Daryl's Second Session

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10:23 AM As Daryl leaves Nora's office, the rest of the house seems to shake off sleep in unison, the sounds of children waking up their siblings or pushing one another on the way to the bathroom echoing through the halls. A few run past him  on the way to get food, too eager to eat to notice Uncle Daryl's presence. As he passes the double wide doorway, Daryl takes in the dining hall in all its glory. Still as spacious as ever, the large tables are already piled
10:23 AM high with mounds of bacon and eggs, bagels and cereal boxes. Here and there, more of the parents are nursing some coffee as they wait for kids to arrive and prepare to supervise their traditional morning mess making. A couple of Daryl's cousins, Mike and Sal, wave at him, motioning for Daryl to join them.||
10:27 AM
<Olive|Daryl> Daryl nearly stumbles as little Andrew careens into his leg, bouncing off without a look back, intent on reaching the bacon before his sister does.
10:30 AM He makes his way past the chairs and toys on the floor, pulling back a seat next to Mike. "How's the little cannonball doing? He seems pretty happy." ||
10:35 AM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery "Same as ever. I can't imagine having his level of energy, the way he bounces around all day." Mike turns to face Daryl and smiles. "Good to see ya man. Been a while, thought you might have forgotten that we exist. How's Sunny doing?"||
10:37 AM
<Olive|Daryl> ((Is there any reason to believe he said that on purpose?))
10:38 AM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery ((It seems like he's just catching up))
10:38 AM ((You brought up his kid, after all))
10:40 AM
<Olive|Daryl> Daryl's heart skips a moment.
10:41 AM Was Mark mocking him? Had Nora told the whole family what had happened? He'd thought she'd keep it between them.
10:41 AM But no, it must be just a normal turn of phrase.
10:44 AM "She's been bringing friends over recently, the screaming and the squealing were a surprise each time." Maybe she'd been lonelier than usual.
10:45 AM "How have you been, Sal?" ||
10:47 AM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery "Good, good. Ernest has been spending a lot of time with friends after school, tends to leave me with free time, or it would if Nora didn't have something to say about it. Sometimes I think the only reason she raised this family is so she had some errand boys she didn't need to pay!" Sal laughs, boisterously, and Mike joins in.||
10:47 AM ((-||))
10:48 AM → Turncoat joined (uid185268@ealing.irccloud.com)
10:48 AM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery The pair quiets down after a moment, turning their attention back towards the children finally trickling into the room. "But yeah, there's been a lot of politics that Nora wants our help with. I'm sure you've heard the townies talking about the hopes to expand."||
10:51 AM
<Olive|Daryl> "Of course." He worked with a construction company, being able to expand would be a good source of business.
10:52 AM "We would need to expand the living area for them. Lay the groundwork."
10:53 AM "What does she require from you, with regards to politics?" Not his area, but soon it likely would be until he could pass it back to the family. ||
11:01 AM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery A bemused expression crosses Sal's face, tinged with a bit of pity. "Huh. You're really out of the loop, aren't you?" He leans forward, conspiratorially, and glances back and forth to make sure none of the kids are near. "I'm talking about the /Other/ type of politics. You know?" Sal makes a motion with his hands, drawing a line midair as if connecting two points.||
11:08 AM
<Olive|Daryl> "So was I." Didn't you have to be able to speak in double meanings if you wanted to be good at politics?
11:09 AM "I've heard people are being somewhat stubborn recently." ||
11:12 AM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery "More than I'd like. I'm dealing with the council to buy time, Nora's doing her sort of thing. There's only so many ways to filibuster. Mike's doing something to get the approval of... something, I don't know specifics." Sal turns to Mike, whose been listening while watching Andrew stuff his cheeks with bacon on the main table. "Care to shed some light, or is it in the dark for a reason?"
