MH - S01 E07

<Darkling> Gramps takes the pipe back from Elisa, sitting back in his rocking chair. You think he's saying something, or maybe just licking his old dry lips, and in the next moment it sounds like thunder crashing all around you.
<Darkling> Elisa falls back on her ass gasping a bit.
Billy_Blackfeather flinches, looking around.
<Darkling> The forest seems to darken around you, winds howling and a distant thunder crashing in your ears again. Gramps takes a puff on his pipe, his face looking like he was carved from stone.
<@Mr_Rage> "!" Izumi draws a deep breath reflexively, eyes darting.
<Avaline> "Really interesting." Ava says absently. "More clarity than I got from my little venture."
Tina_ just stares blankly trying to focus on gramps but finding it difficult to ignore everything else.
<Darkling> Now Gramps is definitely talking, his voice reverberating through your body. What he says is lost in the cacphony and current of the wind as it whips by, tearing the cabin apart before your eyes and simply leaving the trees, rocks and stream.
<Billy_Blackfeather> Ohgodohgod. I'm so sorry for ever doubting you Gramps!
<@Mr_Rage> Despite her clear gaze, Izumi grabs hold of the nearest body, for her stability and theirs. The girl's gaze wanders towards the forest.
<Darkling> A moment later and Elisa is off running for her life, her scream lost between the crashes and booms, her figure disappearing in a swirl of leaves, replaced by a tall looming figure, bent over and barely distinguishable from the trees other than it was moving towards the four remaining girls.
Tina_ trembles and returns Izumi's grasp. She feels ready to bolt with Elisa.
<Avaline> "Damnit Elisa! Get back over here! Some of us have a little experience with this sort of thing!" Avaline calls out.
<Darkling> The girl is long gone by now, and you doubt you could find her if you tried.
<Billy_Blackfeather> Whatever Elisa saw there's no doubt Billy is seeing the same, just barely holding her ground through stubborn determination.
<Darkling> The large crooked figure moves more into sight, seperating itself from the background of trees and swirling leaves. It has the figure of a human, though on spindly legs bent in the wong direction with overstretched arms reaching almost to the ground. It's head was a different matter altogether. Round and covered in leaves and thorns, with curling horns protruding from each side of it's head.
<Avaline> "So you're the boss around here? I greet you." Avaline says to the thing with a smile.
<Darkling> A voice that creaks like old trees do in the wind floats through the torrent of wind. "We are one of the Watchers. Why is it you seek us?"
<Avaline> "We've heard about a curse and that there was a betrayal here. We're hoping to find out what happened and make amends if we can."
Billy_Blackfeather works her jaw but no words want to come out.
<Darkling> It bends over, face coming within inches of Avaline's. Large, coal black orbs for eyes peer into hers, unblinking. "Wrongs have been done hundredfold, ages upon ages. Which do you speak of?"
<@Mr_Rage> "The wrong that curse this girl," Izumi gestures towards Billy, finding her voice.
<Avaline> "Well, your greatness..." Avaline begins, blinking a few times. "Just what Izumi over there said."
<Billy_Blackfeather> "The Blackfeathers," she blurts out, staring up at the thing in awe and terror.
<Darkling> It uprights itself, staring down at Billy, an almost physical force pressing down on her.
Tina_ struggles to find something to say, anything to help the negotiations.  "W-We'll do whatever it takes."
<Darkling> "The price will be tolled on a future date of our choosing, from all involved, present and not."
<@Mr_Rage> "Hmf. I hate doing business with people like me," Izumi mutters.
<Darkling> "While we do not feel as you do, it is mutual."
<Avaline> "Present and not, huh? Interesting."
<Billy_Blackfeather> "Why the curse in the first place? What did we do?" She sounds meek, not the angry Billy they might be used to.
<Darkling> The creature extends a long arm towards Billy."Blackfeather Clan, your woes and troubles are brought about by broken promises made generations before. We stand before you, witnesses of your lien of destruction and disrepair. Undo what can be undone, stop what can be stopped, all can be forgiven."
