<~Daeren|Storytelling> Last time, the motley realized that Harrison and Angler had had a nocturnal visitor while they slept, and had horrible dreams of dark figures in the woods. When they gathered together, Harvey wasn't there, and he did not answer his phone.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Fearing the worst, they went to investigate his store/home, and realized he was out, along with clues pointing to the fact he may have been heading to the Goblin Market, or at least the mundane store nearby. The group pulls up next to the store, and can see a bored looking clerk within.
<Willis> "What it this place?"
<Angler> "The entrance to the Market is here."
* Freya_Eldr allows Angler to take the lead, him being the one who could get them in. "It is a place where you might acquire what comes from the other side of the thorns."
* Angler stretches a little after that time cooped up in the car, glancing down to check that her outfit has, yes, three purple components - and she's a she, at the moment.
<Willis> "Huh. How interesting. I should...remember...this.."
* Angler looks between the bridge and the florist's shop, pausing.
<Freya_Eldr> "Is there an issue?"
<Willis> "What...are we here for again?
<Angler> "Hnn, we should stop in there first..."
* Angler looks over at Willis, eyebrows going up. "Finding where Harvey went."
<Willis> "Oh."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The storefront reads "Stephen's Floral Arrangements." Seems like a nice enough place, cleanly and with quite a beautiful arrangement of numerous kinds of plants in the windows. You can see the attendant with his head in his hand, drumming his fingers on the counter and staring into space.
* Willis walks in, admiring the pretty flowers.
* Freya_Eldr keeps a close eye on Angler as they go in.
<Angler> "Hello! I heard there was a sale going on?" She's still in the three purple items, though it's not a loud enough signal to really get the attention of somebody who doesn't already know what it means.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The attendant seems to snap out of his reverie, looking up with a bored look on his face and a thousand-yard stare. "Hmm? Oh, yeah. Right. Welcome to Stephen's Floral Arrangements, I'm Chuck, can I help you?"
<Willis> "Do you sell Petunia seeds?"
<~Daeren|Storytelling> "Oh right, the rare stuff. 'Few people have taken a good deal of the stock but there's still some left." He turns to Wallis. "Sure, I think. Should be over there." He waves lazily to a corner.
* Willis heads over to the corner, searching for Petunia seeds. "Also, do you have any pots? And any decent soil?"
* Angler waits attentively to be led whereever 'the rare stuff' is, hands folded primly against her middle.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> He ducks behind the counter for a moment, and lifts up a large tray with several baskets and containers. "Dude, this IS a flower shop." He refers to Wallis.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The baskets contain what are most definately Goblin Fruit.
* Willis picks some petunia seeds, a vase, and gets some soil. "I'd like to purchase these."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> He points to what appear to be some sort of vine-covered pears. "Some sorta rare apple genus or whatever, you folks know more about this than I do. I'm just hired help, I don't know." It's pretty apparent they look like pretty boring normal plants to him.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> He nods, and rings up the purchase.
<Angler> "Huh, interesting stuff..." Angler browses through the baskets.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> "Man, you must have a good eye for these. They just look like stuff at the grocer's."
* Willis puts his thin arm into his pocket and pulls out some bills from 1946.
* DiceMaid-9001 (DiceMaid-9@sux-EADD5C74) has joined #Legends
<Willis> "Do these work?"
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The man looks the bills over. "Damn, wonder how these are still in circulation."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> He rings up the order anyways and gives you some bills back. They look pretty odd to you (they're modern.)
<Willis> "Thank you."
* Freya_Eldr leans against the counter beside Angler, more interested in Willis and making sure Angler didn't ear any plants than the goblin fruit.
* Freya_Eldr points casually towards one of the ones that might be for healing. "How much?"
<~Daeren|Storytelling> He looks at them. You can practically hear the gears in his head grinding as he tries to remember. "Oh yeah, seven bucks for those." He points to the other three varieties, which are 5 dollars, 9 dollars, and 15 dollars per, respectively.
<Angler> "Oh, ah, have you seen a guy come around, 'bout this tall, kinda big..." Her hands trace in the air to roughly outline Harvey.
* DiceMaid-9001 is now known as Jessie
<~Daeren|Storytelling> He blinks slowly. "Yyeeah. I think so. Big black dude? He came in, asked buncha questions about the rare stuff, bought some of it, then left."
* Jessie is now known as DiceMaid-9001
<Angler> "Any idea where he might have gone to?" She leans forward over the counter a littler cutely.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> He blushes slightly. "Well, he didn't have a car. But he did turn to the left when he went out of the shop, he seemed like he was in a hurry."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> "You know the dude?"
<Angler> "Mmm-hmm. He's a friend of mine." Angler grabs a few of the goblin fruits. "I'll get these..."
<Angler> Two healing ones and one of the $9 ones.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> You pick two of the thorny pear things and what appears to be a blob of blood in a thin membrane. He rings them up for you.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> "That all for ya?"
* Angler nods, expression twisting a little like she'd like to get more but can't afford it...
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The expression goes whizzing over the head of the attendant. It seems pretty clear you need to be about as tactful as a sledgehammer to get anything across to this guy.
* Willis heads outside, puts some soil in the pot, and places 3 seeds in the soil. He then waters it.
* Freya_Eldr follows Willis outside. "May I inquire as to why you plant here?"
<Willis> "I'm going to try and give some life to these plants. The sooner, the better.
* Angler lingers inside a little, though after a few more moments she heads outside after the others.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The attendant waves lazily, then puts the plants back away and goes back to staring out the window, druming his fingers.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Willis waters the plant with care and lays his hands on the soil, and flowers suddenly start growing out from the soil. It's like watching a time-lapse, only it's occuring before your eyes. The plants stop growing at their peak of health, brightly vibrant petals reaching for the sun.
* Willis looks caringly at the flowers.
<Angler> "We should check in the Market... and I don't understand who would give an idiot like that goblin fruits."
* Freya_Eldr hmms to herself. "A burst of life for the greens? Keep them away from the shifting one." She gives Angler a small smile, before nodding more gravely. "Lead the way, velvet queen."
* Angler lets out a pleased little laugh at that title, hooking her thumbs into her pockets as she heads over towards the bridge and the Market's entrance.
<Willis> "That fellow was a temp, I think. He probably doesn't know a thing about what they do there."
* Willis continues staring at the flowers.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Angler steps under the bridge and sees the familiar scratch marks on the wall, signifying the clothes (|||), the color ('P'), and the amount of knocks (||)
* Angler gestures for the others, leaning a little against the wall (where the door isn't).
* Freya_Eldr follows Angler, leaning against the wall with her.
* Willis heads over, and starts digging a hole in the ground. He carefully removes the plant, and places it in the hole. He smiles. "I can make the world beautiful."
* Willis walks over to the others, and leans on the wall, even though he has no idea what he is doing.
* Angler rolls her eyes a little, shifts over, and knocks twice.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The bricks rumble, and one suddenly...shifts. It becomes a dense tangle of thorny vines, which move aside. Two yellowed, cat-like eyes peer out, and look the three of you over. "Yeah, get in." It grumbles in a phlegmy voice. Bricks in the shape of a door turn into vines and move aside, revealing the familiar green glow of an entrance to the Hedge.
* Angler shuffles inside, gesturing for the others to follow.
* Willis follows, wearing a goofy smile.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Freya enters as well, and the vines seal shut behind you. You can see what looks like a twisted reflection of the street you were just on, only the storefronts are made of vines, thorns, brambles and leaves, Store names written in languages you can barely understand, and bizzare creatures walking the "street." The area is lit by pulsating bioluminescent goblinfruit "lamps" on the sides.
* Willis coos. "Beautiful."
* Angler half-bows respectfully to the hob who opened the entrance, and stretches a little as her mien blooms into pearlescent reflectivity, all in fractal patterns.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Behind you is a Hob, typical for its species (if such a thing can be said of Hobs), a short, disgruntled little thing that watches you with a keen, appraising eye. Whether its viewing a potential customer or a potential commodity, you can't tell.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> It sneers at you and speaks in a thick accent, which you can only pin down as something resemblant of a british isles-type accent, but profoundly different somehow. "Well, if y're gonna buy something, git moving, and quit wastin me time."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> It hocks a wad of phlegm and spits, the wad sprouting into a tiny vined plant as it hits the ground, which it stomps on and grinds into dust.
<Angler> "Aye." Angler starts in among the shops, expecting the others to follow.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> As you meander down the road, you can hear vendors shouting their wares, from such things as 'mundane' Goblin Fruit, "rare elixers made from the dreams of babes! Guarenteed to soothe the greatest nightmare!"
<~Daeren|Storytelling> And other, more esoteric and strange things.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> As you walk though, the one omnipresent thing is the feeling of a thousand eyes upon you, as every vendor locks their greedy view upon you, sizing you up, watching you, accounting everything you do.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> It's uncomfortable, to say the least. You never quite get used to the feeling, no matter how many times you visit a Market.
* Willis remembers a time when they would gather around to watch him protect the corn...he clutches his face, feeling the tears at the tips of his eyes. He wipes them away, and regains composure.
* Freya_Eldr gives Willis a small glance of concern, before turning her eyes back to the Market, scanning the vendors and others for their friend.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> You hear a squawk from one of the stores, and a vulture-headed Hob in the doorway calls out at you. "You! Yes, you, my half-blooded friends! Come, come into my humble store, see what marvelous things I have for you! Wondrous fruits, meals to fill the most gluttonous stomach! Fabulous, eternally burning fuels!" It splits into a thousand-toothed grin, an impressive feat for a thing with a beak.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> "Information, perhaps? Anything for my most esteemed customers?"
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Other Hobs glower at this Hob, seemingly for jumping on the new customers before they did. Other counter-offers fill the air.
* Angler seems to be vaguely more comfortable, for some reason, than the others - probably because the looks given her way are a hint more in the direction of "valuable customer" than "stone to squeeze blood out of".
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Oddly enough, most of the offers being thrown back out involve food.
<Willis> "No thank you, I'm not hungry."
<Angler> "I've got a Hollow I'd like to put up in a trade for a different one," Angler says, raising a hand to catch the attention of any hob who might be interested. "Cozy, but it's comfortable..."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Theres a huge uproar of offers, the din becoming almost too much to bear. The Hedge itself seems to shift uncomfortably at being disturbed.
* Freya_Eldr frowns, sliding back slightly from Angler to allow her to bargain. She doesn't very much like this much attention on her.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The vulture-headed Hob winces at the noise, and beckons Angler to come in. "Come, these stoneheads will treat you like any other Lost One, though they'll say they are slitting their throats for you. I'll have the decency to give you what you deserve."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> It flashes the thousand-toothed grin again. It's a wonder how it does that with such a rigid beak.
* Angler shuffles over, smiling widely. "Thank you, friend," she says, as her mien shifts in pieces to something more androgynine, seemingly a reflex action.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The Hob beckons Willis and Freya as well. "Come, come, the more the merrier, I have something for all tastes."
 Freya_Eldr follows Angler, glad to be out of the main market.
<Willis> "No thank you." Willis leaves.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The Hob shrugs, grinning again. "Suit yourself, friend."
* CaesarSalad (chatzilla@sux-A3806B8C.socal.res.rr.com) has joined #Legends
* Willis follows Freya
* CaesarSalad is now known as Doctor_Harrison
* Disconnected
* Attempting to rejoin channel #Legends
* Rejoined channel #Legends
* Topic is 'OOC is #nwod. | Next game scheduled April 4th, Noon. Mitch, Caes, and Lev get 5 exp.'
* Set by Daeren on Sat Mar 28 16:21:53
<Doctor_Harrison> Haha.
<Doctor_Harrison> You should have just paste-binned it.
<Doctor_Harrison> ((Whoops, sorry.))
* Willis leaves the shop, and sits outside.
Angler looks about the vulture-headed hob's shop interestedly.
<Daeren|Storytelling> The inside of the store is littered with strange trinkets, spheres, objects, bowls of food...you could spend hours in here just trying to figure out what everything was. The Hob sits on a stool behind a clump of trimmed bushes that serves as a counter, and grins once more. "So, how may I help you?" You notice most of his attention is laser-sighted on each of you, but only treats Angler equally.
<Angler> "The catch is that there's been a snoop around lately. I think he's after me, but I can't give any guarantees that he won't stick around for a while once I'm gone..." Angler smiles, expression suggesting that he(? it's not really clear in this halfway-feminine state) understands that'll probably drop the value a bit.
* Doctor_Harrison has been unusually quiet for his sometimes loquacious self. He follows Angler into the store though. Something about being on the street, surrounded by huckster hobs, just doesn't feel right. Too many eyes.
<Daeren|Storytelling> The vulture nods, pouring out what appears to be tea for himself. "Any ideas as to what your snoop could be?"
* Angler shakes his head. "Not much... I think it might be a spiteful hob or something, I've just found the evidence of it following me here and there. And I caught a glimpse of a hook once..."
* Doctor_Harrison watches for the hob's reaction.
* Willis waits outside, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible.
<Daeren|Storytelling> It raises an eyebrow (You think? IS that an eyebrow?) at the mention of a hook, and seems to trust you as much as Hob trusts anything.
* Freya_Eldr glances around the hob's shop, looking for the 'ever-burning fuels' that were mentioned.
<Angler> "It might be best to get the place into the hands of someone... more trusting," Angler says, with 'trusting' as an obvious euphemism for 'an idiot nobody cares about', "just in case... but I'm sure that someone like yourself would be able to find a worthy customer more easily than I."
<Daeren|Storytelling> It sips the tea, and sets it down. "I suppose I could give you a Hollow around the same dimensions, other section of the hedge." It eyes you up and down. "Will cost you one of your Goblin Fruit though, for moving fees and such." It points to the blood-sac one. "The Amaranthine'll do it."
<Daeren|Storytelling> Freya can feel the Hob's piercing gaze center on her. "And what would you like, little flame?"
<Angler> "...Deal," Angler says with a nod after a moment of thought, setting the Amaranthine on the table. He looks over curiously at Freya...
* Freya_Eldr turns to the Hob with a smile. "You mentioned fuel that would burn for all time?"
Doctor_Harrison just quietly watches the transactions for now. Hobs are not to be trusted and always seem to have a way of getting the better end of the deal.
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Ahh, indeed, only in the Hedge, though. If brought to the world beyond the Hedge it will forever lose its power."
<Daeren|Storytelling> It takes the Amaranthine and slices it open, giving the disturbing image of slicing open a blood-and-pus filled boil, and drains it into the teapot.
* Freya_Eldr frowns slightly, not having any place to easily store it. "Perhaps an ease of flame, then? My time spent beyond is considerate."
<Daeren|Storytelling> "For you?" It puts on an obvious show of thinking, tapping its beak. "I suppose I could give you some powdered Sulfruit. Efficient burn, slow burning as well, pleasing smoke."
* Freya_Eldr smiles, nodding. "The flame brings more rapture than the smoke, but this sounds pleasing. What do you ask for the burning powder?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> "It will cost you...some of your flames for the day, I would think." It grins. "A trifle compared to the wonders this could bring."
<Freya_Eldr> "Most agreed. I will trade you my inner flame for your powdered flame, and both will be pleased."
* Doctor_Harrison scowls, however brief, at the...vampiric transaction.
<Daeren|Storytelling> He nods, and gives her a small pouch of powder that smells like sulfurous citrus. As his hand passes over yours, flames leap from your skin to his, and you feel colder and paler.
* Freya_Eldr resists the urge to burn it now, instead storing it within her clothes.
<Angler> "You had mentioned something about gluttony..."
<Daeren|Storytelling> The Hob turns to Harrison and grins. "And do you wish to have anything? Protections, perhaps? Or maybe a little toy mechanism?" It produces what looks like a tin soldier, whirring with tiny gears. "I see the look of an inventor in you, a mechanic...or perhaps one who simply wishes to see how things break."
<Daeren|Storytelling> The Hob is obviously in the middle of a sales pitch, though Angler knows any offer will be gotten to in time. Especially with him/her
* Angler is quite willing to wait patiently, for the moment.
* Doctor_Harrison makes a gesture with one, long-fingered hand. "I've had enough with disassembling tin soldiers for one lifetime, thank you. I won't trade for trifles, not in a place such as this. Information would be better."
<Daeren|Storytelling> It grins once more. "Ahh, that I can provide. What do you wish? Memories of your past? Your present? Your future? Perhaps the memories of the one who is you, but is at once not you."
<Doctor_Harrison> "Simply wondering if you'd seem someone come through the market today. Do you have that sort of eidetic memory, or is it only with potential customers?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> The Hob shrugs. "There've been a few Lost Ones wandering the Market recently. I may have seen him, I may have not."
* Willis gets up, and walks around the market, looking for any sign of his Master or his Masters product.
* Doctor_Harrison steeples his fingers. "Well, then, I'm looking for a gentleman of greenery. Woodblood, if you will. Might have even been carrying a gardening implement, if they didn't have him check it at the door. What will that sort of information cost me?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> The Hob sips its now bloodied tea. "Ordinarily, I'd barter with you, but whatever you give me would be tainted by distaste for the Hedge and its inhabitants like a stain. Therefore, I will accept payment from your more amicable friend."
<Daeren|Storytelling> It turns to Angler.
* Willis walks up to the vendor, and asks, "Where did you find this corn? Who did you get it from?"
* Angler nods reasonably, and gives Harrison a mildly annoyed look.
<Daeren|Storytelling> The wart-covered, hunchbacked Hob tending the store where the Corn is turns to Wallis. "What's it worth ter ya?"
<Willis> "Not much."
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Then piss off."
<Willis> "Okay." Willis walks away.
<Daeren|Storytelling> The Vulture-Hob grins at Angler. "I can give you the identity of your friend, if you give me part of yours. Let me have your handprints for an hour and a day, and I'll tell you what I know about him."
* Angler 's face quirks, thinking about it rather more seriously than he did the other deal.
* Doctor_Harrison looks to Angler. "And where will your prints be found later, one wonders?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Information about Lost Ones is worth quite a lot in the Markets, as you should know, as less scrupulous vendors use it for their own ends. You should know this is a bargain for you."
<Angler> "I'll do it, but-" He looks over at Harrison. "If there are any problems, it's coming out of your hide."
<Daeren|Storytelling> The Hob grins wickedly. "Ahh, deals within deals, and a ravenous appetite for the fine things in life. You always have been cut out like a Hob."