11:16 AM Mike doesn't shift his view while watching over the kids "Nah, just some nasty stuff with one of our campaign's patrons being a bit too liberal with her help. Trying to reign her type of thing in is just a nightmare waiting to happen, especially with Howles breathing down our necks. Taking longer than I'd like, and progress is slow with the other benefactors as well, or so I hear."||
11:19 AM
<Olive|Daryl> Daryl grunts in affimational sympathy. "Who's dealing with the other patrons? I've got an appointment with the Seamstress."
11:21 AM He takes a bite of egg, then jerks his head towards Mike. Swallows. "I'd give you a hand, Mike, but I should be taking care of that first." ||
11:24 AM → nicolasmilioni joined (uid325614@highgate.irccloud.com)
11:27 AM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery "Guess its your lucky day then, Dar. You got an appointment with the problem case that's been bugging me and Nathan." Mike smiles, but it lacks any sort of amusement. "I think Patrick's doing some work with Fishface, and Samantha's got something going on with Birchwood, though god knows how Nora expects her to get in contact. I got no clue on who, if anyone, is dealing with the hydra and Misty, but I don't envy them." Mike chugs his coffee, downing the
11:27 AM dregs of it before standing up. "You wanna come with me now, I can fill you in on the type of problems she's been causing us on the hike over."||
11:28 AM
<Olive|Daryl> "Yeah, sure." Daryl picks up a couple of slices of bacon and wraps them in a slice of bread to go.
11:35 AM "Birchwood, huh. Thought it'd be the one to be left out of negotiations, if any." ||
11:40 AM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery As the duo sets off towards the edge of town, they're swarmed by dozens of O'Sheas heading off to their daily acts, wading through children heading off to Rosewood Peak for the day and rubbing shoulders with others going to work. Mikey seems to consider the remark before replying. "Yeah, I'm still not sold on it, but Nora's kinda forcing the family's hand. Still, if we did it once, we can do it again. Only question is how to do negotiations without
11:40 AM needing a bodybag for the delegate." He grows silent for a moment, before taking on a more hopeful tone. "Still, if anyone can work out an answer, it'd be Samantha."
11:42 AM
<Olive|Daryl> (||?))
11:42 AM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery Once the tide of bodies finally wanes, the duo makes their way through the ramshackle edges of Shepherd's Rock, past half abandoned warehouses and squatter filled apartments. The air grows humid and warm as the sun continues to rise, and as they make their way to the docks, Mikey motions Daryl over to a small pontoon boat, its casing cracked. "Seamstress made this as our gift back to shore, so here's our ride back to her. You ready?"||
11:42 AM ((Now done))
11:43 AM
<Olive|Daryl> "Let's go." No, he was not ready.
11:45 AM Like trying to find a hidden picture, like divining the center of balance, like the final note in a song. Daryl Opens his eyes. ||
11:51 AM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery The world takes on another color, the lights of the day ever more vibrant, with bright saccharine hues of green and blue accentuating the foggy mist of day. Objects in Daryl's Sight lose their solidity, their nature held in place by linking mesh structures of singular lines drawing into shapes. The vectorscape condenses, then shifts outward, lining the world in blues and blacks. In this view, the true nature of the boat reveals itself; Cracked plastic
11:51 AM and metal were reshaped, entirely replaced by a cocoon like structure, interlinking itself in a woven thread so thin and intricate that it defies comprehension. The threads quiver, as if alive, and shift lightly in the breeze. A singular thread leads outward from the cocoon, smaller than a silkworm's hanging thread, disappearing deeper within the swamp.
11:54 AM Mikey turns Daryl, then motions to the canoe next to the pontoon, somehow diminished in the presence of the pontoon. "Nathan should already be there, he left earlier to try and get a sense of her limits; breaking the convention, trying to trip her up, seeing if he can get her to show any sort of desire other than her normal routine. I'll be point man, you do the rowing. Just follow my directions, or who knows what'll be out there." Mikey gets into the
11:54 AM boat, sitting up towards the bow, then holds it steady against the dock for Daryl to get in.||
11:57 AM
<Olive|Daryl> "Risky." He clambers in as well, and fishes out the oars that had gotten wedged against the sides.
11:58 AM "If she doesn't relent from the norm, what are we authorized for?"
