular cult and any new information would be helpful in future endeavours against witches."

 

[Cartoonicat]

The receptionist smiled weakly. "Ahhh, I'm sorry, I don't really have the clearance to do that... Maybe wait here until the commissioner returns?"

- Plead
- Threaten
- Bribe
- Flirt
- Leave
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"The Commissioner knows me, you've seen that he gave me clearance for a visit. And Hunters are hardly anonymous, he will know where to find us if something is amiss." Lianna said, putting on a smile, "Please, with the Downtown in uproar, it is urgent that we get our hands on any supernaturals. This boy's info could save lives."

 

[Cartoonicat]

"City Hall has him scheduled for trial in about 2 and a half hours. It's a very strict protocol," he looked pained to say no. "I'm sorry, but I really can't risk losing this job."

- Threaten
- Bribe
- Flirt
- Attack
- Go Downtown
- Go to City Hall
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"I know, I understand." Lianna nodded, "I will take him to the City Hall myself to be on time for the trial. Who better to take a witch to trial than a Hunter?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

The receptionist chewed his lip, glancing at his desk drawer. "No," he said, opening and grabbing a stack of blank papers. In the drawer beside it sat a keyring. "I cannot use the second largest copper key to help you," his refusal was oddly specific.

He stood. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go fill out this paperwork." He notably left the drawer unlocked before leaving.

- Take the keys
- Go Downtown
- Go to City Hall
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"Of course, you have a job to do." Lianna nodded, getting his message. When he moved away from the table, she would reach for the keys to use the one he indicated to open the boy's cell. How this would come to bite her in butt, she was yet to see.

 

[Cartoonicat]

As Lianna approached the boy's cell, that sense of being watched evaporated. He stood, hand against the wall, with narrowed eyes.

"You tricked me!" He stepped away from the cell door, away from her, nearly tripping on the cloak too large for his small frame. "You told him you would give me to City Hall!"

As it were, Lianna had no amber items on her person, but there were a pair of cuffs on the wall between each cell. She could apprehend him, or try reasoning.

- Reason
- Intimidate
- Apprehend him
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"Shhh, keep your voice down." She said, putting the key in the door, "I had to say something in order to get you out of here. You saw it didn't you? The police really doesn't want you our of here." She looked around, careful that no one was near, then leaned toward the bars, "I'm not going to hand you over, I promised to get you out, didn't I?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

The boy settled begrudgingly. Her words made sense. "You did," he nodded. Stepped towards the cell door with the cloak still draped over him like a child hiding behind curtains during playtime.

The key fit into the slot, unlocking the door with ease. The boy was free.

"Where are we going now?" He made no move to run.

- Home
- The boy's home
- The Hub
- Everett's clinic
- Sophia's boutique
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"Do you have any relatives in town? Friends?" Lianna asked, leading him toward the door. It wouldn't be good to lead him to the Hub, or to her apartment, if she was to hide him at all. Keeping a close eye on the boy, she let him keep her cloak.

 

[Cartoonicat]

"My nan," he said, "but she doesn't like Hunters. She lives Downtown."

Lianna could deal with an angry old witch or find somewhere else to hide the boy.

- Visit his nan
- Go to Sophia
- Go to Everett
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"Okay, maybe later we'll hide you there." She nodded, "But for now... i have someone closer to here that we can visit." She swallowed hard not feeling good about the encounter at all, but Everett would never deny a young boy in danger.