<Doctor_Harrison> "Hopefully it will find us our friend."
<Daeren|Storytelling> The Hob gestures for you to hold out your hands.
* Angler hols his hands up, palms flat.
* Angler holds, rather.<Daeren|Storytelling> The Hob holds your wrists, and a long, slimy tongue emerges from its beak, and licks each palm in turn. An uncomfortable peeling sensation follows the tongue, and when it retracts, the palms and fingers are completely blank of creases or marks. You cant even will any into them.
<Daeren|Storytelling> It licks its beak. "Not bad. Anyways, you wanted to know about the Woodblood, right?"
* Angler shivers a little. Euugh.
<Daeren|Storytelling> "The bumpkin came in asking about who gave Goblin Fruits to mortals, and none of us told him squat since he wasn't the bargaining sort." It furrows its brow. "Actually, I think someone down on the end may have wanted to tell him something. Anyways, I havent seen him leave yet."
<Daeren|Storytelling> It smirks nastily. "Don't worry, there's nobody new on the slave blocks yet. He should be fine, for now."
<Doctor_Harrison> "Then we have you to thank, it would seem."
* Doctor_Harrison does not, however, actually come to saying the phrase "Thank you."
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Pah, thanks are words. Trades are the show of respect and true gratitude."
<Daeren|Storytelling> It sips more of the blood tea, sighing. "Ahh, good Amaranthine. Was this some of the Goblin Fruit that you found in the mortal world, then?"
<Angler> "Just next door, in fact... it's very curious."
* Willis heads back to the group, his hands in his pockets.
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Well, we can't help what our customers do with our wares after they've been sold."
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Now, was there anything else I could interest you in? Hedgespun wonders, memories, anything?"
<Doctor_Harrison> "I have what I came for."
* Willis shrugs.
<Angler> "Mmm, any particularly interesting foods come through lately?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> Its grin returns, the amount of teeth in it rivaling Angler's own set. "Ahh, yes, I have some exotic Goblin Fruit-based dishes that came in recently."
<Daeren|Storytelling> It pulls out a bowl of something that could almost be described as oatmeal, if it weren't for the swirls of what appeared to be blood and the strange fleshy lump in the middle. It follows up with a salad and a bottle of a clear bubbling liquid.
* Angler peers at the dishes curiously, licking his lips.
<Daeren|Storytelling> "The drink is a simple restorative, replenishing some of your Fae energy, but it has a bit of fermented goblinfruit in it, so you might feel a bit drowsy soon afterwards."
<Daeren|Storytelling> "The salad is made with mosses and leaves, and will enforce your sense of self, but if you eat too much at once it can give you a blinding headache."
<Angler> "And...?" He gestures at the bowl.
<Daeren|Storytelling> "And lastly, the bowl of gruel here is made with a delicious blend of Amaranthine and other plants, and will completely remove any and all injuries you have suffered. However, it does come with a bit of a price. It makes you ravenously hungry to the point of agony, and you'll need to eat constantly for quite a time to stave off more injury."
<Angler> "Hem, how much for each of them?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> "For the drink? Your two other goblinfruits. For the bowl? That which holds you back from slaking your hunger, until sunset. For the salad, some of your determination and drive."
<Doctor_Harrison> "Too much, too much."
* Doctor_Harrison mutters to himself. Mostly.
<Angler> "I'll take the salad, it's a fair enough deal." He glances over at his companions, considering, but...
<Daeren|Storytelling> It scoffs at the word "fair," but hands you the salad bowl, and you feel part of yourself...dim, slightly.
* Angler lets out a hiss of breath. "And the gruel, too."
<Daeren|Storytelling> It grins widely again. "Ahh, wise choice, sir."
<Daeren|Storytelling> It hands you the bowl, and you feel something leave you, something you didn't know you had before, but you feel its absence. You suddenly feel...hungry. VERY hungry. Your mouth waters, and suddenly everything you see seems..edible. Even delectable.
<Daeren|Storytelling> The Vulture seals up the bowl. "Just so you don't waste your investment before sunrise, good sir."
* Retrieving #Legends modes...
<Daeren|Storytelling> The glass sits before you, sparkling and delicious.
<Angler> "Of, mhn, of course." Angler licks his lips - definitely his, his mien has shifted to something more masculine but still seldner and catlike.
* Angler looks over at his companions. "Please do be careful around me for the moment."
* Willis backs up a bit.
* Freya_Eldr points to the recently acquired bowl and drink. "Can I store the delictables for you, to avoid their intake?"
<Angler> "Rrr, please do, please do." She had pointed to the bowl and salad, of course. :U
* Doctor_Harrison heads out of the hob's shop, rather disliking the vulture-headed thing. That, and to but a bit of distance between him and Angler. "I think our business is done here," he says, over his shoulder.
<Daeren|Storytelling> The Vulture-hob waves to Harrison. "Well, if your business is concluded, I shall get to work transferring your Hollow, then. Enjoy your new acquisitions."
Angler shuffles towards the exit before he really gets drawn into wanting to eat anything else in here.
* Willis follows Angler to make sure he doesn't eat anything more.
<Daeren|Storytelling> You all exit the store, and look towards the end of the row, to the store the Vulture had pointed you towards. It's not too far away.
* Freya_Eldr takes the bowl and salad with them as they leave, making sure Angler keeps away from the food.
<Willis> "So, did we find what we need yet?"
<Freya_Eldr> "The path is long. We have but found another bend in the road."
<Angler> "Someone down at the end, he said."
<Doctor_Harrison> "Harvey is still in the market, we hope. The carrion bird pointed us down that way."
<Willis> "Thank you for replying in clear words."
* Freya_Eldr makes a small offended noise.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Angler, your view of the Market has changed dramatically since you went in. The aromas of the Goblin Fruits, their plump, juicy miens, and the practically tasteable fumes of cooked Hedge-beasts make your stomach growl like a beast possessed, and you nearly start drooling.
* Angler 's mouth hangs open a little.
* DiceMaid-9001 is now known as Jessie
* Freya_Eldr snags Angler by the ear, tugging slightly as she moved to head for the store they were pointed towards. "Come. That which Autumn asks first, engorging the maw second."
* Doctor_Harrison arches an eyebrow. "At least she's direct."
* Jessie is now known as Meowth
* Meowth is now known as DiceMaid-9001
* Angler 's hair goes a bit on end at the grab, like an upset cat, and his fingers twist but he doesn't directly pull away.
<Doctor_Harrison> "I agree, though. The sooner we extricate ourselves from the Hedge, the happier I shall be."
<Daeren|Storytelling> As you approach the store, you can hear a familiar voice chatting with a more gurgly voice. You can't make out what they're saying, but you're almost positive you can hear Harvey.
* Freya_Eldr doesn't let go of Anbler's ear until they arrive at the store itself.
* Doctor_Harrison holds out his hand, hoping to get his compatriots to stop...and hear what Harvey's saying, first.
* Angler rubs his ear. Yargh.
<Daeren|Storytelling> You can see Harvey talking with a classic Goblin-looking Hob, who seems a bit miffed.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Harvey: "I still wanna know what kinda idiot let some fool take Goblin Fruit out of the Hedge and give em to a bunch of normal folks!"
<Daeren|Storytelling> Hob: "I'm tellin' ya, I don't know who did it, but I know the kinda guy who may have taken them out. Dude who runs the store next door's always been a bit shifty, had representatives come in and order stuff for him."
<Daeren|Storytelling> The Hob is chewing on a Goblin Fruit, obviously its payment.
<Daeren|Storytelling> "He may have gotten some fruit and decided to give it out to the mortal population, scare the pants off them when they see they're chewing on a clump of spider eggs, I don't know."
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Now if you're quite done raising ruckus in the Market, I suggest you leave."
<Daeren|Storytelling> Harvey "hmmphs," and walks out the door, seeing you guys. "Oh hey dudes, you doing some shopping too?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> He's got a small basket of Goblin Fruit in his elbow.
* Doctor_Harrison sighs, though there's a note of relief to his voice. "No, we came looking for you, Harvey."
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Looking for me? Why?"
<Freya_Eldr> "Things best discussed in the presence of Autumn. We should leave soon."
<Doctor_Harrison> "Agreed, before some hob cons one of us out of something near and dear," he says, glancing at Angler.
* Angler grins with lots of teeth.
<Daeren|Storytelling> He shrugs. "Whatevs."
* Freya_Eldr holds up fingers and pinches them at Angler.
<Daeren|Storytelling> You head out of the Hedge without any further event, emerging back into the real world near Harrison's car, with several new goodies and a friend with a humongous appetite. You note that its about three hours until sunset.
* Angler ponders distracting himself with other means... but, no, he'd probably bite too much, even if he could find someone into that...
<Daeren|Storytelling> You all pile into the car, and Harvey fiddles with the radio. "*kkkht* And iiii *kkkht* -eports from Tehran - *kkkht* -he missing tee- *kkkht*" He eventually stops on a rap station.
* Doctor_Harrison climbs into the car. Though he's happy that Harvey's all right, he certainly does not like having to go into the Hedge. His mien is a little more winter-frosty, now. "Wait a moment. Go back a station."
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Why?" The works of T-Pain flood the car.
* Freya_Eldr returns once more to her position in the back, still taking care of the food. Her mien is rather unchanged, though she does seem more pale. "Let us return to the house of knowledge. We must still talk to Autumn."
* Angler starts chewing on his fingers. Though it's light enough not to actually hurt himself.
* Doctor_Harrison forces Harvey's hands away from the radio if necessary and clicks back a station or two. "Something about a missing teenager?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> "*kkhht* -olice say the car was found on the side of the road near the residential area of Mount Arlon, and the three teens have not been seen since early this morning, where they were at a party at one of the homes." A teenager comes on. "Last I heard, they were gonna go home. Shirley was sober, but the two dudes were drunk. I don't think they would do anything to her though, they're both cool."
* Doctor_Harrison sits back in the seat, his brow furrowing in thought. "That sounds little too much like an urban legend I once heard," he mutters, darkly.
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Police say there were no signs of a struggle in or around the car, and the ground was too hard for footprints."
<Daeren|Storytelling> The reporter continues on about other local news. Sounds like public radio.
* Doctor_Harrison flicks the radio off. "Autumn should know about this too," he says to Freya, putting the car in gear.
* Angler wriggles a little in his seat.
<Daeren|Storytelling> After a short drive, you reach the library, and head inside. Emma is at the front desk, and seems relieved when she looks up and sees Harvey. "Oh, thank goodness."
* Willis (SecretMons@sux-EFFD9871.cpe.ats.mcleodusa.net) Quit (Connection reset by peer)
* Willis (SecretMons@sux-EFFD9871.cpe.ats.mcleodusa.net) has joined #Legends
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Where did you find him?
* Angler nods to Emma. "You'll all be here if I exit a little while, yes?" His fingers are twining together rather intensely.
<Doctor_Harrison> "At the Goblin Market, trying to figure out who'd been selling goblin fruits on the street."
<Daeren|Storytelling> She nods to Angler.
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Goblin Fruit being sold here?" She looks confused. "That's...strange. They usually dont keep too well."
* Angler makes a quick exit, heading for the nearest place with cheap and plentiful food.
<Doctor_Harrison> "Indeed. More worrisome, I should think, would be the teenagers that have gone missing from their car on Mount Arlon."
<Daeren|Storytelling> She nods. "I heard that on the radio, I was going to tell you, but apparently you heard it too."
* Willis plays around a bit with some plants.
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Its a problem. We might want to check it out, but sending people up there is risky at the best of times."
* Doctor_Harrison frowns. "They are encroaching." He doesn't have to say who 'they' are, obviously. "How long before the Summer Court decides to take the matter into their own hands?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> She sighs. "Brad's already been talking about taking a team onto the Mountain, but he doesnt have the support of any of the rest of us."
<Freya_Eldr> "We should know more before we walk into the lion's den."
<Doctor_Harrison> "As if that would stop the fools from thundering through the hedge, should it come to that."
<Daeren|Storytelling> She smiles sadly. "Brad may be a bit...brazen, but he's not a fool, dear."
* Doctor_Harrison smiles thinly back at the Autumn Queen. "Of course."
<Daeren|Storytelling> She thinks. "I know this is a bit much to ask, but could you check around Mount Arlon? If you think it's too dangerous I won't make you, far from it."
* Angler comes back at the speed of plot, temporarily sated.
<Willis> "I think we should. It seems important."
<Doctor_Harrison> "I suppose it's for the best. I'd rather see this kept quiet for obvious reasons."
<Daeren|Storytelling> She nods. "The other court leaders will be told, of course."
<Daeren|Storytelling> She pauses again. "Be careful out there, and dont do anything stupid."
<Daeren|Storytelling> LAST TIME, WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY TEN MINUTES AGO
<Daeren|Storytelling> The group scoured the Goblin Market to find Harvey, and made some deals with a Hob in the process. Now they have been tasked to investigate the suspicious disappearance of some teens on Mount Arlon. Dr. Harrison mumbled something about appointments and let the group use his car, while Harvey wanted to tend to his plants, not being much for investigation.
* Mitchell_Henderson is now known as Harvey_Wallis
<Harvey_Wallis> wait what
<Daeren|Storytelling> *Wilis
<Harvey_Wallis> (ohgod we have too harveys)
<Daeren|Storytelling> So...who's driving, then?
* Freya_Eldr has the keys.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Let's ride dudes, since there's no telling what may happen next."
<Daeren|Storytelling> Freya gets in the drivers seat and starts the long drive to and up the mountain. Angler has some more food for the trip, and the drive takes you about an hour. Eventually, you come to where Emma told you the police had found the car. You can still see some imprints on the side of the road where it used to be.
* Freya_Eldr pulls the car off to the side of the road where the car was found, being careful not to park exactly where the other car was. "We have arrived. Let us find if the tales are true?"
* Angler slides out of the car, sitting on the hood.
* Harvey_Wallis steps out, leaving his hoe in the cab. His bare toes wiggle as the soles of his feet touch the cold pavement. Harvey rubs his nose against the back of his hand as he steps forward toward the car while keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.
* Freya_Eldr gets out of the car, using the headlights of the car to get a look at where the car was left, trying to find anything that the police might have missed.
* DiceMaid-9001 is now known as HigginsvonHiggins
* HigginsvonHiggins is now known as DiceMaid-9001
* Angler sniffs lightly at the air.
* Freya_Eldr slips over and away from the where the car was resting, heading towards a nearby tree. A short sniff caused her to recoil from the base of the tree, before turning to the others. "One evacuated his stomach, before traversing deeper into the woods."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Oh boy, that's sure to impress a l-Wait, did you say they just went into the woods?"
* Freya_Eldr nods, pointing out the footprint she found.
* Freya_Eldr also notes that it's in the dried vomit and partial, but it heads towards the woods.
<Angler> "So they got drunk and stupid and wandered off."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Into the WOODS."
<Harvey_Wallis> "That's significant."
<Harvey_Wallis> "It's possible that /it/'s presence is more potent in the woods."
<Angler> "Yes, hrm, but they might have just gotten lost like idiots." He munches on a candy bar (one of quite a few now tucked away in different pockets).
* Harvey_Wallis spends another ten minutes investigating.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Snap dude, the silly girl who was here ran into the woods while still wearing her heels."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Now, I may not know much about the pains of high fashion, but I know I would at least slip off my shoes if they're uncomfortable to run in."
* Angler slides off the car to go take a look at what Harvey's looking at.
* Freya_Eldr works her way behind a nearby tree, before returning. "Another rabbit passed here. Perhaps to water the tree? They all entered the lion's den."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Dude I do not understand the WORDS coming from your speaky-hole.
* Freya_Eldr frowns, looking vaugely offended. She points to the footprints she found that lead behind a nearby tree. "Another rabbit entered the lion's den. How do my words muddle the truth?"
<Harvey_Wallis> "Oh.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Why couldn't you have just said someone else went into the woods?"
* Harvey_Wallis shrugs.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Whatever, let's just get this overwith before it gets too dark."
* Freya_Eldr looks more offended than before, but proceeds into the woods, trying to find more clues.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Angler can slowly feel his unbearable cravings begin to ebb as the sun reaches the horizon.
* Angler snaps a branch off an appealing-looking tree with a bit of effort and starts chewing on it.
* Harvey_Wallis watches Freya walk into the hoods. Harvey then runs back to the truck and grabs his hoe before running after her.
* Angler follows after the other two after a moment of thought.
* Freya_Eldr finds the dootprints a little ways into the woods, following them around in circles. "The rabbits were lost. Perhaps something caught their eye?"
<Harvey_Wallis> "For their sakes..."
* Harvey_Wallis slips on some shades.
<Harvey_Wallis> "I hope it was a carrot."
* Freya_Eldr looks at Harvey with another frown. "Why are you wearing those? You blot out what little rays you have left, blinding yourself to the dark?"
<Harvey_Wallis> "What? Women love dudes who wear their sunglasses at night."
* Harvey_Wallis begins snapping his fingers. SNAP SNAP.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Let's get a move on then."
* Freya_Eldr sighs, but looks about the small clearing they're in, trying to spot what they saw.
<Angler> "They were being herded... here, this way."
* Angler moves half-crouched, following what tracks he can pick out pretty intently.
* Harvey_Wallis follows closely behind Angler with his hoe slung over his shoulder.
* Freya_Eldr follows after, checking her pocket once more for the pouch of powder.
<Daeren|Storytelling> As you continue following the tracks, looking ahead you see some tracks coming from up ahead. They're the woman's tracks, and they look like she was practically going at a full r un in heels.
<Daeren|Storytelling> They bend off to the right into a copse of bushes.
* Angler goes to peer into that copse.
<Daeren|Storytelling> You can all hear slight shivering and whimpering.
<Daeren|Storytelling> As angler pulls back part of the copse, he sees a girl in a torn dress holding a stout branch. As he does, however, she screams and leaps up at him, swinging wildly in terror.
* Freya_Eldr hops back, putting room between herself and the girl. "Calm, little one! We are here to aid, not harm!"
<Harvey_Wallis> "Whoa! WHOA! Calm down!"
<Daeren|Storytelling> She stops swinging after a moment, still holding an iron grip on her stick. It's obvious she's not slept in a while, and her eyes are enormous from terror.
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Who are you!? What do you want!"
<Harvey_Wallis> "We're just some concerned citizens, that's all."