11:59 AM The oars cut in smoothly, the rowing easy. Like he'd done this forever. ||
12:03 PM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery Mikey snorts, "We're authorized to do anything, Dar. Its Nora, she's not gonna care how we get results so long as we get them. Only problem is, the Seamstress is the same as ever. Offers gifts, offers answers, offers solutions, whatever you need. Never asks for anything though, so we can't make a deal, we can only take stuff, and you saw the boat; they're all like that. Cursed stuff, broken options, traps. Unless she stops giving stuff, we can't really
12:03 PM get her to do what we need her to, nor offer something in exchange."||
12:06 PM
<Olive|Daryl> "Maybe she's just a generous soul," Daryl replies blandly. Fat chance.
12:06 PM "Has anyone ever tried threats, and what happened to them?" ||
12:07 PM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery "Have you met the Seamstress, Daryl, or just heard the stories?"||
12:11 PM
<Olive|Daryl> "I've just heard the stories. She's never been someone I've wanted to interact with. Used to think of her when I was a kid, when I really wanted something. 'Is it worth it...' sort of thing." Daryl spits over the side. "It's never been worth it so far." ||
12:13 PM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery Mikey looks out over the water more, guiding the pair along. "Once you meet her, you'll see why we can't threaten her. Trust me, if it was an option, we'd have tried it."||
12:17 PM
<Olive|Daryl> Daryl sighs and leans back, peering at the sun in vectorspace. One of the most powerful spirtual entities out there. Even now the unawakened still prayed to it.
12:19 PM And even it was often interdicted by the Mist.
12:19 PM What would he do if she offfered to give his memories back? ||
12:24 PM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery "We're here." With those words, Mikey moves towards the back of the boat, letting Daryl take in the Seamstress' home. At a glance, it seems like a quaint little shack in the bayou, complete with a fenced garden filled with flowers. As they draw closer, however, the shack starts showing discrepancies. Like the fact the house, garden and all, is hanging in midair. Or the fact all the flowers in the garden act in the same way when exposed to wind, turning
12:24 PM in the same direction regardless of what direction the air blows in from. Or the fact all the branches of the surrounding trees have the exact same pattern, the exact same fractals, as if the same tree grew a half-dozen times.
12:28 PM Under the sight, these discrepancies become exacerbated, their natural appearance twisting into strings of colored threads, akin to the ones that formed the boat. The strings fill the place of every surface within a dozen feet of the shack, replacing wood, grass, leaves, and even animals with themselves. The water, as Daryl looks down, takes on a similar texture to the strings, until it becomes clear that everything in the area is made of these strands,
12:28 PM rather than natural materials. They sway lightly, clinging to any surface they can find, wrapping into and against the boat, drawing it in even without Daryl's rowing. Soon, the pair are marooned within the strand-filled clearing, entangled by tiny threads that cling to anything they can touch. As one draws against Daryl's bare skin, an inclination hits him, a desire to draw closer to the shack, to enter through the door, without paying any attention to
12:28 PM things in his way. A desire to get his wish made a reality.||
12:29 PM ((Paused until Olive gets back))
12:38 PM ⇐ Druza (was Druz|Alexander), nicolasmilioni, Ryneron, Turncoat and Olive|Daryl quit  •  Thaydean → Thay|Shaula
Monday, November 12th, 2018
12:09 AM → Druza joined  ⇐ Thaydean (was Thay|Shaula) quit
4:09 AM → Ryneron, Turncoat and Olive|Daryl joined
11:08 AM
<Olive|Daryl> Daryl moves his arm away from the thread, choosing to not tug on it to announce their presence. If the witch wasn't already aware of them, she would be once they knocked on the door.
11:10 AM He continues to row, starting to grind and glide over the mud, less water beneath the boat.
11:10 AM More poling than rowing now.
11:11 AM He gives Mikey a nod. ||
11:16 AM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery Mikey grimaces, pushing away some threads that cling to his own clothes. "Always hate this part; feels dirtier than the water. Least its over once we get in. Mind you step."