<Billy_Blackfeather> "...undo what? Stop what? I don't understand."
<Darkling> "Protect the forest, those within it. Danger encroaches, attempts to intrude our realm.Metal and corrosion, disease and rot."
<Billy_Blackfeather> "Why...why the Blackfeathers? Are we all monsters?"
<Darkling> "Protectors of the forest, given gifts no others possess, powers beyond the mortal. Those gifts go misused, stagnant. You curse yourself with lies and sloth."
<Billy_Blackfeather> Looked like some of this stuff was sticking to her, other bits going right over her head.
<Billy_Blackfeather> "Where do I even start?" The force pressing down on her finally had the Native American on her knees.
<Darkling> "Start with the one of us amongst you." The pointing finger moves over to point at Tina.
Billy_Blackfeather looks at Tina.
<Avaline> "Uh... pardon?" She looks at Tina as well, worried.
<Tina_> "Um..."
<Darkling> Another thudnerclap and the gnarled figure is gone, the wrold already seeming to settle down.
<Avaline> Avaline blinks a few times, then sighs. "Times like these and there's only one thing appropriate to say."
<Darkling> The cabin blurs back into focus, and a few leaves fall back to the ground, one landing softly on Billy's forehead. Gramps let's out a lung full of smoke in the shape of a big ring.
<@Mr_Rage> Izumi frowns sharply, folding her arms. "Hmmf."
<Tina_> With the tiniest voice Tina whispers, "What?"
<Avaline> "Guess that's three things. I was thinking fuuuuuuu-"
Billy_Blackfeather sits down and puts her head in her hands.
<Darkling> "mmmm!" You hear some mumbling not far off the porch.
<Avaline> Avaline looks at Gramps, expression growing a bit flat.
<Darkling> Nope, not Gramps. He just smiles at you Avaline.
<Avaline> "..." She puts on a smile, now no longer suspecting the old man of fondling anyone while they were on a vision quest. She looks in the direction of the mumbling.
<Darkling> "Mmm!" That mumble had a bit more intensity to it, and came from a pile of leaves and vines with a hand poking through and some eyes showing.
<@Mr_Rage> "Ah--" Izumi jogs on over to grab for the hand.
<Avaline> "Elisa?" Avaline goes to the leaf pile and starts rummaging around.
Billy_Blackfeather looks over her shoulder, then at Gramps with a searching gaze.
<Darkling> Gramps smiles at you too Billy, but you've known Gramps a lot longer and spent more time with him than anyone. He was thinking something else.
Billy_Blackfeather gets up and hugs the old man, arms tight around his neck.
<Darkling> With a little bit of work you manage to free Elisa from her plant prison. "What the fucking hell was that?!"
<@Mr_Rage> "Bad negotiations. But we have lead, at least."
<Darkling> "Bad negotiations? What does that mean? No. I don't want to know. I need to go home, this is too much." She starts stomping off through the forest, clearly shaken and still delirious.
<@Mr_Rage> "... she be okay. Tough girl."
Tina_ watched Elisa leave with a worried look on her face.  "But,  what if she gets lost?"
<Avaline> "Wouldn't mind going after her."
<Billy_Blackfeather> "I'm going home," Billy says, hands deep in her pockets and shoulders hunched.
<Tina_> "I guess...We'll talk tomorrow at school?"  Tina looked at the others, unsure of herself.  To Avaline and Izumi, "We should catch up to her..."
<Avaline> Avaline nods, running off in the direction of Elisa
<Billy_Blackfeather> "We have a lot of talking to do," She directs at Tina specifically, eyes narrowed.
<Tina_> For the first time she actually looks a bit afraid of Billy.  She runs off after Avaline.
<@Mr_Rage> "Mm." The Japanese girl purses her lips, giving Billy a look. "Remember, hon. Spirits not perfect either." And off she goes.
<Billy_Blackfeather> "Tsk. She's not the one killing people!" She yells at Izumi's back.
<Darkling> ---------------------------