<Daeren|Storytelling> Tear stains are on her cheeks, and her hair is disheveled. She's covered in nicks and scratches from thorns, with several tears in her dress. Her high-heels are muddied and one of the heels is broken, but it looks like she's too out of it to even consider removing them.
* Angler recoils back a little at the initial attack, smoothly avoiding it. "Hey, hey, calm down," he says, figures smoothly reshaping in the cover of the darkness to a wholesome-looking paternal sort.
<Daeren|Storytelling> She breaks down sobbing, falling to her knees. She seems to be saying something, but it's incoherent.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Hey, stop crying. You're safe now. You gotta be strong, and you gotta be tough."
* Harvey_Wallis thinks for a bit.
* Angler glances over at Harvey, and moves to pull the girl up to her feet if she'll let him, and bites his lip a little.
<Daeren|Storytelling> She's completely unresponsive
* Harvey_Wallis begins to say in a crackly sing-song voice, "Y-you gotta know when enough is enough."
<Harvey_Wallis> "YOU NEED TO FEEL/THE WIND IN YOUR FACE/UNDER YOUR ARMS/ADVENTURE'S YOURS TO EMBRAAAAACE."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Never give up/And never surrender/When the going gets tough/You stay dry in rainy WEEEAAATTTHHEERRR! YEAH!"
<Angler> "Oh, Jesus, just ignore him..." Angler facepalms a little.
<Harvey_Wallis> "When you feel afraid/Or something isn't right/Remember these words/NEVER GIVE UP THE FIIIIIIGHT."
* Harvey_Wallis makes cheezy 80s cartoon poses.
* Freya_Eldr looks very confused. Little scared.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Her sobs reduce to sniffles and hiccups, and she looks up at Mitch. She'd be thoroughly amused if she wasn't so afraid. She laughs a little bit at him.
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Thanks, I guess. The effort's what matters." She sniffs again, but still kneels on the ground. "How long have I been here?"
* Freya_Eldr crouches down not far from her, letting the others talk due to her manner of speech.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Since last night, around then. Maybe."
<Daeren|Storytelling> She looks up. "Where have you all been?" she sounds like a scared and confused child.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Uh... Looking for you of course?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> She hiccups. "At least you found me before..." she looks like she's about to lapse into another sobbing jag. "Before.."
<Angler> "Before...?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Before HIM." She holds back tears, barely. "Oh God...Mike and Carl were really drunk, so I pulled over to let them out...Mike threw up and Carl took a piss, but Carl heard somebody in the woods and went in to look, and Mike followed him, I tried to stop them, I DID!"
<Daeren|Storytelling> She starts crying again.
<Angler> "Please... what happened?"
* Harvey_Wallis whispers to Freya, "Seems as though she may have a sixth sense concerning the supernatural..."
* Freya_Eldr nods, whispering back. "We must be gentle. She may see through our false fronts."
<Daeren|Storytelling> She stops crying for a bit, breath coming in gasps. "I...they...they kept going in, they kept hearing things, I did too but I didnt want to, and they kept going and then Mike disappeared and Carl wanted to find him but I just wanted to get out and then something got Carl and he started screaming! He wouldn't stop screaming!"
<Daeren|Storytelling> She collapses into uncontrollable sobs again.
* Harvey_Wallis squats infront of the girl and stares at her. "Did you sorta have like... Somekind of premonition about whatever was in the woods before Carl and Mike wandered off?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> She is struck by the oddness of the question, and tries to speak through the crying. "I...I just knew  there was something EVIL in there." Upon careful inspection, you can see a rosary weaved through the hand gripping the stick.
* Freya_Eldr moves over to the girl, whispering quietly. "There, there, little one. We will be your shield from him. Come, let us take you from here."
<Daeren|Storytelling> "NO!!!" She screams. "WE HAVE TO FIND THEM!"
<Angler> "I'm good at looking for people, especially when I'm on my own. Why don't you go with my friends to the car and I'll see what I can manage?"
* Freya_Eldr nods. "Allow me to escort you back, little one. I can keep you safe."
<Daeren|Storytelling> She looks up at Angler, shivering. "Promise me you'll find them?" she says quietly, terrified.
<Angler> "I promise I'll do what I can, if you cooperate with us. Does that sound okay?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> She nods, and gets up slowly, still gripping her stick and rosary. "I wanna go home."
<Harvey_Wallis> "We'll take you home, although we do have a few more questions for you."

<Daeren|Storytelling> Last time, our group went to the Markets and made several deals with a surprisingly amicable Hob, and found Harvey shortly afterwards. On the way home, they heard a radio report about missing teenagers, and checked in with the Autumn Queen before going to investigate. Dr. Harrison and Willis stayed behind because they were sissies.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Once there, they discovered evidence of the True Fae having been there, and a battered and terrified young woman who saw it doing what it does best.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Now she simply wants to go home, and the group has decided to help her do so, and to gather together before investigating the rest of the area.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Okay we found this girl."
<Harvey_Wallis> "And she's all messed up, psychologically."
<Harvey_Wallis> "What do we do now?"
<Angler> "Get her home... she's not going to help here. I'll keep an eye on her, after...?" Angler gestures vaguely.
<Harvey_Wallis> "After?..."
<Daeren|Storytelling> The girl stands nearby, shivering, having finally relinquished her grasp on her stick.
<Angler> "She was able to sense it, and not..." A flick of a finger between Harvey and himself, hidden from the girl. "I'm curious about that."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Right, right..."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Well, at least we can confirm the existence of... Whatever this thing is."
<Harvey_Wallis> "To being in this woods.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Location confirmed, and all that. Like in those spy movies."
<Daeren|Storytelling> The girl speaks up. "Do you know who that was?"
* Angler nods. "Let's get here out of here, and come back...?"
* Harvey_Wallis shakes his head. "Not a clue!"
* MysteriumXarxes (LOLDONGS@sux-8C328ECE.static.ll.siw.siwnet.net) has left #Legends
<Daeren|Storytelling> She nods numbly, obviously still deeply in shock, even after nearly half a day. "Can I go home now?"
<Angler> "I've seen a few hints, but..." He gestures dismissively. "Not enough to piece anything out of. Yes, let's go..."
<Daeren|Storytelling> She follows you to the car and gets in. You notice she's lucid enough to keep her door unlocked in case she needs to bolt out at a moment's notice, if you aren't as helpful as you say you are.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Okay, who's driving?"
* Harvey_Wallis gets in the driver's seat.
* Angler gestures for Harvey to do it.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Okay, I am driving."
* Harvey_Wallis HITS THE GAS.
<Daeren|Storytelling> The girl tenses slightly as the car lurches forward, heading back down the mountain.
<Harvey_Wallis> "YEEEEEHHHAAAWWW!"
* Harvey_Wallis sticks his head out the window and fistpumps.
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Could you slow down a bit please?"
* Angler rolls his eyes.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Okay."
* Harvey_Wallis slows it down.
<Daeren|Storytelling> The car continues down the mountain, and you soon reach the city. It occurs to you that both the police and the Courts might want to know she's safe.
* Harvey_Wallis cruises casually downtown with some slow alt-rock playing over the radio.
<Angler> "Where do you live?"
* DoctorGraf (faggotry@sux-EFFD9871.cpe.ats.mcleodusa.net) has joined #Legends
* DoctorGraf is now known as Willis
<Daeren|Storytelling> She shakily directs you to her house in the suburbs, a nice two-story home. She gets out and walks to the door, and her parents rush out to greet her, hugging her with tears in their eyes. They see your car and rush over, thanking you in one breath and asking who you are and where she was in the next.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Well, my name's Harvey, this is Doc Harrison, M.D., this is fishing champion Thomas "Angler" Smith, and the smallest one is Willis!"
* Angler waves a little.
<Daeren|Storytelling> They ask where you found her and what happened and why you were there...a torrent of concerned parent questions burst forth.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Oh, we're just nature lovers. We were hiking when we found her."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Take it easy on her, she's had a rough night."
<Angler> "We just got damn lucky, I think. Spotted something a little out of the ordinary, went to look and found the little miss here..."
<Daeren|Storytelling> They thank you profusely, and guide their daughter back inside, the three of them crying.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Man, what's up with white people and crying all the time?"
<Angler> "Oh, go easy on them, they thought they lost their daughter..."
<Daeren|Storytelling> Harvey is met with deafening silence from the universe, and he quietly starts the car again and heads back to the library in shame.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Nobody sent a search party when /I/ went missing, mumblegrumble."
<Daeren|Storytelling> You head back into the library, and see Willis and Doc. Harrison inside, along with Emma. She looks up. "Back already?"
<Angler> "We found a girl who got away from it. She's home now, but I'll be keeping an eye on her..."
<DoctorHarrison> "A survivor? Perhaps I should have gone...I could have been some assistance in calming her..."
<Harvey_Wallis> "The important thing is that she's home, and that she's away from the forest."
<Willis> "Anything else important happen?"
<Harvey_Wallis> "We should still try and keep her from saying anything about what she saw up there, we don't need any snoops snooping around in the snooping forest."
<Daeren|Storytelling> Emma nods gravely. "If her parents seek help for their child, I'll try to pull enough of my strings to see that Harrison gets the job."
<Angler> "She said that she had - sensed the thing, before anything happened. I'm inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt, but she didn't pick up anything about us..."
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Really?" Emma thinks. "Interesting."
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Did you find the other two?"
* Harvey_Wallis shakes his head.
<Angler> "I want to go back and look, but I have the feeling they're both," and a slit-throat gesture. "Or worse."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Emma, is there any possibility you can keep the local press away from her house, or know anyone who can?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> "I can try. Any reason?
<Harvey_Wallis> "Besides causing a lot of undue panic among the people in town and keeping curious people away from the mountain?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> "The police are going to get their report, no matter what. I'll try to keep it as cloistered as I can."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Good."
<DoctorHarrison> "I don't think we're going to be able to contain it forever. The power of suggestion...of urban legend...is going to trump our every attempt."
* Willis nods. "People still talk about Urban Legends from 40 years ago.
<Daeren|Storytelling> "I'll try to have our team in the Projects squelch the rumors they can, but they can't work miracles."
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Are you going to go back there tonight?"
<Angler> "I don't think it'd be a problem, as long as it doesn't get to anything too... reputable."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Unless you have something better for us to do."
<Daeren|Storytelling> She shakes her head. "If you find them, let me know. If they're...dead, Brad and I have some pull in the Police department to have them change the report of how they were discovered."
* Angler nods. "Leave them where they are, perhaps? Then it'll just take someone... coincidentally... going out there..."
<Daeren|Storytelling> She nods. "Or a search party going where the girl was and finding them from there."
* Harvey_Wallis looks around for some books.
<DoctorHarrison> "So you're going back tonight? I want to be there, this time. I didn't expect survivors..."
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Good luck."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Have you guys found out anything new on your end though?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> She bites her lip slightly. "Not yet."
<Harvey_Wallis> "What do you mean, 'not yet'?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> "We've been looking, but we haven't found any new leads."
* DoctorHarrison frowns slightly. "Well, I'm sure something will come up."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Hopefully, if you and Brad aren't screwing around and wasting time.
<Daeren|Storytelling> She flushes again. "Brad's been investigating the slums for disappearances and hasn't slept in two days."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Well bully for that dude."
<DoctorHarrison> "Yes, the strength of Summer knows no limits..."
<Daeren|Storytelling> She nods. "Now, I think you should go. The sooner you find them, the better. Who knows what else might find them, in whatever state they are, in those woods."
* Harvey_Wallis nods and salutes, taking his leave of the library.
* DoctorHarrison follows Harvey back out of the library as well. "She's hiding something," he says, quite simply, when they're out of the building.
* Angler winks at Emma and exits stage left.
* Harvey_Wallis nods. "I don't like it, I think we should discuss this with the King of Spring."
* Willis follows the gang.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Your clanky, '74 junker chariot awaits.
<Willis> "I still am lost at what you are speaking of. Why do they need Kings and Queens?" Willis smiles innocently.
<Angler> "Oh, she's just mad he's not home enough for..." Exaggerated smoochy motions.
* Angler clambers into the car.
* Willis gets in the car. "They certainly don't make cars like they used to."
* Harvey_Wallis snickers.
* DoctorHarrison ignores Angler. "If Autumn and Summer are hiding the truth, what's to say that Spring and Winter aren't also?" He frowns again, at the thought of the Winter Court not doing its best to keep everyone safe from the predation of the fae.
<Harvey_Wallis> "It's always nice to have a second opinion, doctor."
<Daeren|Storytelling> You start up the car, and drive up into the mountain again. The feel of the forest has changed with the coming of night, more oppressive and looming. It's nearing midnight.
<Willis> "This reminds me of the farm. I half expect crows to come out..." Willis laughs, and frowns.
<Daeren|Storytelling> You park where you parked before, and the path into the woods lies open to you once more.
<DoctorHarrison> "It reminds me of the past too," he remarks to Willis.
<DoctorHarrison> "I never liked the mountain before...let alone after."
* Angler pads out of the car, shuffling lightly onto the path.
* Harvey_Wallis grabs his hoe and walks behind Angler.
<Daeren|Storytelling> You're able to easily retrace your path to where you found the girl, and pick up her previous set of tracks again. They're panicked and irregular, but you can trace them slowly back to a small clearing. You can see signs of a scuffle, and splashes of blood all around the clearing.
<Willis> "W-wow."
<Angler> "Seems like somebody had quite a go-about..."
* DoctorHarrison removes his glasses and rubs at his eyes. "The likelihood of finding any more survivors seems...far less..."
* Angler steeeeeps back, holding his arms out.
* Angler shuffles a little further backwards, then looks up.
<Daeren|Storytelling> You look up...and immediately have to fight the urge to vomit.
* Harvey_Wallis looks up.
* Harvey_Wallis gags and runs behind some bushes.
* Willis (faggotry@sux-EFFD9871.cpe.ats.mcleodusa.net) Quit (Connection reset by peer)
* DoctorHarrison looks up.
* Angler lets out a bit of a 'hurk' noise.
<Daeren|Storytelling> You see what appears to be half a corpse strung up to the branches of two trees,  the lower half violently ripped off with the intestines dangling out. The large intestines are draped around the corpse like some grotesque frame, and the head has its mouth split open to the point where the top half of the head is lolling back in a horrible, distended silent scream.
<Angler> "...well, that's one..."
<Daeren|Storytelling> It appears that the body's legs are jammed into its hands to hold it to the trees.
* DoctorHarrison covers his mouth for a moment with the back of his hand.
 DoctorHarrison fails to hold in what little lunch he has, and the doctor coughs it all up into the bushes.
* Harvey_Wallis VOMITS.
* Angler can keep his goddamn lunch down if nothing else.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Careful examination shows several ragged wounds all over the body, down to the bone. The body has obviously been put up there on grotesque display for whoever finds it.
* DoctorHarrison wipes at his mouth with the back of his hand. "We should...we should get it down from the trees," he says, regaining some sort of composure. "At least then they might be able to blame it on...a bear..."
* Willis keeps his lunch, if he had eaten any.
<Willis> "I'm not sure a bear could do this."
<Harvey_Wallis> "You're.. You're going to have to do that without me doc."
<Daeren|Storytelling> The wounds are quite obviously nowhere near an animal attack. They're random, and incredibly deep.
<Daeren|Storytelling> not to mention they appear...deliberate.
<Daeren|Storytelling> to keep them alive as long as they could feel pain
* DoctorHarrison looks positively pale at the thought. "I just don't...don't think we can keep this quiet."
<Angler> "I'll help." Angler's suit slowly shifts scarlet-red as he moves to scramble up the tree.
<Willis> "I will too." Willis starts clambering up the tree.
<Angler> "If the body's out here for any amount of time, the scavengers will do their work on it..." He's going to try and push the body out of the tree, with his shoes.
<Willis> "I'll try and clean up the branches a bit."
Harvey_Wallis stops vomitting and returns to everyone else, trying to keep his gaze away from the corpse.
<Harvey_Wallis> "What can I do? And please let it be something that doesn't require me touching it."
* DoctorHarrison suddenly freezes, his eyes going wide. "This was a distraction," he mutters, going for the gun in his suit pocket.
* Willis notices how afraid everyone is. "Please, I'll move it." Willis grabs the corpse, and begins to push it.
* Harvey_Wallis notices Doc reaching for his piece, Harvey grips his hoe tightly.
<Daeren|Storytelling> You whirl around with the gun....
<Daeren|Storytelling> Nothing's there.
* DoctorHarrison aims the gun off into the darkness nonetheless. "I heard breathing. It's here, I know it. The body...the display...we were supposed to see it. So we wouldn't be paying attention..."
* DoctorHarrison sounds a little more on edge.
<Daeren|Storytelling> As Willis moves the corpse, he sees something else higher in the tree. A hand stuck into the tree with a meathook.
<Daeren|Storytelling> A quick check shows this corpse has both of its hands.
<Willis> "...um...don't look up."
<Willis> "...maybe we should leave. This isn't...the only one..."
* Angler looks up.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Those who look up can see the hand. It was placed just out of sight until the body was moved.
<Willis> "Obviously."
<Willis> "So, uh...a bear?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> You all get the creeping feeling that this was a carefully created scene. This was all made to inspire as much disgust and fear as possible in those who found it.
* Angler is still trying to push the body out of the tree.
* Willis looks to see if he can find the owner of the hanging hand.
<Daeren|Storytelling> You finally are able to shove the body free of its restraints, as it falls to the ground with a meaty thump, intestines trailing after it.
<Angler> "If we can, hnnh, get it on the ground, then something natural will come along on its own..."
<DoctorHarrison> "No," he replies to Willis, "No, it's not a bear. But hopefully the authorities won't look twice..."
* DoctorHarrison still has his gun out. It's not going anywhere, now.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Something tells me we shouldn't stay too long fellows..."
<DoctorHarrison> "You're right. We're going to have to go deeper into the woods..."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Deeper? DEEPER?!"
* Angler scrambles down the tree far enough to jump the rest.
* Willis follows. "Whoever did this either wants us to go deeper, or wants us to leave.
<Willis> "So we may be damned if we do, or we may be damned if we don't."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Oh God damn it, God damn all of you."
* Harvey_Wallis follows along.
* Angler skitters along, looking for tracks and such, but... "I don't know if we'll find anything. That hand..."