11:29 AM Once the boat reaches the shore of the shack, Mikey steps out, climbing up the thicker threads until he can stand in the faux garden. "Stuff clings to you, acts like her doorbell. Like I said, she isn't aggressive, not not in that sense." He turns, and reaches out a hand to help Daryl out of the boat. "You coming?"||
11:32 AM ((Mind your* step))
11:33 AM
<Olive|Daryl> Daryl climbs out, foot slipping a bit in the mud. The right twist of his foot would have solved that, but might be taken as a sign of aggression. Better wait until necessary before trying to claim part of her area.
11:33 AM This wasn't the right time to talk, this wasn't the right place. Her threads were everywhere, any important conversation could be a sign of weakness.
11:34 AM Or a hook. But again, that could wair until necessary.
11:36 AM He claps Mike on the shoulder before heading up to the door. He brushes his knuckles across the threads that make up his sight, feels normal wood under his fist.
11:36 AM Knock knock. ||
11:40 AM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery The knock feels soft against Daryl's hand, the door giving way a bit too easily. The door makes no noise from the outside, almost as if he knocked against a quilt. Despite this, after a second, the echoing sound of knocking reverberates within the shack, the sound repeated over and over, growing louder with each tap. When the crescendo builds so much that the noise is almost deafening, even from outside the shack, it ends, just as abruptly as it stops.
11:40 AM The door before Daryl breaks apart, shredding into threads until rows of strands lie in the place of wood, dangling from the doorway. They brush aside, abruptly, and reveal an almost picturesque house within. The room is sparse, but well kept, complete with a living room and kitchen area.
11:40 AM ((roll wits))
11:40 AM ((Add +1 to survey))
11:42 AM
<Olive|Daryl> $roll 1d6+1 Survey
11:42 AM
<[ATM]> ATM Olive|Daryl "Survey" [4] +1 = 5
11:44 AM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery As far as Daryl can tell, Mikey was right about it being more materials than outside. The interior of the shack seems solid, the wood real under both regular and enhanced sight. As Daryl stands in the doorway, Mikey brushes by him, walking behind a corner. "She's up here," he says, pointing Daryl towards a spiraling staircase upwards into the house. "Nathan should already be with her. Come on."||
11:46 AM
<Olive|Daryl> He follows quietly, not much to say yet. It was unlikely that he'd have some sudden insight that generations of O'Sheas had missed. The Seamstress was ancient. Even so, he'd listen and watch, and act at the correct time.
11:47 AM ||
11:53 AM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery As Daryl and Mikey head up the stairs, Daryl notices that their footsteps seem to be off somehow, the sound coming a bit too late, as if being followed by something else rather than making the noise themselves. At the peak of the staircase lies a small door, more of a crawlspace than an entry. Mikey opens it, motioning Daryl to follow him within. As Daryl does, he emerges to find a spacious attic, much larger than the outside of the shack implied. A
11:53 AM single window sits directly across from the doorway, streaming in the light of day onto the scene. The room is bare, much more barren than anything else in the house so far, the only sign of personal touch being the occupied chair in front of the window and the occupant of the chair, a statuesque heavyset woman, her face caked in makeup and hair forming curls lightly falling to her shoulders. The woman wears a light blue ballgown, swaying in a way that
11:53 AM makes Daryl feels uncomfortable. Next to her, Daryl can make out his cousin Nathan, the two talking about something in rushed tones, but the only term Daryl overhears is "borderline" before the woman takes note of their arrival.
12:02 PM The woman stands up, and Daryl realizes that what he mistook as an antique rocking chair were in fact the haunches of the woman herself, thin and spindly like a spider's legs. Her ballgown similarly splits with the movement, revealing itself as strips of fabric placed in front of her gigantic legs that shift back and forth as she moves. The woman saunters over and Daryl takes in her gargantuan stature, easily twice Daryl's own height. She bends down,
12:02 PM looking towards Daryl at eye level. "Oh, a new visitor for little ol' me? How lovely of you to come. I trust you made the trip alright?" The woman speaks with a southern twang, the saccharine sweetness of her voice akin to dripping honey, accompanied by an acoustic echo of itself, as if two voices were trying and failing to speak in unison. The woman blinks, and Daryl makes out that what he took for eye sockets were in fact encasing her true eyes, 4
12:02 PM little beady orbs closing and opening out of sync.||
12:09 PM
<Olive|Daryl> "The trip was short and calm, Seamstress. I'm Daryl O'Shea, may our meeting be beneficial to us all." He expects an echo of his own, matching the late footfalls.
12:09 PM He reviews what his family knows about the spider in his head.
12:10 PM Spiders tended to have a special place in mythology, being planners, plotters. Wisdom and creativity and cruelty and forethought. It fit her quite well.
12:10 PM But then there was her human half. How human was she?
12:11 PM ||
12:15 PM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery The expected echo never comes, his own voice not even reverberating to his ears. Its as if his words are swallowed up by the house. "Well aren't you just a daarling gentleman." The Seamstress seems unchanging in her voice, each syllable sharing the same tone, yet repeated again in tandem. "Can I get you anything? Tea, perhaps? Maybe some crumpets? You seem a bit on the thin side, dear. I could help with that."
12:16 PM Mikey lets out a cough, gaining the Seamstress attention. her head swivels on her neck, her body still facing Daryl while she looks at Mikey. "Actually, ma'am," Mikey says, "he's here with us. Discussing the border situation." He turns towards Daryl, non-verbally egging him to respond.||
12:23 PM
<Olive|Daryl> He nods. "I appreciate the offer, ma'am," he knew what it was worth, "but I'm not here for tea. I'm here to support the family, one way or another."
12:24 PM He cuts his eyes over to Nathan. "What were you saying when we came in?"
12:25 PM The patterns could wait for a bit. ||
12:29 PM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery "I was just asking our... host here what she'd be willing to take in exchange for increasing the town's protective borders. She's still as fucking generous as ever." Nathan sounds exasperated, his voice tired and resigned. The Seamstress swivels her head once more, looking at Nathan. "A true lady would never be so rude as to accept a trade for her services. I simply wish to give you what you ask, my dear. If you accept, you shall easily expand the
12:29 PM borders of the town, with my protective guidance."
12:32 PM Nathan smiles, bitterly. "And I'm asking for a cost rather than a free gift. I truly find that such a burden must ask for payment of a sort, lest you are left without reparations." The two continue, The Seamstress refusing to negotiate time after time, as Mikey walks over to Daryl. "She's always like this. Won't accept anything for her gifts, and we can't break that sweet ladylike demeanor she's so intent on displaying. You got any ideas?"||
12:34 PM
<Olive|Daryl> Well yeah. Ask.
12:38 PM Daryl coughs, taps on the table. "Seamstress, if I may, why wouldn't you accept our payment? Wouldn't we be rude ourselves if we always relied upon your generousity?"
12:39 PM ||
12:40 PM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery ((What table? The room's empty except for the Seamstress and the two of you))
12:40 PM ((3*))
12:40 PM
<Olive|Daryl> ((Ah, oops. Maybe a tap on the floor.))
12:45 PM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery The tap is silent, before the noise returns a second after it is made. The Seamstress once again swivels her head, looking down at Daryl. "Why, my dear, generosity is the virtue of being a true lady. When a gentleman asks for something, and the ask is within a lady's power to make it happen, no lady should refuse the opportunity to be proper. Surely your mother taught you as much, no?"||
12:47 PM
<Olive|Daryl> "Of course. I would come with her as she went around to her ladies, bringing baked goodies to those who might find it comforting."
12:49 PM "She would make sure that I was aware of their feelings, as sometimes the recipients would be going through hard times, and they might be too self-respecting to accept her help.
12:52 PM "In those cases, she would never be rude enough to turn down their attempts to return the favor, and make them ashamed of their current state of need."