<Daeren|Storytelling> You are able to pick up two tracks. One's dragged feet, with a thin trail of blood beside it, and one is an enormous set of trackless boots. It looks like it didnt care about hiding this time.
<Harvey_Wallis> "M-Maybe we should just go home?"
<DoctorHarrison> "Do you think the hand means the person is dead? Or that...it might be replaced with a hook..."
<Angler> "...that's what I'd think."
<Willis> "I think we should continue. If we back down now, we may never finish this."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Oh Christ."
* Angler keeps going.
* Angler licks his lips. "Going somewhere..."
<DoctorHarrison> "He's no longer bleeding. Either he's dead or bandaged from this point on..."
<Willis> "Maybe is isn't his blood."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Let's hope he's conscious and not turned into one of those hookhanded freaks."
<Daeren|Storytelling> After a few minutes, theres the imprint of a body hitting the ground, and the large prints simply stop. Another set of tracks can be seen from the imprint, stumbling into the woods. They're erratic, and look like they'd be rather hard to trace, as it goes into deep brush.
<Angler> "So he was dropped here and he ran, and It left..."
<DoctorHarrison> "It disappeared."
* Angler tries to track a bit further, stops, traces back, tries again, working back and forth...
<Harvey_Wallis> "Damn, and we were getting close."
<Harvey_Wallis> "OH WELL, LET'S GO HOME."
<DoctorHarrison> "I think we have to assume that he's lost."
* Angler hisses, padding back and forth.
* Angler kicks a tree out of frustration, then hobbles away from it.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Maybe we should get a camera or something, take some pictures of the entire ordeal to show Emma."
<DoctorHarrison> "Of course...they're going to want to know. Assuming they don't already."
* DoctorHarrison uses the tiny camera on his phone to snap off a few pictures. It's dark, though, and it's not much of a flash.
<Harvey_Wallis> "What now?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> You are able to get enough detail to get the idea across, and get pictures of the wounds, the body's original position, and the blood all around.
<DoctorHarrison> "Off the mountain, that's what. This place doesn't feel right...at all..."

<~Daeren> Last time, the group discovered the fate of one of Shirley's friends. He was found dead and posed in a rather gruesome fashion. Her second friend was missing and presumed captured by the True Fae, and the group now simply wishes to get out of the forest and back to the city.
* Angler grumbles all the way back to the car.
<~Daeren> As you head back out of the forest, passing the corpse now cast to the ground, you can slowly hear the sounds of animals returning. You reach the car soon afterwards.
<Doctor_Harrison> "Whatever was out there...it's gone, now."
<~Daeren> You get into the car and begin driving down the mountain, reaching the bottom for what seems like the thousandth time that night, and make your way to the library. You get out, and Harrison notices something. Some son of a bitch keyed the car!...Wait a second, that hadn't been there when he left the city.
* Angler stretches once out of the car, and hopefully hasn't gotten much in the way of blood on the interior.
* DiceMaid-9001 gets out of the car
* Doctor_Harrison stares at the scratches on the car and then leans down to run his fingers over them. "This happened up on the mountain. Somehow I don't think there were juvenile delinquents up there with us."
* Angler slinks his way around to take a look at those scratches. "Egh..."
<Angler> "But no hook."
* Doctor_Harrison frowns and stands up again, dusting off his hands. "No, no hook. It's one version of the story playing out. The one where the victims narrowly escape, but the...antagonist...is left unharmed as well."
<Angler> "Well... that means that the other boy is probably still out there, all..." He shrugs.
<Doctor_Harrison> "Yes, I don't like the thought of that, either. I suppose we should report this to Autumn."
* Doctor_Harrison frowns again and steeples his long fingers in front of his face. "Despite whatever it is they're hiding."
<Angler> "When you do that you look like you're trying to be sinister."
* Doctor_Harrison waves off the comment. "Just thinking."
* Angler steeples his fingers in front of his face, turns around, and starts shuffling towards the library.
<~Daeren> You head inside to see Emma half-asleep at the desk, still waiting for you. Willis is reading through some almanacs and encyclopedias, learning more about what's happened since he's been gone.
<Willis> "Interesting..."
<Willis> "Wow, how chaotic times were..."
<Doctor_Harrison> "They're no less chaotic now. We've almost certainly lost two more to this...monster...
* Doctor_Harrison trails off, almost as if he doesn't want to mention the fae.
<~Daeren> Emma looks up. "You found them then?"
<Angler> "One of them, dead... I couldn't find the other, but the car had a scratch down the side by the time we left."
<Doctor_Harrison> "Tracks that disappeared off into the woods. It's reasonable to assume the second boy had been transformed."
<~Daeren> She grows slightly paler, which is hard to tell through her Antiquarian mien. "One dead, one transformed." She shakes her head. "Did you find the body?"
* Doctor_Harrison glances at Angler.
<Angler> "Yes. It'd been strung up like a pinata."
<Doctor_Harrison> "Hung up in the trees, disemboweled, as a distraction."
<~Daeren> Her face hardens. "A distraction?"
<Doctor_Harrison> "Yes. While we were busy...busy with the body in the trees, I believe something was stalking us."
<~Daeren> "Do you think it was the boy, or..."
* Doctor_Harrison passes his cell-phone to Emma, after bringing up the first of the pictures.
<Angler> "I do, but there was never a clear view."
<Doctor_Harrison> "If it weren't the boy, I'm not sure we'd be alive."
<~Daeren> You can practically see her repressing her gag reflex as she flips through the pictures. "My God..." She looks disgusted, angry, and terrified.
<~Daeren> "And you said you found it strung up in the trees?"
<Willis> "I think there was also a hook hand in there somewhere."
<Doctor_Harrison> "We found a third hand...not the dead boy's...pinned to the tree as well. That's why I'm sure the other boy was transformed."
<~Daeren> She swallows audibly, and speaks croakingly. "Well, the mountain is certainly unsafe for anyone, now...God, there's PEOPLE living not five miles from where this was..."
<Angler> "It could be worse."
<~Daeren> "How??"
<Angler> "Well, it's out there and not down here, isn't it?"
<Doctor_Harrison> "A solid bit of logic, Angler."
<~Daeren> She sighs. "For now, it does seem to be sticking in the forested areas."
* Angler grins widely.
<Doctor_Harrison> "So we just wait it out? Let it take who it wants and hope it goes away?"
<~Daeren> "I..." She looks incredibly conflicted, having been forced to see just what has been happening. "I don't know."
* Angler lets out a hiss of breath. And sits on Emma's desk.
* Doctor_Harrison leans over the desk as well. "Emma, what are you doing? There's something you're not telling us, even when you're asking us to risk our lives. You say you don't know, but that's not true, is it?"
* Slashie (Slashie@sux-CF5F0FC2.mc.videotron.ca) Quit (Connection reset by peer)
<~Daeren> She buries her face in her hands. "I can't tell you, I'm sorry. I can't, I've been sworn to silence."
<Doctor_Harrison> "Sworn to who?"
<~Daeren> "The Courts. I can't say any more."
* Angler lets out a noise sort of like 'hrrngh'.
<Willis> "I still don't understand this Court thing." Willis turns a page.
<Doctor_Harrison> "Which courts? All of them?"
* Doctor_Harrison is being very persistent.
<~Daeren> "The four of us wanted to make sure there wasn't a panic..." She's practically on the verge of tears, desperately looking for a way around her oath.
<Doctor_Harrison> "Emma...if you let me look into your eyes, I might be able to help."
<~Daeren> She looks up, avoiding your gaze. "I can't abandon my defenses, the Pledge won't let me. You may try."
<~Daeren> She looks into your eyes pleadingly.
* Doctor_Harrison concentrates for a moment, then shakes his head.
<~Daeren> You can practically feel the Wyrd pounding away at your attempt, and the force of it nearly makes your head spin.
<~Daeren> This is serious stuff.
<Angler> "If I may try something...?"
<~Daeren> She looks at angler and shrugs.
* Doctor_Harrison rubs his head, long fingers circling his temples. "Please do, Angler. This is...this is something very serious."
* Angler reaches to take Emma's hand and holds it tightly.
<~Daeren> She holds your hand with both of hers, closing her eyes and squeezing a few tears out.
* Willis (faggotry@sux-EFFD9871.cpe.ats.mcleodusa.net) Quit (Connection reset by peer)
* Slashie (Slashie@sux-CF5F0FC2.mc.videotron.ca) has joined #Legends
<~Daeren> You too can feel the Wyrd squirming and pounding away at you, but you squeeze through to her mind and see her desire: she desperately wants to tell you something about the Hook's habits. You can't get anything more before the Wyrd hurls you reeling from her mind.
<Angler> "Uhhh! Ah, shiiit..."
* Angler is breathing hard and unpleasantly.
<Angler> "That didn't help..."
<Doctor_Harrison> "Did you discover anything?"
* Angler shakes his head, but hugs Emma reassuringly nonetheless.
<~Daeren> She thinks long and hard for a moment, obviously carefully modelling her phrasing. "Brad. Speak to Brad. If nothing, Molly."
<Angler> "Something about the thing's... preferences or habits..." He considers this and nods.
<Doctor_Harrison> "Summer and winter."
<~Daeren> She nods weakly. "Brad...he has the right personality. He wont care. Molly...you have ties to Molly."
* Slashie (Slashie@sux-CF5F0FC2.mc.videotron.ca) Quit (Connection reset by peer)
* Slashie (Slashie@sux-CF5F0FC2.mc.videotron.ca) has joined #Legends
* Willis (faggotry@sux-EFFD9871.cpe.ats.mcleodusa.net) has joined #Legends
<Doctor_Harrison> "Thank you Emma. I know this has been hard for you. We don't want to cause you undue...consequences."
* Angler nods.
<Angler> "Will you be all right?"
<~Daeren> She smiles weakly. "Just...don't let Horace know I had anything to do with this. Don't misinterpret that, he's trying to do the right thing, but...he's doing it in the wrong way."
* Angler nods solemnly.
* Doctor_Harrison sighs and manages a smile as well. "Perhaps it's not too late, then. I think I need to sleep. Angler, tomorrow, shall we pay a visit to Brad?"
<Angler> "That sounds... workable."
* Angler rubs at his face.
<~Daeren> "I'll call him and tell him what's happened. I'm sure he can think of something...or he can do what I...I love him for." She smiles weakly. "Use himself to protect those he cares for."
<Angler> "And do try to get some sleep..."
<Doctor_Harrison> "My dear, I'm most concerned with protecting myself."
* Doctor_Harrison heads out of the library.
* Angler (Leviathan@sux-3B89CA8B.hsd1.or.comcast.net) Quit (Client exited)
<~Daeren> She nods silently, and heads back into the back rooms, shoulders slumped. She seems more like a Wizened than a Darkling, a shrunken, oppressed figure with an enormous weight on her shoulders. She seems even more ancient than she usually does.
* Leviathan (Leviathan@sux-3B89CA8B.hsd1.or.comcast.net) has joined #Legends
* Leviathan lets out a sigh.
* Doctor_Harrison will make his way back to his office.
* Leviathan will, eventually, get to his little Hollow to collapse and sleep a while.
* Leviathan 's new place doesn't have the kitbash of an old phone with a really long cord strung in through the out-of-the-hedge entrance. Oops. Hopefully nobody wants to call him.
* Leviathan is now known as Angler
* Angler will, eventually, get to his little Hollow to collapse and sleep a while.
<~Daeren> You all wake up, after being plagued again by dreams of dark figures, but it appears nobody was in your homes that night.
* Angler makes his way in the direction of the Summer Court, at some point.
* Doctor_Harrison meets Angler there, looking...none the more refreshed for his night asleep.
* Angler takes a little while to harvest some Glamour off appropriate targets first, though.
* Angler looks - well, generally immaculate, but that's mostly just a component of looking however he wants to.
<Doctor_Harrison> "Shall we see if Brad is home?"
<~Daeren> The three of you head towards the slums, and you can feel the subtle chaos of the area. Angler sticks out slightly due to looking nice, but not too much.
<Angler> "Yes, yes..."
<~Daeren> The three of you head to the address of Brad's home, and come to a large apartment building covered in graffiti and stained with neglect. There's a buzzer next to the door
* Angler pushes it, repeatedly.
<Willis> "You only need to ring once."
<~Daeren> A crackly voice responds. "What the fuck do you want?"
* Willis shifts around. "How rude."
<Doctor_Harrison> "Something you'll have to get used to."
<Angler> "Emma was supposed to give a call...?"
<~Daeren> This is obviously the landlady.
* Doctor_Harrison takes over. "Brad. Is Brad at home?"
<~Daeren> "Yeah. He expecting you?"
<Doctor_Harrison> "We wouldn't be here if he weren't."
<~Daeren> "Fine, get in." You can hear the door unlock.
* Angler enters!
* Doctor_Harrison lets Angler take the lead, following him into the run-down apartment.
<~Daeren> You walk into a very dirty entrance room, and you can see a fat black woman behind bulletproof glass. She's chewing gum, and looks you up and down. "Eh, you look like you ain't packing."
<~Daeren> She presses a button. "Yo, Brad! Your faggoty friends are here to see you!"
<~Daeren> "Send them up." You can hear his familiar voice respond.
<~Daeren> She gestures to the stairs. "Elevators are busted, again."
* Angler shrugs, and starts up the stairs.
* Doctor_Harrison does actually happen to be packing, but it's well hidden from view. He mounts the stairs after Angler.
<~Daeren> You climb several flights of stairs and eventually head into the hallway with Brad's room.
* Angler knocks shave-and-a-haircut.
<~Daeren> The door opens, a chain lock visible, and Brad's good eye looking out at you. "You could just knock normally, man."
<~Daeren> The door closes, and you hear the lock slide. He opens the door again to a spartan apartment that's in surprisingly good shape compared to the rest of the building.
<Angler> "But where would be the fun in that?"
<~Daeren> "Get in." His voice is deep and commanding.
* Angler shuffles inside.
* Doctor_Harrison follow them in.
<~Daeren> Brad sits down on his mattress, looking at the three of you, his empty eye socket surrounded by scars. "Emma told me about last night."
* Angler nods a little, leaning against a wall.
<~Daeren> He sighs. "We've been sworn to silence about some things, and the Sanction's pretty rough."
<~Daeren> He massages his temples. "Emma...poor Emma, this has been hitting her hard."
 Angler nods slowly. "She was... not so composed as usual."
<~Daeren> He closes his eye, which gives a disturbing effect as he cannot close the lids of his empty socket. "Its been rough with me too. I want to round up a gang to kill that fucking thing, but I know I can't. I'd just be leading good men and women to their death."
<Doctor_Harrison> "Can't it be banished?"
<~Daeren> "I ain't got a clue. That's Em's department."
* Angler licks his lips. "There has to be something..."
<Doctor_Harrison> "What can you tell us...that you haven't been sworn not to?"
<~Daeren> His eye opens, steeled with determination. "I know you can look into my head. Do it, I'm not as good as Emma is."
* Doctor_Harrison looks to Angler. "Perhaps you should go first. My specialties lie in sorrow..."
* Angler nods.
* Angler 's face tenses...
<~Daeren> Brad's gaze intensifies, you can practically feel it boring into you as you look in, and the Wyrd batters you again...but weaker. You plow straight through the Wyrd, avoiding triggering Sanction, and hear snippets of conversations circle around your head.
* Slashie (Slashie@sux-CF5F0FC2.mc.videotron.ca) Quit (Connection reset by peer)
* Slashie (Slashie@sux-CF5F0FC2.mc.videotron.ca) has joined #Legends
<~Daeren> "...Can't let panic..." "...public in danger..." "...necessary evil..." The words solidify into a single image in your head: The Hook doesn't care who it kills. It can feed from the fear of anyone. Mortal, Changeling, or otherwise, and nobody is sure when it will stop.
* Angler lets out an unpleasant hiss.
<~Daeren> You withdraw, and you see there were just enough loopholes in your actions that the Sanction barely avoided being triggered.
<Doctor_Harrison> "What? What happened?"
<~Daeren> You can actually feel it warp and twist, confused, not sure what to do...then you feel it fray and withdraw, giving up, avoiding paradox by eliminating the paradoxical element: the Pledge.
<Angler> "That was... sort of helpfu..." Trailing off at that strange, strange feeling.
<~Daeren> Brad smiles, and you can see a weight lift off his shoulders. "I can talk. I can tell you whatever you want."
* Angler lets out a chittering laugh, grinning widely at that.
* Doctor_Harrison claps Angler on the back.
<~Daeren> Brad spits. "Fuckin' Horace. He flipped out when Emma told him about the Hook, and made us swear not to talk about parts that would scare people. He overreacted, laid a sanction on us that would conspire events to strike us dumb if we talked, permanently."
<Angler> "What parts?"
<~Daeren> "Well, the Hook doesnt just kill Changelings. It kills anyone it can, and it feeds off fear. When it inspires fear, it grows stronger. That's why it strung the body up like that, it must have gotten a fucking three-course meal off each of you when you saw it."
<~Daeren> "If people heard about it and paniced, it would get so strong it could kill every Changeling in the city."
* Angler makes an eugh expression.
<~Daeren> "Horace was willing to let innocent people die to make sure the thing would slowly get starved of fear compared to what it could be getting, and make it move on."
<~Daeren> "The transformation thing though...that's new, Emma doesn't know what the fuck."
<Doctor_Harrison> "Maybe it's found a way to spread the fear without needing to do all the work itself."
<~Daeren> "This....monstrosity only seems to exist to sow terror. It doesnt barter with other True Fae or Hobs or anything. It simply kills to inspire terror and grow fat and powerful."
<~Daeren> He nods gravely. "That's what she thought."
<Angler> "...if it's going to start multiplying, then keeping it quiet won't work."
<~Daeren> A switch seems to flip in Brad's posture, he sits straight up, his enormous frame nearly dwarfing you even as he sits. "That's what I fucking told Horace, but the pig was so terrified that he acted on instinct like the fucking animal he is!"
* Willis is now known as DoctorGraf
* DoctorGraf (faggotry@sux-EFFD9871.cpe.ats.mcleodusa.net) Quit (Quit: WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE)
* DoctorGraf (faggotry@sux-EFFD9871.cpe.ats.mcleodusa.net) has joined #Legends
* Angler tenses up a little at that.
<Doctor_Harrison> "But going after it would just get more of us killed. That would feed it too."