12:53 PM Daryl leaves that in the air, or would if the words didn't feel sucked out of it as soon as they left his mouth.||
1:00 PM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery "My dear, your mother taught you well. Truly, you understand a gentleman's role. However, I am afraid that you compare me to here in a far too flattering light. I am not so generous as to make offers to those who do not seek me out themselves. I have found, much as your mother did, that such may offend those in need, to be seen as such by society." The Seamstress pauses, looking around. "Like you all, I too know the pain of being in need, and as such I
1:00 PM do not seek to indenture those who are in need further by imposing upon them my own assistance. Thus, I allow those who seek my aid to come visit, as you have, and ask for my aid if they so desire. Though you seem to find my generosity too great, I am not so rude as to impose it with a cost."||
1:01 PM ((Compare me to her*))
1:12 PM
<Olive|Daryl> "And what cost would that be, if what you would gift was traded to us by someone not as generous as yourself? We are attempting to speak with our other Patrons, and we would like to be properly grateful. Birchwood in particular is being hard to negotiate with." Weren't Mikey and Nathan even doing now, weren't they supposed to be taking point? ||
1:16 PM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery Nathan and Mikey seem interested in Daryl's attempts, watching from the wings, ready to step in should the need arise. The Seamstress considers the question, thinking for a moment, her eyes never leaving Daryl's face. "What you ask is no less than the marriage of an Other to this town, and a promise of increasing this domain through them. To each you ask, you say that their connection should be even more indebted to this place, and their help ever more
1:16 PM forthcoming."
1:19 PM "I know little of the other Patrons values of such an act, and of their desires to tie themselves so utterly to this place. I know simply of my own values of this, and what you ask could not be compared in value except by the offering of your own hand in marriage to somewhere that neither loves you, nor cares for you, only your value. It would be akin to that loveless marriage and never leaving your abode, forever enraptured within it. Would you know
1:19 PM that experience, yourself?"||
1:22 PM
<Olive|Daryl> Daryl did not know. "I'm unaware of what it would be like to be in a loveless marriage." He would have gotten married for the family if they desperately needed it, but most of them had married for love and comfort, he was likely the same. Right?
1:28 PM "Someone as generous as you've been to our city's inhabitants mgiht not have as much to fear from becoming indebted to them as the others, of course, but I'm quite curious as to why you offered your metaphorical hand in the beginning? Is there not hope of more love to be given to you?"
1:28 PM Was this why she insisted on being so giving? To lessen her debt so she could leave? ||
1:35 PM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery "The first pledge was made not to a practitioner, but to an Other; my Other half. My gentleman and I pledged in unison, for we believed that our time together would be worth the cost, together for so long as the town stood. For a time, that was all I hoped for, all I dreamed of, and it was everything I imagined it to be. Then, our union departed, through no will of our own, but by the bindings we began. Another of our kind left, and in filling in his
1:35 PM absence, I fear that my Other half may soon follow suit, no longer fully tied by our love and our bond to the town. The pact has been soured with his loss, and the loss of our love. I offer to aid you to honor the love he and I once shared, and to be the lady he knew me as."
1:39 PM "If he is to leave, I am unwilling to stay my hand until his return, entangled to this place as I once was. I continue to offer the aid you use and seek more of out of love, and to expand it further holds no love, only eternal solitude. I grant you that out of his memory, but to take anything in kind is too painful a reminder of the losses I suffered."||
1:41 PM ((-||))
1:44 PM "An Other half?," Nathan speaks, no longer content to stay quiet. "But I was under the impression only 5 Patrons made the first deals." The Seamstress turns to him, "Only 5 did, and only 5 remain. The groups are not complete, not as they once were. My gentleman fills in the missing pieces."||
1:55 PM
<Olive|Daryl> "Would it be rude to ask who your gentleman is? Perhaps something could be done to make your generousity less of a burden. I would not wish to ask you to enter a loveless union." Her way of speaking was so opaque, so lacking in details. ||
2:02 PM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery "I no longer know what name he uses, not since we parted. The pact we made has splintered our bond, loosened our connection. While once were once inseparable, so close as to be one, even by your standards. Now, we exist apart, and I cannot act without a worry of his current place. I only know that he still supports the bond after all this time, protecting this town by his own power, just as we did together upon its founding."