<~Daeren> Brad stands up and paces, fuming. "The chucklefuck has always had his own interests in mind before that of the Courts, he runs the Courts like a business, doing just fine when there's nothing wrong, but as soon as there's a crisis, he has Emma find out about it, Molly cover it up, and sends me to go kill whatever won't be quiet!"
* Angler clicks his teeth sharply. "But if the last step isn't going to work..."
<~Daeren> He's boiling with the rage of Summer at this point.
<~Daeren> He suddenly smashes his fist into the wall, punching clean through the drywall and hittign the brick exterior of the building.
* Doctor_Harrison flinches at the display of useless violence.
<~Daeren> He withdraws his now slightly bloodied fist, and rubs it, snarling. "I'm gonna have a talk with Horace about this bullshit. We gotta figure a way to kill it or get rid of it or something. If we let it keep spawning monsters, the city's gonna find out about it sooner or later."
<Angler> "And then it'll just get worse."
* Doctor_Harrison holds up a hand in front of Brad. "Emma asked us, though, to leave Horace out of this. Might she have a good reason for that?"
<~Daeren> "She only said that because he'd activate the Sanction on her for opening her mouth!"
* Angler fidgets a bit. "We should see if she's still affected by the pledge..."
<~Daeren> He shakes his head. "It's all broken."
<Doctor_Harrison> "So the only thing left to do is confront Horace. He is King, after all. And he's the one that put you into this pledge in the first place."
<~Daeren> He nods.
* Angler lets out a sigh. "I guess that's the case."
<~Daeren> "By the way...thanks for breaking it for us. I'm sure Molly will be happy too."

<~Daeren|Storytelling> Last time, the group discovered that the four Court leaders had been bound to a pledge of silence over aspects of the Hook they wanted to remain secret. However,  thanks to Angler's cunning use of loopholes, the pledge is broken, and the group is faced with the stark reality of the danger the Hook truly faces.
<Harvey_Wallis> "We need weapons, some way to take this thing down. What we have right now just don't cut it."
* Freya_Eldr mulls to herself as they stand in front of Brad's home, running her fingers across her chin and playing over the burnt flesh. "Perhaps a hose of flame? Purge the sin of existence with the pure heat."
<Willis> "This thing...could we catch it and then eliminate it?"
<Willis> "Trap it in a cage, or something."
* DoctorHarrison nods after a moment. "However it's done, it must be done. The boy who's been infected, he could be...taken care of like the previous one. The creature itself, though...seemed to be able to disappear at will."
<DoctorHarrison> "It acts within the legend, though...maybe it must act within the legend. Can we turn that against it?"
<Harvey_Wallis> "Anyone got a hot yet frigid girlfriend?"
<Willis> "What was the reason for the killings in the legend?"
<Harvey_Wallis> "Horny teenagers."
<DoctorHarrison> "Yes, they would park in some secluded spot and the killer would nab one of them...but always leave one alive..."
<Freya_Eldr> "Is the changed one bound by the bard's tale as well?"
<Harvey_Wallis> "Probably, maybe we should go back to Emma's and get a book about Urban Myth?"
<DoctorHarrison> "Perhaps there is some detail we missed."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Maybe, let's go to Emma's, again."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The group piles into the car, and drives back to Emma's library. They arrive to see her at the desk, looking much more calm than they left her. It's obvious that the pledge has left her, and she feels freed for it.
<Harvey_Wallis> "HELLO."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> She looks up. "Oh! Hello." She's smiling slightly. "Thank you so much."
* DoctorHarrison follows Harvey into the library and nods to Emma. "It had to be done. And now we're hoping to do a little research on the...matter at hand."
* Freya_Eldr gives Emma a respectful nod and a smile, letting Harrison talk.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> She nods. "Of course, I think you should be able to find something in here."
<Harvey_Wallis> "We need a book on Urban Legend and Myth, also on puberty."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> She thinks for a second. "Should be in these sections." She hands you some cards for books to start on
* DoctorHarrison smiles thinly. "I think just the Urban Legends will do, for now, especially if you have anything on Arlonsville's local legends."
Harvey_Wallis grabs some cards that date back to the 1960s and previous years.
* Willis is now known as DoctorGraf
* DoctorGraf has quit IRC (Quit: Good news everyone! I have invented a device that lets you read this in your head in my voice!)
<~Daeren|Storytelling> You skim the first few books, but dont find anything relevant.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Freya stumbles across a collection of urban legends she'd never read before, and reads on about a killer that indoctrinated people to its own cause. Looks like it can only create minions itself, but the illusion of being in dozens of places at once more than makes up for it.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Harrison notices a trend throughout most of them: stories in which the people get away or survive often involve the Hook losing its namesake impliment, often through dumb luck on parts of the survivors.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Harvey notes that the Hook only seems to go after people currently in illicit activities in the stories, as the legend is usually a cautionary tale.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Arlonsville's park is thought to have 'protector spirits' by some of the local crystal wavers, and the mountain has more than its fair share of strange sightings. Of note, you find a report on an abandoned ranger station on the mountain (which you know has a Gateway nearby) that was closed due to 'structural problems,' but had a large amount of injuries and unexplained occurances.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Other than that, you get a bunch of crap about ley lines and shit that seems like someone took too much brown acid and went on a stroll.
* DoctorHarrison meets with his compatriots in the middle of the library to compare notes.
<Harvey_Wallis> "I found out that Hook-hand only goes after the bad children doing bad things in the heat of the night. Sounds like he may have been a frustrated virgin in a past life."
<DoctorHarrison> "And if we quite literally disarm it, it may be banished for good."
<Freya_Eldr> "Assuming the changed one is bound by the tales, they cannot pass on the curse of their existence."
<DoctorHarrison> "And learly, if we hope to do anything, we'll have to do it on the mountain. In the woods. Our people so rarely go up there, I think it might be using the various gateways with impunity. Maybe we can set a trap?"
<Freya_Eldr> "Is there a location it favors? Trap the spider within it's own web?"
* DoctorHarrison taps the book about the ranger station. "I don't like the idea, but it's the only one we have."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Traps need bait too y'know."
* Leviathan is now known as Angler
<Angler> "Hnn... how do we know it won't grow the hook back?"
<DoctorHarrison> "We don't, but...it doesn't happen that way in the story. The teens drive away and it rips the hook from the killer and that's the end."
<Freya_Eldr> "It's heart is it's hook?"
<DoctorHarrison> "The hook is the point of the tale. The Hook Handed Man."
* Freya_Eldr nods, understanding. "Remove the heart, slay the beast."
<DoctorHarrison> "So what will be our bait?"
* Angler frowns a little, unsurely.
* Freya_Eldr looks over to Angler. "Perhaps one we know?"
* Angler 's eyebrows go up.
<DoctorHarrison> "Someone who could be anyone?"
<Angler> "You forget that the stories have two teenagers."
* Freya_Eldr gives Angler as reassuring a smile as she can, before turning to look over the others. "We require additional bait."
* Harvey_Wallis has quit IRC (Software caused connection abort)
* DoctorHarrison glances at Freya. "My dear, I think you might be the only other one of us that can act as bair."
* Mitchell_Henderson has joined #Legends
* Mitchell_Henderson is now known as Harvey_Wallis
* Freya_Eldr looks down at herself with a frown. "Very well. The burned one will go on display."
* Angler 's mouth quirks. "There has to be a more-fitting way..."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Why not get Brad and Emma to do it?"
<Harvey_Wallis> "They still relatively young looking."
<Angler> "Mmm... might work. They're strong enough to probably get away if things go bad, at least..."
<Freya_Eldr> "Will they find the time to be hung from the hook?"
* Freya_Eldr frowns for a moment, realizing it was a bad choice of words.
<DoctorHarrison> "Well, Emma is here. Ask her."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Freya, you do it. You have the fanciful words."
* Freya_Eldr gives Harvey a short look, before getting up and heading over to Emma, waving slightly to get her attention. "Autumn, we have plotted a web for the spider to catch in, but require aid."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Emma nods. "What do you need, Freya?"
* Angler shuffles over after Freya. He definitely wants to see Emma's reaction.
<Freya_Eldr> "To be curt, a fly. Yourself and Summer."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> She thinks for a moment, then flushes red as she realizes what you mean. "I..is that entirely necessary?"
<Angler> "It could be someone else, but if someone's going to be bait, it seems best if they can survive it..."
Freya_Eldr looks over to Angler. "Another consort could be found."
<Harvey_Wallis> "True, but Brad seems to be especially well-versed in fighting the supernatural."
* Angler waggles his eyebrows at the word 'consort'.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> She is quiet for a moment. "I suppose I can ask him. Are we hunting the spawn or the Fae?"
<Harvey_Wallis> "Both, if possible.
<Freya_Eldr> "The propagator is likely to come, if we hold ourselves to the tales."
<DoctorHarrison> "We must take care of the minion...or minions it's created, but the...the fae itself must be dealt with."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> "If we're hunting the Fae, I believe I need to reiterate how powerful it is. You surely felt its strength when you...you saw it working."
<Freya_Eldr> "Then best for our flies to be lions."
<Angler> "If the hook can be removed, it might go away, is that the thought is."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> She pauses at that. "It might, but it might not. Certainly disarming it would be effective, but I would not trust my life on it."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Look, we faced down its spawn last time and did a pretty bang-up job of it. If we've got both you and Brad with us, we should take it down in no time."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> "Plus, there is the troubles of actually doing so."
<Freya_Eldr> "I believe we must act roles for us to draw the curtain upon it."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> She nods grimly. "I'll ask Brad. Where are we going to...?"
<DoctorHarrison> "There is a disused ranger station...you may know of the gateway there..."
<Angler> "It should be fairly simple, in theory... go for the arm, run like hell if it doesn't work."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> She nods. "If it's the spawn, we kill it, if the Fae shows up, try what we can and run if we cannot."
<Angler> "Y'know... if you're going to fill the 'naughty teenagers' role, you should at least get outfits to match."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> "I...suppose."
* Harvey_Wallis lowers his face to the inside of his hand.
* Angler winks lasciviously at Emma, in a 'trust me you'll like it in bed later' way.
* Freya_Eldr grabs Angler by one ear, pulling him a bit away from Emma. "If it is required, you are welcome to my coverings."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Emma nods. "Thank you, Freya."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Harvey attempts to stir up glamour at a coffee house by screaming "FUCK THE JEWS," but he is blithely ignored.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Freya plays with a lighter near the burn ward, feeding on the patient's delicious fear before she is ushered out by rather annoyed nurses.
* DoctorHarrison meets with the girl who lost both her friends in the woods, giving her counseling as best as he can. He feeds off the sorrow emanating from her in waves, the sheer horror of losing her friends. It steels him for the task at hand.
* Harvey_Wallis works a shift at the flower store. Awww yeh bitches love daffodils.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The girl thanks you for helping her, and gives you a small hug as she leaves.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Harvey works a shift at the store, and gives a beautiful arrangement of flowers to a young man who wanted them for his fiance'. His joy at the beauty of the arrangement is palpable, and gives Harvey a surge of glamour.
<Harvey_Wallis> "yeah ladies love daffodils."
* Angler does some general flirting around the local teenage hangouts, and takes the time to snatch the wallet from one promising-looking target and run. The fed-upon anger is surprisingly invigorating.
* Angler drops in on a few thrift stores, afterwards.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> You find a few bits of clothing that work, but it costs you pretty much everything you stole earlier.
* Angler shrugs. Could be worse.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Time passes...
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The group has gathered outside the ranger station on the side of Mount Arlon. The building is old and dilapidated, but has held up well for being abandoned for several decades.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> There is a spectacular view of the city nearby, as a sudden drop in the mountain allows a panoramic view above the trees.
* Angler proffers the acquired clothing to Brad and Emma.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> You see a Corvette driving up the road to meet you, and it parks next to the building, as Brad and Emma emerge in the clothes Angler bought them. Emma is dressed as a cheerleader in slightly-too-big clothes, and Brad is wearing a slightly-too-small football jersey and sweatpants.
* Harvey_Wallis snrks.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Brad looks grimly determined, and Emma looks nervous.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Here, some flowers to make the illusion complete. Plus they're in season."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Emma takes them. "Thank you, Harvey."
* Harvey_Wallis does some obnoxious handjive.
* Freya_Eldr pokes her nose around the ranger station, looking closely at the wood.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Freya notes its mostly made of brick, with a wooden porch area, but the roof is wooden and there are vines creeping in most of the walls. It would burn, but it wouldnt catastrophically collapse.
<DoctorHarrison> "Emma and Brad will be in the car...maybe we should take up a spot in the station itself?"
Freya_Eldr frowns to herself, muttering what might be something about being dissapointed.
* DoctorHarrison has his gun out already.
* Harvey_Wallis sits in some bushes near the car, holding his hoe in is hand.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Emma nods. "That might be a good idea."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> You notice that there is a lookout tower on/in the station.
* Angler can't find any good hiding spaces. Shit.
* Freya_Eldr moves herself to the lookout tower.
* DoctorHarrison takes up a hiding spot just inside the front door to the station.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Entering the station, there is a welcoming lobby with a counter and a door behind it. There are faded pictures of cartoon characters giving foresting tips, and doors to the left and right.
* Angler about joins Harrison.
* Angler hisses over in the direction of the car, "And when you make out, do it like you mean it!"
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Freya moves through the building to the tower, noting more rooms about information with the characters, and enters a bird watching shed at the back before going up the stairs to the tower.
* Freya_Eldr checks the shed for binoculars before she heads up, trying to find something to improve her vision.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Freya finds an old pair covered in grime, but they appear to work.
* Freya_Eldr wipes the grime off on her shirt, before heading up the staircase and into the tower.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Freya has a beautiful scene of the city and the forest around her. It's obvious why the station was built here, and it's a pity that it was shut down.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Emma and Brad get into the car, and after a few minutes you can note it rocking slightly. You can practically feel the awkwardness emanating from the car.
* Harvey_Wallis chuckles to himself. THEM SILLY KIDS.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Freya can see something very strange in the surrounding forest. Its almost as though part of the woods is darker, and the section is moving towards the clearing...
* Freya_Eldr watches that section carefully with her binoculars, trying to spot something and avoid the temptation to spy on the "lovers".
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Harvey starts feeling a familiar chill running up and down his spine as every nerve in his body starts sending messages to his brain telling him to run.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Freya can see bushes and trees moving, not as if something was brushing them aside, but as if they were desperately trying to get AWAY from something.
* Freya_Eldr frowns, realizing she has no way of warning the others from up here.
Angler would totally be spying on them if he had binoculars. Fff.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Freya and Harrison hear glass shattering in a room next to the lobby, and gurgling breathing.
<DoctorHarrison> "What? Something is in here with us!"
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Harvey reaches out with his hoe slowly to tap the car, but can't quite reach. He tries to lean out to tap it, but loses his balance and falls out of the bush. Freya can see the dark patch of the forest nearing the clearing...
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Harrison can hear something moving just beyond the door...
* Freya_Eldr thinks for a moment, looking between the clearing and the house below her. But only one is close enough to burn. With a grin on her face, she rushes down the staircase two at a time, hurrying to try and get to the lobby.
* DoctorHarrison meets Freya in the lobby, his gun drawn. Slowly, he opens the door.
* Harvey_Wallis gets up and proceeds to bang on the car door, "It's here!"
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Freya reaches the ground floor just as she hears a crashing noise, and the door to the lobby crashes open. A large, grotesquely muscled man in a torn hoodie is there, eyes wild, right hand replaced by the horrible fusion of bone and metal. It shrieks a horrible, piercing scream, and an enormous figure bursts from the treeline, clad in black trappings, head covered with black bandages and goggles.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The enormous figure strides towards the car, and smacks Harvey away with an enormous swing of its free hand.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Harvey sails through the air and lands ten feet away hard on his ass as the Hook brandishes an enormous claw, currently looking like an enormous sharpened fish-hook.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> It begins to tear the roof of the car open, and you can hear Emma screaming.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Meanwhile, the spawn shrieks and leaps towards Angler.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Oh no, not today big boy, not today."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Angler dodges from the tackling attack, but gets a gash across his chest anyways. The man is howling and gibbering, and its obvious his mutations have run rampant.
* Angler yowls and spits (literally) at the spawn.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> You can hear a defiant scream from inside the car, and Brad stands up, punching through the remainder of the roof, waves of rage palpably emanating from him.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> You can practically see his muscles grow larger and his body grow tougher, and the power of Summer raging through him.
* Angler returns the tackle, latching onto the spawn with fingerlike claws, trying to smash his opponent in the face with a palm while he does so.
Harvey_Wallis gets up from the ground, clutching at the dirt with his left hand and curling it into a fist. Harvey charges at the creature, swallowing his fear and stuffing it into a pit in his stomach, leaping up and PAUNCHING the monstrosity in the face, giving the creature a close-up of his mein, his wrinkles turning into deep cracks in the darkest of tree bark, his hair and eyebrows turning into deep green spanish moss. "TASTE MY WOOD BEASTIE."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The Fae doesnt even move. It barely registers your presence, and your punch is utterly ignored as it focuses on Brad and Emma.
* Freya_Eldr lights up with flame as she strides through the ranger station, a manic grin on her face as she approached both Angler and the spawn. "Let me show you the beauty of fire." The grin stays on her face as she moves in close, swiping at the spawn with her hands, letting the fire that encompassed her do the work for her.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The spawn screams as the flames rake across it, the hoodie becoming singed as the fires are put out by a black ichor that leaks out from its body.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Emma scrambles out of the car, and turns to the hook, pointing a finger at it and yelling something in a language none of you can understand.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> A thick haze of smoke surrounds the Hook's head, but it waves it away, stepping to the side to avoid it.
* DoctorHarrison steps outside and raises the gun, firing off a single shot. It doesn't miss, but PINGS off the fae's goggles in a buzzing ricochet.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The Fae turns its head and stares at Harrison, and he feels like just jumped into ice water. The Fae turns back to Brad and swings its hook at him.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The hook rips out a huge chunk of Brad's flesh, but he yells defiantly, still standing tall, fueled by Summer.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Brad backs up and attempts to lift the car...
<~Daeren|Storytelling> He lifts the entire car over his head, and the Hook actually seems to be afraid for a moment, Brad then brings it smashing down on the Hook's head.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The hook is trapped by the Car, but looks mostly unscathed aside from a few gashes from the metal. Emma looks terrified, but Brad takes it as a challenge to PUNCH HARDER.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The spawn goes limp for a moment in Angler's arms....then flails wildly in the moment of confusion, going for Angler's throat.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> It gashes Angler across the collarbone, and Angler is finding it very hard to keep it restrained.