2:03 PM ||
2:08 PM
<Olive|Daryl> "Do I understand correctly? You and your gentlemen together used to be one fifth of Shepherd's Rock's Patrons, and one Patron has left us and he took its place. Was your union broken, loosing that Patron, or was it its dereliction of duty that which broke your union?" The Angler, likely. One Other, that which baits the hook and that which draws it in? |||
2:14 PM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery "You understand the situation correctly. I am unsure what caused the fracturing of our bond as Patrons, but I know that it was our fifth's departure that sealed the separation." An emotion begins to play across The Seamstress voice, a harsher overtone than anything Daryl had heard from her before. "His departure should not go unrebuked. Not for what he caused." A harshness fills the room, the walls themselves seeming to shake, becoming more angular. Just
2:14 PM as suddenly as the effect started, it stopped, leaving the room the same as it had been. Nathan and Mikey seem guarded after the theatrics, drawing into stances. Wary.||
2:22 PM
<Olive|Daryl> "Can you describe the one who left? A name, a form, a substance? And should we bring back the renegade, or recruit a new Patron, could your union be returned to what it was? The form of threads is meant for binding." Next stop would likely be with the Angler, to flesh out this story. ||
2:25 PM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery The Seamstress opens her mouth, but what comes out is not her voice, but a male one, emotionless. The voice sounds regal, akin to a king, and speaks without emotion.
2:26 PM A time that began and holds on strong
2:26 PM in the day dark or dusk sent back by the gong
2:26 PM In the few solemn nights filled by silent throngs
2:26 PM In unbidden memories whose grip is still strong
2:26 PM In all these things does the Eponach belong
2:26 PM In half-held dreams of what lies beyond
2:26 PM In unfound hope and yet made bonds
2:26 PM In what’s yet to come and what’s long gone
2:26 PM In tunes yet made and the past-prime song
2:26 PM It is to him that all these belong
2:28 PM The Seamstress voice returns, a hint of tiredness in the doubled speech. "This is all I know of the fifth. I do not know if the union could be reforged, or the Patron recalled. I only know of Eponach's role as a Patron, and that he dismissed it to place the burden upon one of us."||
2:31 PM
<Olive|Daryl> Daryl nods. They've found what she wanted.
2:37 PM "Mikey, Nathan, could you step outside for a moment? I've got some personal business I'd like to discuss. We can continue discussing the pact tomorrow." ||
2:38 PM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery "Uh, sure..." Mikey motions to Nathan, and the two step downstairs, their footsteps echoing up to the room. "You have further business, dear?" The Seamstress looks towards Daryl, interested. "What can I offer you now?"||
2:44 PM
<Olive|Daryl> "Was it your partner who now trades in heartbreak and broken connections? If you would take a deeper look at me, you might see something that could be his handiwork." He waits for a moment. "What do you see?" ||
2:48 PM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery The Seamstress blinks her faux eye sockets, their entire eyelids covering all 8 of her smaller eyes. "I see... shredding. Something torn, rather than cut or sliced apart. A loss, taken by something with power, and done forcefully, not by something precise." The eyes open, her gaze fixed on Daryl. "The damage was done by something strong enough to tear, not by something skilled enough to tear."
2:49 PM "Whoever did this, I can hardly say, but know this: It was not my partner's work. The job done here is too crude and unrefined, like attempting to cut butter with a butcher's knife. It lacks expertise, else the actual connections would be gone, not just snapped."||
2:52 PM
<Olive|Daryl> Snapped. "Thank you. My own wife was taken from me, I think. I found womens' clothes in my closet, found makeup in my cabinets. I hid it from my child in time, she doesn't remember anyone either. Hopefully she's not too spiritually scarred."
2:53 PM Marriage documents smudged, photographs faded or looking in the wrong direction.
2:53 PM He didn't even rememeber her name.