Angler hisses loudly, almost screeching.
* Freya_Eldr frowns at it flailing, using the distraction to swipe across it's chest with the pure, cleasning flame. She would burn it to the ground, burn it to a crisp, burn it and everything around it until nothing was left, letting herself slip slightly into her lust for fire.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The spawn screams again, the marred section of the hoodie getting wider.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Angler's mouth opens impossibly wide, dozens of fangs popping out, and bites into the spawn's arm. However, the spawn jerks its arm the wrong way, snapping its own arm to throw Angler off. You can see it pop the bone back into place as it snarls.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Emma produces a small dagger and runs up to the Hook, attempting to jam it into its neck.
<Harvey_Wallis> "NO, THE HOOK. THE HOOK EMMA."
<Harvey_Wallis> "awwwh asss, white peeplz always be ignoring me."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The Hook screams in mortal agony as you hear a horrible sizzling noise coming from the wound as she twists the cold iron knife.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Emma, I'm going to borrow this for a little bit."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Emma yanks the knife out of the wound, avoiding the spray of black blood, and gives it to you.
* Harvey_Wallis raises the knife up and stabs it into the hook-arm of the beast, cutting apart tendons of steel and through muscle of metal.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Harvey grabs the knife and saws at the Hook's right arm, and it writhes and wiggles trying to break free of the car. You make decent headway into severing the arm, but the arm is also getting dangerously close to being freed...
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Harrison takes careful aim and fires his gun at the Hook's arm, and the little insect punches into the rift Harvey made and begins chewing voraciously at the arm, nearly severing it before the Hook's muscular actions crush it.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The Hook finally frees its now quite comprimised arm, and flails it wildly towards Harvey...
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The Hook rakes across Harvey's chest, and you can actually see the gash in its arm seal up with the blood it spilled. The Hook rips its other arm free and roars.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Oh ass."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Brad yells again, and grabs the Hook's forearm and its upper arm. He begins to PULL, and you can see his muscles strain as he attempts to rip the arm in two. The Fae screams, and reflexively tries to knit the wound together, but Brad slowly tears the wound open more.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The spawn, meanwhile, attempts to break free from Angler.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The spawn barely wriggles free from Angler, backing up into the room it emerged from, gurgling.
Freya_Eldr grins as the spawn breaks free, striding after it, laughing as she goes. "No escaping the flame." She drags her flaming hand along the door absentmindedly as she looks about the room, trying to spot the spawn.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> You see a room with a shattered window that you passed through on the way to the tower, faded cartoon animals displaying maps and camping tips. This was obviously a visitor's information room. The spawn is backing slowly towards the window.
* Freya_Eldr grins as it tries to back off. "No, no, you're all ready in the web." She throws herself across the room at the spawn, slashing at it with the flames that covered her body, laughing as she goes in for the kill.
* Angler hesitates a moment, then runs at the Hook, trying to pounce on the back of its head.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Angler wraps around the Hook's head, and it howls, flailing around to try to tear him off. Prolonged contact with it, though, makes you feel like you're taking a bath in liquid nitrogen.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Angler shudders uncontrollably, but ignores every single instinct he has in order to hang on.
* Angler whines sharply like an upset cat, though his teeth still try to snap at the fae's head and neck.
* Harvey_Wallis cuts deeply into the arm, severing tendons and slicing through muscle as Brad pulls on the other end, stretching the tissue in the arm apart, allowing Harvey to cut like a surgeon. Then, Harvey begins to cut through the bone which the knife goes through like hot butter, letting loose a fountain of blood as the knife finally cuts through the entirety of thhe arm.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The Hook wails....twitches....and starts wildly grasping for its arm.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> It's not dying.
* Harvey_Wallis kicks it off the mountain FUCK YOU.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The Hook reaches desperately for the arm, but slowly seems to become enveloped in shadow, as though someone was turning the brightness down on it, as it becomes a mass of darkness. Angler and Brad are forced to let go as a horrible chill runs through them, and the darkness suddenly....disappears, and light itself seems to suck back into the vacuum it left. Brad is left clutching the arm.
* Angler pants, growling in the back of his throat.
* DoctorHarrison dashes back into the room where Freya is tackling with the spawn.
* DoctorHarrison snaps off a shot with the pistol, sending another one of those angry, buzzing projectiles at the spawn. It just nails the creature in the arm, the bullet chewing through flesh before popping free, leaving a ragged flesh wound.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> It howls, and leaps towards Freya in a last ditch attack
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The spawn tears eagerly into you, ripping you open and tearing out stips of flesh and gibbering.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> It ignores the flames licking at its hands as it attacks.
Freya_Eldr howls back at it in defiance, spinning away from the ragged wounds it tore open in her. She charges back in recklessly, determined to burn it to a crisp, swiping at it with her own flames as she yells at it.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> It staggers back, and vomits up a glob of bloody ichor, but shrieks back at you, determined to fight until it can't move.
* Angler stumbles to his feet, heading inside a bit haphazardly, and finally snarling and charging at the spawn as he sees it.
* Harvey_Wallis tosses the knife back to Emma as he TURBOGLIDES into the house to see what the fuck's on.
* DoctorHarrison steps over to the spawn, lying and writhing on the ground and brings up his gun. He fires off another shot, down at the prostrate creature, blowing another hole in its flesh for the buzzing, burrowing projectile to dig into.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The spawn screams one last scream...and the insect burrows its way into its throat, cutting off the scream with a gurgle, and the spawn finally lies still.
* Angler drops it to the floor and stomps its throat a few times.
* Freya_Eldr walks up beside Angler, still on fire. "Step back."
* Angler hisses, but shuffles backwards, half-crouching.
* DoctorHarrison steps back from the body as well, panting.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Damn.'
* Freya_Eldr crouches down with a smile, placing one hand on the chest of the spawn. The fire on her leaps down her arm and dances over the body, lighting it on fire as she stepped back to watch it slowly burn into ash.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The body convulses, and a horrible, strained, gurgling wail erupts from it. The fire starts to spread across the floor as fat and ichor drip out, and the flames start crawling towards the vine-coated walls...
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The fire begins to light the vines, and the fire begins to spread rapidly through and out of the room.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Let it burn, let's just get outta here!"{
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The roof above you is now aflame, and chunks are beginning to fall.
* DoctorHarrison takes Harvey's advice and dashes from the dilapidated building.
* Freya_Eldr sits back and watches, not leaving the room even as it catches fire. Her abilities protects her as she watch the room go up in flames, letting the heat wash over her, stepping casually out of the way as chunks fall, induling herself in her lust for flame.
* Angler scrambles outside.
* Harvey_Wallis GETS THE FUCK OUTTA DODGE.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The rest of the group runs outside and stands beside a now-exhausted (and rather heavily wounded) Brad and Emma as they watch the station slowly begin to burn to the ground, the brick walls crumbling from the heat. Brad uses a Contract to prevent the blaze from reaching the forest, but lets the ranger station slowly burn down as the sun sets on the horizon.
<Angler> "We should go before this gets unfriendly attention..."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Emma looks towards the arm. "It's not dead."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> "It's still intact. It's not dead. It used the Gateway."
<Angler> "But it's gotta be hurting pretty damn bad, and we're in one piece. You think it's going to want to come back if this'll just happen again?"
<~Daeren|Storytelling> "It will come back for the Hook, eventually. But for now, it's going to lick its wounds. We should take this as a breather, figure out a more permanent way of destroying it."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The group watches the station burn in silence as Freya dances orgastically in the flames, and the city lights twinkle in the distance.

<~Daeren|Storytelling> Last time, the group ran an errand for Emma, and were faced with one of many examples of what the True Fae can do to a man. The experience was...trying, to say the least.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Now the group is back dealing with their normal lives again, the thought of the Hook buried back deep in their minds
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Harvey is tending his store as normal, when he suddenly gets a tingle on the back of his neck, a subtle feeling of something bad about to happen. He looks up and sees a very...stereotypical-looking gangsta walking in. He has the classic pimp lean, sports jersey, shades, cornrows, the whole nine yards. You find it hard to believe that there's someone who actually dresses like this.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The man walks up to the counter and pulls out a glock, holding it in the classical "looks cool, jams like crazy" pose. He pulls back his lip, revealing his front four front teeth are gold and have letters. "Gimme all the money in your register." Strangely enough, on close inspection of his teeth, they appear to say..."dick"?
<Harvey_Wallis> "Are you seriously robbing a flower shop? Honestly, the Blockbuster down the street gets more customers than us."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The man looks confused for a moment, then sneers. "I just do what I'm told, holmes."
<Harvey_Wallis> "When your grandmother told you to get some lettuce from the herbal shop, I don't think she meant money."
* Harvey_Wallis GET gun. Harvey gets gun!
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The man is completely confused at his sudden lack of gun.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> "What the fu-?"
<Harvey_Wallis> "You're already dead."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The man freezes for a moment, then turns and begins sprinting for the door.
* Harvey_Wallis grabs the thug by the wrist and instantly flips him on his back, locking his wrist in place and twisting it, hard.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Go back to your grandmother's and give her a kiss on the cheek, for me."
* Harvey_Wallis lets go of the thug, stashes GUN in INVENTORY.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The man lets out a girly scream.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Have a nice day!"
<~Daeren|Storytelling> You let the man go, and he staggers to the door. He turns and sneers again. "Yo ain't heard the last from Rick!" He then runs away like a little bitch.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> You*
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The store owner comes down from the upstairs. "Hey, I heard some noise. What's goin on?"
<Harvey_Wallis> "Just a guy who didn't realize he had violent seasonal allergies."
~Daeren|Storytelling> The owner winces slightly. He's a gaunt white guy, very middle class. "He didn't get any on the plants, did he?"
<Harvey_Wallis> "No sir."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> "That's good. Well, I'll go back to tending the plants, then."
* Farseer_Reiz has joined #legends
* Farseer_Reiz is now known as Freya_Eldr
<Freya_Eldr> !dm9001 lastlines #50
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Angler ducks out of a sit-in chinese restaurant, grinning to himself. Another successful dine-and-dash under the belt. He walks down the street, shifting his disguise, and walks on by a man at a card-table shuffling cups. "You, sir! Want to try your luck at a game?"
<Angler> "Eh... a'right, I'll give it a try." Angler pads his way over.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The man is whipcord thin, and has a small, constant smile. His hands work like spiders, and the cups are whipping around at quickened speed.
* Freya_Eldr is now known as Reiz
<~Daeren|Storytelling> You're able to locate which cup the ball is under rather easily, and man's thin smile widens. "Ahh, good job, sir! You must be an old hand at this. Care to play for some wagers?"
* Reiz is now known as Freya_Eldr
* Angler licks his lips, and nods after a moment of thought.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> "Let's start at five dollars, shall we?" He puts a fiver down.
* Angler fishes the money out of his pocket, setting it along with the man's bill.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> You follow the cups and are positive you have the right one..but it turns out that it wasn't. "Ohh, bad luck." The man takes the bills. "Want to play again? Must have been distracted."
<Angler> "Of course." Angler fishes out a bit more money.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> His pattern is simpler this time, and you're actually confident enough in watching the cups your gaze moves slightly up...and you notice the man is staring at you. the grin is still on his lips, but it seems more painted on. His eyes have a strange gleam behind them, almost appraising.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> He stops, and gestures to the cups. "Which one, good sir?"
* Angler lets out a soft breath, and indicates one of the cups after a moment.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> He lifts the cup, and indeed the ball is there. "Ahh, good job!" He hands you back your money, you've made a few dollars out of the deal. "Want to play again?" His eyes gleam at you. There's something oddly familiar about them.
<Angler> "Oh, I guess I'll give it one more try..." He offers up some of the money again.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> You focus more intently this time trying to use your contract, you get mixed information, and lose track of the ball-cup. The man's grin widens slightly. "Take your pick."
* Angler picks the one on the right.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> He tips the three cups, and the ball is nowhere to be seen. He reaches out, and 'pulls' it out from your ear. "Ahh, pardon my theatrics, but I simply could'nt resist. Here, have your money back."
<Angler> "Ah! Oh, thank you..." The look of amusement is mostly genuine.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> There's a small line behind you at this point of curious onlookers. "Ahh, well sir, I think I must keep the line moving. If you please?"
* Angler nods, moving to the side but matching eye contact with the man for a moment.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The man's eyes stay locked with yours, and you finally recognize what the gleam in his eyes is, and why it was so familiar: it's hunger. The eyes flick back to the person in front of him, and the gleam gives way to the standard huckster's grin..
* Angler slides away down a side street, changes guises once out of view, and goes back around the block to come back upon the man and watch him as a seemingly different member of the little audience.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The man is jovially dealing with his customers, and seems to be roughly breaking even. The hungry look in his eyes you saw seems to be gone.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The man's eyes scan the crowd again, going over you...then flicking back for just a moment. You can see the gleam return, and the grin becomes a knowing leer. he turns back to his customer after a moment, once he is sure you saw him.
* Angler is rather discomforted by this, though he doesn't let it plainly show.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The man seems content enough to ignore you in favor of the crowd.
* Angler finds somewhere out-of-the-way to watch, sits, and waits. And watches. Stone-still, practically, with the sort of meditative patience of a trained monk (or, perhaps, a cat).
<~Daeren|Storytelling> An hour or so passes, and eventually the man tucks away his money and cups, fools up the table, and walks down the street and turns into an alleyway.
* Angler slinks softly after the fellow once sure he's not looking.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> You follow him to the alleyway he entered, and are able to shadow him through a few turns. After one turn, he's simply gone. You can find no trace of him.
* Angler grimaces unhappily and slinks away, looking for a neighborhood cat or two.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> You're able to find a fuzzy, mangy looking stray currently cleaning itself. It looks up at you appraisingly, and lets out a low mewling growl.
* Angler crouches, fishing in a pocket for a bit of jerky to tear open and offer. "Mrrow, hello, small one. I'll gift you the name Estoclesias if you'll answer me a question or two." He bobs his head slightly.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The cat sits in that regal pose cats do, and sniffs at the jerky. "Speak, Mercury."
<Angler> "There's a man who does a little street game around here, with a normal face but a voracious heart... might you know anything about him?"
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The cat's tail swishes, and its fur puffs up. "The hollow one. Stay far from it, and beware its hunger. I do not wish to speak more of it, for its hunger does not merely range within the boundaries of the unnatural."
<Angler> "I understand. Thank you." Angler nods slightly and leaves the rest of the jerky for the cat before slinking away.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The cat gnaws on the jerky happily. "Mmm. Teriyaki, thanks."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Doctor Harrison sits in his office, currently taking a part a small wristwatch idly. He's had his last appointment for the day, and is currently wiling away the hours before sleep.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> There's a knock at the door, and a familiar voice. "Eh, Harrison, ye in there?" Sounds like Molly.
* DoctorHarrison glances up from his 'work', away from the magnifying lens mounted to the table. The wristwatch is spread out on a cloth in rather tidy arrangement of bits. He pauses for a moment, as if unsure he wants to answer. Then, "Of course, Molly. Come in."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The door opens, and Molly steps in. The ambient temperature of the room drops noticably as the Snowskin enters, and walks over. "What're ye workin on?"
* DoctorHarrison has his own chilled mien, so the drop in temperature doesn't bother him too much. "Just a distraction, m'dear, before I turn in." He folds the cloth over in half, and sweeps the whole thing into a trashcan just off the side of his desk. Taken apart with no intent on putting it back together. "Was there something you needed?" the gremlin asks, turning  to face her, long fingers folded in that...
* DoctorHarrison ...patient, clinical manner.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> "I was around and decided t'check on ye. See how yer copin' with it." She looks slightly concerned, which is an odd show of emotion from her for once (at least, emotion that isn't annoyance or sadness.) "Not too many of us v'seen a True Fae and lived, much less gotten out the better."
<DoctorHarrison> "Well, we've all done it once, haven't we? Doing it a second time was not something I would have wanted, but it's too late for that." He sighs heavily. "As far as I'm concerned, it was necessary if only to prove that we need to keep our heads down, lest we all end up gutted." He carefully takes off his glasses and proceeds to clean them with another soft cloth. "But to answer your question,...
<DoctorHarrison> ...yes...I'm fine enough, Molly." Never mind the nightmares that still keep him awake.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> "Ye don't look it, dear. If ye ever need help, you know you have the Court on yer side. Ye provide a great service to us." She fishes in a coat pocket for a moment, and hands you what looks like a tiny, crystallized snowflake. Oddly, it doesn't melt in your hand. "Just squeeze this and pour some glamour in if ye ever get into a real fix, 'kay?"
* DoctorHarrison puts his glasses back on and peers at the crystalline thing he holds in the palm of his hand. "Of course, Molly. Winter is...Winter is my anchor. Thank you for that," he replies, closing his long fingers about the snowflake. "Hopefully, I'll never be in another 'fix' again." A wan smile as he puts his glasses back on. The sad reality is that none of the Lost could ever hope for that to be true.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> She smiles at you sweetly. Molly is far more open amongst her own court. "Just be safe." She ruffles your hair a bit, and heads out.

<~Daeren> Last time, the group lived their normal day-to-day lives. Harvey dealt with a horribly botched robbery, Harrison had a meeting with Molly, and Angler dealt with a strange street magician.
<~Daeren> As the sun rises on a new day, each member of the motley reflects and prepares themselves for whatever is to come.
* DoctorGraf is now known as Graf|UrQuanMasters
* Graf|UrQuanMasters is now known as GrafIsAway
* DoctorHarrison wakes himself early, before the sun is up. Some half remembered nightmare he's all too happy to escape from. First comes his shower, his careful shave, preparing himself for the day. Then he makes a meager meal out of oatmeal and brown sugar, while poring over the morning edition of the paper.
* Harvey_Wallis is already awake and doing some MAD PUSHUPS to the Blues Jamboree station.
<~Daeren> Harrison turns to the local section and reads something that makes his blood run cold. "Brutal Slaying in Lily Park: Killer Still At Large."
<~Daeren> Harrison vaguely recalls the stories of massive pacts of peace in the park, but doesn't recall the details. Still, the idea of a killing occuring and the killer not having been found yet deeply worries him.