2:53 PM ||
2:57 PM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery The Seamstress bends down, crouching as she had when Daryl first walked into the room. With one hand, the Seamstress draws Daryl in close, holding him to her chest. The embrace is soft, warm, like being grabbed by a cloud. "I am sorry for your loss, my dear. And for your daughter's loss as well. I know too well the pain of losing the closest thing in your life, without knowing what's missing from the holes." The Other ends the hug, abruptly, drawing back
2:57 PM to full height. "I wish you luck in finding her, for both your sakes."||
2:59 PM
<Olive|Daryl> He nods. He wishes there was a sense of loss, regret. He wishes there was an emotional pull on him.
2:59 PM He wishes he mourned.
3:00 PM "I'll try to be there for her." He looks away for a moment.
3:03 PM Ryneron → Ryn|Delilah
3:04 PM
<Olive|Daryl> "Nora sent me to investigate why my family might be forming strong habits, falling into their life's ruts. I might be somewhat less susceptible thanks to my mauling. Perhaps because of mine own being disrupted. Would you have an idea why that might be happening?" ||
3:11 PM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery The Seamstress looks towards the window, out towards the town. "Freedom and release has always been a part of Shepherd's Rock. It was what the founders wanted, a way to escape their lives, their past, their futures. To live in the present. The Patrons you know, we were asked to join specifically, to be the ones to make that dream of escape a reality. The ones who could keep out the past and preserve the future." The Seamstress turns back, looking at
3:11 PM Daryl. "You already can see the pact we made, my dear, and its results. Some of us have shed our faults and our duties, while others have broken under the stress. There are those like Scuttlebeak, who spread their power out, upset by the cage they once prized as their own, and others like Shadria, who feel a drive to do more and more as time goes on. But the deal has taken its toll on all of us. The cracks are forming in our abilities, how much we can
3:11 PM cover, and the pact does not seem long for this world."
3:16 PM "Perhaps these habits are your family's way of coping, or the contract's own conditions. A freedom from a future without protection by preserving the present you have, even as the walls come tumbling down. A final, desperate solution to cling to the dream of escape if the reality is unobtainable. Perhaps this is just a sign of the town coming to a close."||
3:18 PM
<Olive|Daryl> The end of an era? He sighs. He'd have to recommend to Nora to not only not expand, but to retract the amount the Mist covers. Only the ones who truly need it could keep it, perhaps.
3:23 PM "Well this is gonna be a tough sell to the family. I guess we'd either need to figure out how to lighten the load on you, or we'd better start packing our bags. Thank you so kindly for this conversation, it was lovely meeting you." Was he supposed to hug her? ||
3:25 PM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery "Before you go, I have a request, if you would be willing to accept my time for your own?" The Seamstress pauses, looking intently at Daryl's eyes. Staring him down.||
3:31 PM
<Olive|Daryl> "What can I do for you? I'd be happy to help." Dangerous to accept, less dangerous to admit willingness. Least dangerous to hear her out first. Even so, he owed her, and felt the debt. ||
3:34 PM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery "If you do encounter my Other half, let him know I have told you about Eponach. His own knowledge exceeds mine in relation to problems and failings. Perhaps he may know of the 5th's whereabouts, or how to hunt it down." The Seamstress scurries back to where she was when Daryl first entered the room, in front of the window. "I wish to see him suffer for what he has done to us."||
3:39 PM
<Olive|Daryl> "I will."  Darly nods at her and turns to go. "I'll see what I can do. Good day to you, ma'am." ||
3:40 PM
<•Forge|GM> Forgery "A good day to you, my dear. Do say hello to Nora for me. Ask her how the mist curls recently. She'll know what I mean." The Seamstress smiles, then bids Daryl to take his leave, turning back to the window and gazing outward towards the town.||
3:42 PM
<Olive|Daryl> He heads downstairs to where his cousins are waiting.
3:43 PM So, Shepherd's Rock's protectors are failing, changing, chomping at the bit.
3:44 PM Something would have to be done. ||||