* DoctorHarrison folds the paper up with that and slides his unfinished bowl of oatmeal to the side. Breakfast and cleaning will have to wait. He's going to ask Winter about this.
<~Daeren> Harvey hears a similar report over the radio. He immediately realizes that the Park itself enforces brutal retribution on those who break its pact: if the killer hasn't been found, either he will NEVER be found, or the killer is disturbingly canny and powerful. The idea of the second option is greatly disturbing. The mere fact that something or someone would do this at all is also troubling,
<~Daeren> considering even mortals tend to shy away from crime there.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Shoot, looks like I'm gonna have to take another sick day from work."
* Harvey_Wallis slips a coat on and heads towards Molly's.
<~Daeren> Another odd note: neither the paper or the radio mentioned how or where the body was found. Something of an odd omission. All that was said is it was "evidence of an exceptionally disturbed and violent perpetrator."
* Harvey_Wallis decides he should talk to the King of Spring before seeing Molly.
<~Daeren> The two head to their respective court leaders. Harvey heads to the landscaping building, and Harrison heads to Molly's modest home in the suburbs.
<~Daeren> Harvey enters the landscaping building and heads up to Horace's floor, and sees his secretary. She looks up from her work. "Hello, Mr. Wallis. Is Horace expecting you?"
* Harvey_Wallis shakes his head, "No, but I'm here to see if he was expecting something else."
<~Daeren> She shrugs, and presses a buzzer. "Excuse me sir, but Mr. Wallis is here to see you." A voice responds. "Send him in."
<~Daeren> She gestures to the door.
* Harvey_Wallis makes a grand entrance.
<~Daeren> You see Horace at his desk filing paperwork. He looks somewhat grim, or at least his piggish countenance seems to be. "What is it, Harvey? I'm rather busy at the moment."
<Harvey_Wallis> "You keepin' up with the news, sir?"
<~Daeren> "What do you think I'm doing right now? I've got half the Changelings in the city breathing down my neck about this." He shoots a glare up. "No, it has nothing to do with the Hook. We've checked."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Alright Horace, alright, but you have to understand that you can't cover this shit up anymore. It's virtually impossible, so if you got something you need to fess up, now's the time."
<~Daeren> He sets down his pen and gives you a cold gaze, a strange sight from a Beast. "There's nothing being hidden about this except to the mortal press. If the newspapers said "Gnawed bones and strips of flesh found near playground" do you really think that would go over well? How about "Half of a skull discovered half-buried in dirt?" They still have no idea who the victim was, and the Park is pissed.
<~Daeren> Something got in and out just before it could retaliate, and it is ANGRY."
<Harvey_Wallis> "The park? As in the park itself is a sentinent being?"
<~Daeren> Horace sighs. "Shit, even we don't know exactly what it is. All we know is when bad things happen in the park, whatever caused the bad things tends to meet a horrible end. That, and the place practically resonates with emotion. Normally it's happy, idyllic, the sort of stuff that attracts high income families. Now it's radiating confusion and rage. What do you think that's going to do to the city?"
<Harvey_Wallis> "Raise tax rates?"
<~Daeren> Horace glares.
<~Daeren> "Here's the thing. The park wants blood. We have no idea where the blood is. If it doesn't get the blood it wants soon, things are probably going to get really bad."
<~Daeren> Horace gestures to his paperwork. "Release forms for a guy with triple life on death row. We're gonna see if this works to calm it down."
<Harvey_Wallis> "You're gonna set free some inmate to hunt this thing down?"
<~Daeren> "No, we're going to set an inmate free in the park to see if the Park eats him and shuts up."
<~Daeren> "The entire place has been cordoned off with Do Not Cross. Nobody's been in there since the murder."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Mighty diplomatic of you, sir, not to mention sensitive."
<~Daeren> Horace snorts piggishly. "I do what I have to."
<~Daeren> "The thing is, though, is usually the Park can get whatever it's looking for if it's in the city. The thing probably skipped off into the Hedge to confuse the shit out of the Park."
<Harvey_Wallis> "So you gon' just drop some criminal into the mouth of an otherworldly horror when the real cause of this mess is out there, running around? T'aint sound right to me sir."
<~Daeren> Horace stares at you. "You really think anybody's volunteering to go find something that ate someone and could fool one of the most primordial elements of the city?"
* Harvey_Wallis stands above Horace, curling his lips into a stern frown as his eyebrows raise into his forehead. "Sir, you never gave me the opportunity to say 'yes.'"
<~Daeren> Horace is quiet for a moment. "It's my official opinion that you shouldn't try. At least alone. I don't want to lose a good Spring courter. We don't even know what this thing is yet."
<Harvey_Wallis> "You can count on me and my friends, sir. We'll try and find out what we able to find out, but we're gonna need your cooperation."
<~Daeren> Horace nods slowly. "Alright. I'll let you use the communal Hollow as a jump-off point when you're ready."
<~Daeren> MEANWHILE
<Harvey_Wallis> MEANWHILE
<~Daeren> Harrison pulls up the recently re-paved driveway to Molly's suburban home. It's a quiet idyllic one-story home made of brick.
<~Daeren> You can see the curtains shift slightly, and moments later the front door opens. Molly is there, her face a mixture of concern and determination.
* DoctorHarrison gets out of his car and strolls up to the door of the little suburban fantasyland. Such an innocuous house to hide behind. Much like the city, secrets hide in plain sight. He knocks on the door.
<~Daeren> Molly nods. "Come in, please."
<~Daeren> You enter and the house is cold. VERY cold. The A/C is turned down quite a bit, and you can almost see your breath. The furnishings are an odd mix of Americana and Irish, with needlepoint that has phrases in Gaelic nearby a vintage Coca-Cola toy truck.
* DoctorHarrison opens the door. He's used to the cold, somewhat, having that touch of winter flowing through him as well. "Good morning, Molly. I apologize for dropping in unannounced, but upon seeing the morning's paper I couldn't help but wonder what the courts thought of this," he says, displaying the page of the paper he brought with him.
<~Daeren> She nods, closing the door. "I saw it too. Horace is working on the technical aspects, Brad is plannin on roundin' up a gang to find whatever did it, Emma's investigatin' it."
<DoctorHarrison> "And what of you? What is Winter doing? I thought this sort of thing wasn't supposed to happen in the park," he says, tersely, tossing the paper onto a nearby coffee table.
<~Daeren> "I've my own ideas abou' what's goin on." She sits down on a plush chair.
<~Daeren> "Tell me, d'ye harvest goblin fruit much?"
<DoctorHarrison> "No. I don't...I don't like the hedge, nor the markets."
<~Daeren> "If ye did, ye'd be noticin' that there's been a dearth in the recent harvests. There's also been a few tokens dissappearin' here and there. Small things that add up."
 DoctorHarrison arches an eyebrow. "What, a thief? The hobgoblins? Or is it somehow tied into this horror at the park?"
<~Daeren> "I dinnae know if it's connected. If t'is, though, we're in a lot more danger than we think."
<~Daeren> She leans forward. "Tell me, have ye heard of Devourers?"
* DoctorHarrison briefly runs his fingers over his brow, as if nursing a headache. "I have not heard of Devourers."
<~Daeren> She pauses and thinks for a moment. "They're...creations of the True Fae. They hunger for Glamour in any form. Tokens, Goblin Fruits, Fetches....Changelings."
<~Daeren> "Me fear is that we're gonna find out the body was that of a Changeling, and it'll prove me right. Devourers gain power from Glamour, but their appetites are insatiable."
<DoctorHarrison> "Are they common? One would think if their usual meals are tokens and fruits, they must not be that large or...that dangerous." When she says it could have been a changeling body, though, he falls silent.
<~Daeren> "When one gets the taste of a Changeling, they change. They know where to get the best, most primal source of Wyrd and Glamour. They start to evolve beyond what they used to be."
* DoctorHarrison sighs. "And once more, we find ourselves unable to keep our heads down," he murmurs, mostly to himself. "Will you keep us informed, Molly? No more secrets from the court, this time?"
<~Daeren> "Oh, aye. We've made sure with Horace that we won't hold back any bullshit that isn't truly important to keep secret. You understand."
<~Daeren> "But I'm tellin ye what I know about this. It's still very much in the dark at the moment."
* DoctorHarrison nods once. What else can he do but trust her? "Then I will keep my ears and eyes open," he says. "And wait to see what happens. Thank you, Molly."
<~Daeren> She smiles. "Just be makin' sure that you use me token on it if it shows up looking for a bite or two, instead of lettin' it eat it."
<~Daeren> She stands and gives you a light peck on the forehead. You can feel the skin where she kissed you quickly frost over.
* DoctorHarrison rubs his fingers over the spot, feeling it melt into a droplet of cool water. "Indeed," he says, though he seems at a loss for more words. And then he turns and goes.
* Harvey_Wallis is sitting infront of Emma's in his beat-down pickup truck.
<Harvey_Wallis> erk, molly's
<Harvey_Wallis> HERF
* Harvey_Wallis motions Doc Harisson over.
* DoctorHarrison steps out of Molly's, looking slightly less composed than usual for the doctor. He pulls himself back together quickly, though, at the sight of Harvey's truck. "I gather you've heard the news," he says, crossing over to him.
* Harvey_Wallis has quit IRC (Quit: FUCK ROCKS THEY'RE BULLSHIT)
* Harvey_Wallis has joined #Legends
* DoctorGraf has quit IRC (Quit: Go suck a cock.)
* DoctorHarrison steps out of Molly's, looking slightly less composed than usual for the doctor. He pulls himself back together quickly, though, at the sight of Harvey's truck. "I gather you've heard the news," he says, crossing over to him.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Just got back from Horace, he ain't telling me much, except the park seems to have an appetite for justice."
<DoctorHarrison> "The park itself?"
<Harvey_Wallis> "Yep."
<Harvey_Wallis> "It has feelings and everything."
<DoctorHarrison> "Hm. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Molly seemed ready to lay the blame on some sort of...creature they call Devourers. It consumes glamour...and may have a taste for our kind..."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Yeah, well it seems like your friend's hiding out in the Hedge, and the Park is going to be gobblin' innocent bystanders until it gobbles up your gobbler."
<DoctorHarrison> "Did Horace say anything else? Molly mentioned he'd be working on...technical aspects..."
<Harvey_Wallis> "He's gonna feed a criminal to the park until he finds out more info."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Meanwhile, I'm gonna hit the Goblin Markets and see what I can fish out, and you're coming along with me."
* DoctorHarrison stares at Harvey for a moment, then realizes he's not joking. "*Feed* someone to the park? I don't...would that even work?" he wonders. And then Harvey's 'suggestion' catches up to him. "The Markets? No. The Courts are taking care of this, Harvey."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Look, I'm not gonna stand idly by while Horace throws people into the Park's mouth of teeth, and you ain't either."
<DoctorHarrison> "And so you'd have us set up to be gnashed to death instead?"
<Harvey_Wallis> "Think of the promotion, pallie."
* Harvey_Wallis nudges Doc Harrsion in the side.
* DoctorHarrison purses his lips, frowning at Harvey. "Fine, then. I'll come with you if only to ensure you don't make things worse."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Har de har, now let's get goin'."
* Harvey_Wallis DRIVES LIKE HIS CAR IS TOO FAST AND TOO FURIOUS.

<~Daeren|Storytelling> Last time, the group heard disturbing tales of crime and gore in the Park, and have volunteered to investigate.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Harvey and Harrison now are en route to the Library to pick up Angler and Freya to investigate the Goblin Market.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The two arrive outside the library, and Harrison volunteers to stay inside the car for the moment.
* Freya_Eldr waits inside the Library for Harvey and Harrison, making idle chat with Emma and Angler.
* Harvey_Wallis drove TOO FAST and TOO FURIOUS.
* Angler has been thoroughly practicing his Emma impressions.
* Freya_Eldr frowns on Angler's Emma impersinations.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Emma has been ignoring Angler's impressions, waiting nervously for the others.
* Harvey_Wallis gets out of the car and heads inside the library.
* Freya_Eldr grabs Angler by the ear. "Do not flatter near the eyes of others, when the reflection is so near."
<Angler> "Ow! Hey!"
* Freya_Eldr doesn't let go until Angler stops imitating Emma in public.
* Angler imitates Freya instead!
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Emma nods to Harvey. "Horace tells me that you're going to investigate in the Hedge."
<Harvey_Wallis> "We are. Hopefully ain't nothing too scary gonna be creepin' round there."
* Freya_Eldr lets go, and then sighs. "Another date. We will speak of your flattery."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> She smirks. "Lord knows it's only the Hedge."
* Freya_Eldr turns her attention instead to Emma and Harvey.
* Angler smoothly returns back to normal and smiles, thin but widely. "I'm sure I can handle it."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Emma nods. "Let's hope you can." She gestures to the door. "Please, be careful."
* Harvey_Wallis swings his hoe over his shoulder and nods slowly, taking slow steps towards the door.
* Angler pads along after Harvey.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The group piles back in the car, and heads back to the bridge where the Goblin Market can be accessed. Today's two green items and three knocks.
* Harvey_Wallis is wearing some green overalls and a green cap.
* Harvey_Wallis knocks three times.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> A brick shifts, warps, and turns into a tangle of briars, which move aside. The glowing yellow cat-like eyes of the gate-Hob are visible through the hole once more. "Beat it. Market's closed t'day."
* Harvey_Wallis looks surprised.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Why's the market closed?"
<~Daeren|Storytelling> "Somethin' got in and did a number on a few o'd' shopkeepers."
* Angler 's eyebrows go up.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Really? Then we'd like to see."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> "Voyeurs?" It raises an eyebrow.
<Angler> "We're investigating some of the weird... goings-on."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> It stares at you impassively for a moment, then the brick slides back into place. The rest of the bricks in the portal then shudder, become briars, and move aside, showing the hob gesturing for you to come inside. "Jes' be quick about it. Don't say I didn't warn ye, though, it's gruesome in ere."
* Harvey_Wallis nods and walks inside. "Thanks for yer cooperation."
* Freya_Eldr gives the gob a smile, following the others in. "I have laid vision upon worse landscapes for the grey matter."
* Angler nod-bows to the Hob in thanks.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The Market certainly looks far different than before, even on first glance. The Hedge has soaked up the negative emotion and violence, and the thorns on the briars are long and stained red, and writhe menacingly. Many of the shops have a dense tangle of briars blocking up the doors, and those that aren't sealed shut are either empty or heavily guarded.
Angler winces a little at the change.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Across the way, you can see what the Hob was talking about. A large section of the ground is splattered with blood, and there's several Hobs standing in a circle around something, facing outwards. Obviously, they're guarding against return visits.
* Freya_Eldr makes her way in the direction of the blood splatter. They're there for the murder, not to worry about the shops.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> One spies the group. "Oi! What're you doing here?" This one is a particularly loathesome squat little thing, like a particularly ugly toad that has learnt to stand on two legs and was put in a trash compactor.
<Angler> "We're here to take a look at the bodies, if we can... some strange things have been happening outside," and he gestures towards the Market entrance, "too."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> It *harrumphs*, looks Angler up and down, and looks to its men. "Alright, stand aside boys, let em take a look."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> They part to let you get a good view of the scene. The gate-hob wasn't exaggerating.
* Angler makes an "ewwwww" face.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> There's only one body that can be called remotely intact. There's two piles of gnawed bones and discarded scraps of clothing and meat, and the one intact body has had its entire torso hollowed out, and its limbs have been chewed to the bone. It takes you a moment to realize who it is: it's the vulture headed hob you dealt with before. The only way you can tell is the rictus grin of teeth.
<Angler> "Uch... hey, I liked him."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> One of the other guard-hobs snorts loudly and spits. "'E owed me a pile of glamour, the bastard."
<Angler> "Well, can't do any repayments when he's dead, that's an unfortunate part of it..."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The guard grins crookedly. "I can take what 'e owed from 'is estate, though."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Angler sees something glitter for a moment in the vulture-headed Hob's ribcage.
* Angler frowns, edges closer, and crouches to get a better look.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> It looks like a little necklace...
<~Daeren|Storytelling> It looks familiar to you. You know you've seen it before...
* Angler 's face twists, and he reaches to very carefully try and fish it out.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The hob's body suddenly jerks, and the briars around it whip around it with incredible speed, the thorns piercing into what little flesh there is left and cracking through bone, two vines piercing into its eye sockets. The rib cage snaps shut around Angler's arm, and the body lies still. Slowly, the head moves to face you, the bloodied vines in the eye-sockets slowly twisting.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Its mouth opens, and it speaks with a hollow echo of its past voice.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> "THE HEDGE...SEES. THE HEDGE...KNOWS. THE HEDGE...REMEMBERS."
* Angler lets out a muffled yelp, hair all standing on end. Extremely tense, though he doesn't (yet) try to tear away.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The guard-hobs scatter.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> "THE DEVOURER HUNTS FOR GREATER PREY. IT HUNTS FOR ITS SHADOW."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The hollowed eye-sockets and the vines within them bore holes into you, and the thing grins like it used to.
* Angler shudders.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> "IT HUNTS FOR YOU. BE PREPARED. HUNT THE HUNTER. ASSERT THE SELF."
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The body shudders uncontrollably, and begins to decay at an incredible rate, soon becoming mush amongst the vines.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> You are left with a death grip on the necklace. You still can't remember where you've seen it, but it feels very familiar to you.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> All the hobs in the Market are staring at Angler, with a mix of terror, suspicion, and admiration.
* Angler stands up again, very wobbly, and only as an afterthought looks again at the necklace.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> It's a simple necklace, with a little bronze pendant.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Suddenly, with a combination of a flash of insight and a hazy memory, you *know* that the pendant is a locket. You look, and see the hidden clasp.
* Freya_Eldr is now known as Reiz|Away
* Angler opens it!
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Inside is a small, faded picture. You recognize it immediately: it was the street magician. However, a slow creeping horror comes up your spine as you recognize it again: it's you. This was your original face, the one the True Fae stole from you. The Devourer is your Fetch.
<Angler> "..."
<Angler> "..."
<Angler> "FUCK!"
<~Daeren|Storytelling> Harrison, nearby, realizes to himself that Molly knew what the Devourer was. She had said Devourers were a creation of the True Fae. She didn't specifiy which.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> The captain of the Guard-Hobs hobbles over. "So, uh, do YOU got any idea what just happened?" It seems apprehensive of you.
<Angler> "It's a fetch." He very much doesn't say whose.
<~Daeren|Storytelling> "I meant the whole 'the Hedge just animated a corpse" part.
* Angler shakes his head.

<~Daeren> Last time, the group investigated the Goblin Market murders, and Angler discovered the Devourer is the twisted remnants of his Fetch.
<~Daeren> Their business concluded in the market, the group heads outside to the car, to decide what to do next. Angler is quiet, seemingly lost in his thoughts
* Freya_Eldr is rather quiet herself, rembering killing her own fetch with a small smile. "Letting live what once was the mirror is unfeasable."
<DoctorHarrison> "It's not always possible," he says to Freya, quiet and grim, "To eliminate one's...double. Not always possible, sometimes unseemly."
<Harvey_Wallis> "That and yours was probably still a girl and not a person eating monstrosity."
* DoctorHarrison shudders inwardly.
<~Daeren> As you look across the city, you notice that the sun is much lower in the sky than it was before. Seems that you spent far more time in the Hedge than you actually did. Such is the nature of the place, at times.
<~Daeren> Harvey's phone starts ringing.
* Harvey_Wallis pulls his phone out of his pocket, fumbling to get it out and answers it. "Hello?"
<~Daeren> "Where the fuck have you been!?" It's Horace.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Making connections, cleaning up messes. You?"
<~Daeren> "BEING FUCKING EATEN! It got into the Hollow when I was setting up for you and I barely got out! Get here NOW!"
<~Daeren> There's odd noises as he speaks, like he's speaking while chewing. He hangs up.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Uhhhhh. I think we need to get to Horace, right away."
<DoctorHarrison> "We'll take your word for it, Harvey. Drive."
* Harvey_Wallis pockets the phone and drives TOO FAST and TOO FURIOUS.
<~Daeren> You drive like mad back to Horace's office, and head straight for the basement. You see a bizarre sight. Horace is sitting at a card table that is bending under the weight of piles upon piles of take-out. He's stuffing his face at a truly disturbing rate, and you suddenly realize there's a large chunk missing out of his gut, and several gouges across his body.
<~Daeren> He looks up at you, and lets out a belch. "Well!? What happened?!"
<~Daeren> He tosses an entire chicken leg in his mouth, bone and all, and starts crunching on it.
<DoctorHarrison> "Dear God, what happened to *you*?"
* Freya_Eldr looks at Horace in a bit of shock, obviously taken off guard by both his eating and the chunks missing.
<~Daeren> "I nearly became lunch, that's what!"
<~Daeren> As you see him stuff his face, you note some of the smaller gouges slowly disappearing.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Sir, we found out exactly who this 'Devourer' is. And with that knowledge, perhaps a way of besting it."
<DoctorHarrison> "Yes, that's right. We do know who it is. But I'm fairly certain you already know what it is, don't you? Molly does."
<~Daeren> He raises an eyebrow, and swallows the now pulped chicken leg. "She does?"
<Freya_Eldr> "Knowledge kept from the other seasons? Troubling."
<~Daeren> He opens up a box of pizza and takes out the pizza. He rolls it up into a tube and starts devouring it like a stick of pepperoni.
* Harvey_Wallis makes a sad face. Pepperoni is his favorite.
<~Daeren> He still looks at Harrison, waiting for the reply. The pizza is fast disappearing down his gullet.
<Harvey_Wallis> "It's his fetch, sir." Harvey jabs his thumb at Harrison.
<Harvey_Wallis> thethte
<Harvey_Wallis> "IT'S ANGLER'S FETCH, SIR." Harvey has a sudden lapse of memory.
<~Daeren> He stops chewing for a moment, slurps up the rest of the mangled pizza and gulps. "Say that again."
* DoctorHarrison nods. "Molly told me the Devourer was a creation of the True Fae. She never hinted that that Creation could be a fetch, but...secrets seem to be the bread and butter of the court these days."
<~Daeren> Horace thinks for a minute. "So, you're telling me Angler's fetch went insane and started eating changelings, and DIDN'T start with Angler?"
* Harvey_Wallis nods.
<Freya_Eldr> "Perhaps the hungry one has not seen the image in the mirror? Hands cannot rip what sight does not precieve."
<DoctorHarrison> "Maybe it's toying with Angler."
<~Daeren> Horace snorts. "Fetches have a way of finding their roots."
<~Daeren> Horace shoves a donut in his mouth. "So, what else did you find?"
<Harvey_Wallis> "Sir, I believe it could be possible that it's targeting Angler as its next victim."
<Freya_Eldr> "Do not let the mind slip, that the briar thorns themselves speak against the hungry one."
<Harvey_Wallis> "I believe that the fetch's creator has a lot of control over the edge sir. It manifested a voice and began speaking to us. Either Angler or those associated with him may be targeted next."
<~Daeren> Horace raises his eyebrows. "The hedge SPOKE?"
* Freya_Eldr nods in response.
<~Daeren> Horace thinks deeply for a moment, ruminating as he ruminates.
<~Daeren> "That could be any number of things. Few of which are good. I'll talk to Emma about that."
<DoctorHarrison> "The hedge is rarely good news," he remarks, bitterly.
<~Daeren> "Anyways, get into the hollow. The thing should probably be nearby, or at least have left a trail."
<~Daeren> He waves his hand, and the gateway appears between the two support columns as usual.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Sir, one question."
<~Daeren> "Shoot."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Can I have one of those double-deckers?"
<~Daeren> Horace stares. "Ahh fuck it, go ahead."
<Harvey_Wallis> %D
<~Daeren> He stuffs another pizza slice in his mouth.
* Harvey_Wallis grabs two double deckers and slides the greasy deathtraps into the front pocket of his overalls.
<~Daeren> "Oi, you said one!"
* Freya_Eldr sighs at Harvey, making her way for the gateway. She sings softly as she makes her way for it. "Down the rabbit hole, and into the briars, to the hungry one's lair we go."
* DoctorHarrison just shakes his head. "Yes, let's go. If we have to spend more time in the Hedge, chasing that thing, I'd rather it be over as soon as possible." The good doctor follows Freya, after making sure his gun is still on him.
* Harvey_Wallis puts it back.
* Harvey_Wallis sadfaces.
<~Daeren> Horace grabs it and stuffs it down his throat. "Sorry, I really do need a lot of food for this shit to work."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Yes sir, sorry sir."
<~Daeren> You notice almost all the gouges are gone, and the chunk in his gut is very slowly healing
* Harvey_Wallis nods and gives a little, nervous bow as he steps out through the gateway.
<~Daeren> You step into the hollow, the grand atmosphere from the seasonal change still lingering. As it hasn't been shaped for any event recently, it's mostly just a large clearing in the Hedge with a few places to sit and talk.
<~Daeren> However, you notice a large blood splash near the entrance, as well as a trail coming out to the gateway. The briars are beginning to regrow slightly in the blood
<DoctorHarrison> "Well then, which way do we go in this Godforsaken maze?"
<Harvey_Wallis> "Follow the footsteps."
<~Daeren> There's only one exit from the hollow aside from the gateway, and it's covered in a briar gate. Looks like it's been used recently, though, its still slowly growing back together.
* Freya_Eldr pokes her nose around the clearing, looking for signs of anything other than the fight. A hiding place where it came from, perhaps.
<~Daeren> Freya turns up nothing. Harvey sees a sudden burst of footprints around the large blood splash. It looks like the Devourer lept from above.
<DoctorHarrison> "Well?"
<Harvey_Wallis> "Check the trees. It seems it may have ambushed Horace from up there."
<~Daeren> The area is fully encapsulated by briars specially grown to seal the place in, even from aerial attackers.
* Freya_Eldr does her best to check the trees, seeing if she can climb up as well.
<DoctorHarrison> "It looks solid to me. I don't see how it could have gotten in."
<~Daeren> Harvey sees nothing other than a few snapped-off thorns. Freya climbs to where she can't climb any higher without being impaled, and notes there's a sort of hollowed out tunnel above where the blood splatter was. The area is flecked with fabric and blood: looks like the Devourer didn't care for its physical state if it meant getting a meal.
<Harvey_Wallis> "What's the word Freya?"
* Freya_Eldr points towards the hole, hoping the others can spot it with her help. "The hungry one imitates the mole. Lusting for a meal, no care for it's form."
<DoctorHarrison> "Crawling through the thorns like that...it'd be tearing more than flesh."
* Harvey_Wallis walks over to the gate to inspect it.
<~Daeren> You see the gate has obviously been opened recently, as it is still settling back into place. Looks like the Devourer made its escape through here.
* DoctorHarrison follows Harvey over to the gate. "Is this the way, then?"
<~Daeren> You can see a thin trail of blood going down past the gate and into a turn.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Blood. I think we may hae our escape route gentlemen."
<DoctorHarrison> "We need to open it up again, then, before it closes and everything changes behind it."
* Harvey_Wallis takes a deep breath. "I'm going through it."
<~Daeren> As if the Hedge itself senses your decision, the briars shudder and move aside.
* DoctorHarrison nods once and reaches up to adjust his glasses. "I'm right behind you," he says.
* Harvey_Wallis walks through, ohgod
<~Daeren> The group walks through the gateway, and follows the trail of blood.
* DoctorHarrison freezes in his spot. His hand drops down, inside his jacket, to where his gun is hidden. "Do you hear that?" he asks, fingers finding the delicate clockwork filigree of his weapon. "Sounds like animals up ahead."
* Freya_Eldr has quit IRC (Quit: )
<~Daeren> From around the corner come two hedge-beasts. They look like men that have had fur stitched onto them, and a cruel muzzle twisted out of their face. Their eyes gleam with intelligence and malice, and they turn to face you. One lets out a baying howl, and the other leaps!
<~Daeren> *SESSION END*
[09:54] <~Daeren|Storytelling> Last time, the group went into the Hedge once more to find the Devourer, and picked up its trail after it attacked Horace. However, they've been cornered by two Briarhounds, hungry for their blood!
10[10:00] * DoctorHarrison (chatzilla@68C6C2C1.5DDC81D7.ADE9B28C.IP) has joined #Legends
[10:06] <~Daeren|Storytelling> One of the wolves lets out a baying howl, and lunges for Harrison!
[10:09] <~Daeren|Storytelling> It gores Harrison across the chest, snarling and leaping back slightly.
06[10:10] * DoctorHarrison cries out, stumbling back as the blood wells through his dress shirt.
06[10:16] * DoctorHarrison whips around with his clockwork gun, leveling it at the wolf that gored him across the chest. Without a word, no pithy remarks, he unloads a round into the slavering beast.
10[10:17] * Indie_Mitch (thisbarren@357FECD4.BD5A4741.47E6AD0C.IP) has joined #Legends
[10:18] <~Daeren|Storytelling> It yelps, and writhes on the ground, trying to dig out the bullet.
10[10:19] * Indie_Mitch is now known as Mitchell_Henderson
10[10:19] * Mitchell_Henderson is now known as Harvey
03[10:20] * Harvey_Wallis (HURRMURR@357FECD4.BD5A4741.47E6AD0C.IP) Quit (Ping timeout)
10[10:20] * Daeren|Storytelling changes topic to 'OOC is #nwod. | Next game scheduled for Saturday, July 18th at Noon EST. |Briarwolf 1, Harrison, Briarwolf 2, Angler, Harvey, Freya'
[10:20] <~Daeren|Storytelling> The other wolf hunkers down and snarls, and pounces at Harrison, claw balled up into a twisted fist.
10[10:21] * Harvey is now known as Harvey_Wallis
[10:22] <~Daeren|Storytelling> It bashes him across the chin, sending stars into his vision.
06[10:25] * Angler tenses, letting out a low hiss, coils - and pounces towards the second briarwolf, letting out one of the animalistic yowls that the others in his group are probably used to by now.
[10:28] <~Daeren|Storytelling> The briarwolf howls in confusion, then rage as Angler wraps around it.
[10:32] <Harvey_Wallis> Harvey attempts to entangle the wolf using a gnarly woot. It bursts out from underground to try and entrap the creature, but the wolf ends up rolling out of the root's reach.
06[10:38] * Freya_Eldr smiles to herself for a moment, concentrating to bring forth her inner fire. It bursts forth from her, wrapping itself around her fists like a boxer's glove. "Come to the flame, lost dogs."
[10:39] <~Daeren|Storytelling> The first Briarhound evaluates its options: man with gun, woman on fire, man on friend...unarmed man.
[10:40] <~Daeren|Storytelling> It leaps at Harvey.
[10:42] <~Daeren|Storytelling> Strangely, it doesn't claw at him, it merely grabs hold of his arm and snarls deeply. A cold shiver starts to travel up Harvey's body.
[10:43] <Harvey_Wallis> "GET OFF ME DEVIL WOLF."
[10:43] <~Daeren|Storytelling> Supernatural fear starts to grip Harvey, but he shakes it off like a bad hangover.
[10:44] <~Daeren|Storytelling> The wolf looks like it just got caught with its hand in the cookie jar.
06[10:50] * DoctorHarrison shakes the stars out of his eyes and brings his gun to bear again. The clockwork bits grind and whirr as he sets the sights on the momentarily distracted wolf near Harvey. BANG. Another insectile, buzzing bullet zips at the wolf.
[10:51] <~Daeren|Storytelling> The wolf yells again, and the anger turns to horror and pain as the bullet gnaws its way through an eye.
[10:52] <~Daeren|Storytelling> The second wolf growls, and tries to throw Angler off.
[10:53] <~Daeren|Storytelling> It barely manages to wriggle out of Angler's hold, backing away slowly.
06[10:54] * Angler hisses at the wolf, face twisting in a way that a person's really shouldn't as his teeth spread up either side of his face.
03[10:56] * DoctorHarrison (chatzilla@68C6C2C1.5DDC81D7.ADE9B28C.IP) Quit (Ping timeout)
[11:00] <Harvey_Wallis> Harvey just unleashes the brofist on a wolf, with depressing results.
[11:01] <~Daeren|Storytelling> The wolf attempts to brofist back, but digs its own claws into its palm.
06[11:04] * Freya_Eldr marches forwards past Harvey, clenching her flaming fists. "The fire comes for you, lost dog!" She proceeds to take a massive swing, leaning back with her entire body before punching at the wolf, letting the flames around her fists do the damage.
[11:05] <~Daeren|Storytelling> The wolf shrieks in terror as the flames claim its remaining eye. Stricken blind, it flails around desperately trying to claw something.
[11:06] <~Daeren|Storytelling> Harvey gets clocked in the face as he dodges a bit too late.
[11:07] <~Daeren|Storytelling> Harrison steps back, and fires another bullet at the flaming wolf.
[11:07] <~Daeren|Storytelling> The bullet bores into its skull, and the wolf stops dead, gurgling red foam as it falls over. The second wolf whimpers something that probably means "Fuck this shit" and flees into the thorns.
06[11:09] * Angler lets out a low hiss, scuttling over to peer at the fallen briarwolf.
[11:09] <~Daeren|Storytelling> The now quite dead briarwolf has most of its fur smouldering, a large bullet hole into its brain, and one into its eye.
[11:09] <Harvey_Wallis> "And that's why you should always listen to Bob Barker."
06[11:10] * Freya_Eldr reluctantly dismisses the fire, her fists returning to their normal state. "Unwelcome geusts, lost on their way to Grandmother's."
[11:10] <~Daeren|Storytelling> The Devourer's trail still lies before you.
06[11:11] * Angler lets out a little, sniggering laugh at that as he straightens up, pulling his jacket properly back into place.
[11:11] <~Daeren|Storytelling> Harrison quietly straightens his shirt, his wounds already beginning to clot.
[11:12] <Harvey_Wallis> "
[11:12] <Harvey_Wallis> "What now? Continue our investigation as normal?"
06[11:13] * Angler smiles with a few hundred needlelike teeth as he turns back to check on the trail again.
06[11:13] * Freya_Eldr motions to the trail. "The mirror's mirror waits. Let us go see our reflection."
[11:15] <Harvey_Wallis> "Uhhhh sure."
[11:15] <~Daeren|Storytelling> Angler easily picks the trail back up, and continues through the hedge. You travel for what feels like ages, then the Hedge around you seems to start to..change.
10[11:16] * DoctorHarrison (chatzilla@68C6C2C1.5DDC81D7.ADE9B28C.IP) has joined #Legends
06[11:17] * Angler is followed, now and then, by flashes of.. cats?... through the brambles of the hedge.
[11:18] <~Daeren|Storytelling> The thorns around you seem to be dipped in blood, and some have bits of meat stuck to them. The goblin fruit plants have been stripped down to the roots, practically slash-and-burn harvested.
[11:18] <~Daeren|Storytelling> The area seems to get a redder tint, more oppressive, more...hungry. You're obviously getting close to the Devourer's territory.
06[11:18] * Freya_Eldr frowns. "The mirror's hunger. This explains the rage of the thorns."
06[11:18] * DoctorHarrison doesn't like the hedge at the best of time, and now as he walks, one hand over the still wet wound on his chest and surrounded by gore-strewn thorns, he's reminded how very little he wants to be here.
[11:19] <Harvey_Wallis> "This is some crazy shit man."
06[11:19] * Angler moves quickly but cautiously, slinking forward like an unhappy animal.
06[11:19] * Freya_Eldr calls the fire to first her fists, but then her forearms again, letting the heat comfort her.
[11:20] <~Daeren|Storytelling> Soon, you break into a clearing in the Hedge, and you see the epicenter of the chaos. Blood is smeared all across the ground, and the Hedge itself is now completely stained red, all edible plantlife completely gone. Dangling vines that resemble meat-hooks on chains hold up slabs of...god knows what, and broken thorns and jagged edges are strewn across the ground, discarded utensils.
06[11:20] * DoctorHarrison keeps his gun out. He can feel the subtle shift of the bullet in the chamber as it writhes in uneasy repose.
[11:22] <~Daeren|Storytelling> You hear a rustle from the thorns, and a disturbing figure slinks from them in a bizarre mockery of Angler's movement. It almost resembles the man that Angler met, only now so thin he looks like he'd break in the breeze. You can count the bones in his body, and his eyes are now completely black, like those of a shark. He grins at you, and uncountable teeth glint in the light. "I've been waiting."
[11:22] <Angler> "Oh-oh-oh?"
[11:23] <Harvey_Wallis> "Bring it on BUMBLEFUCK."
[11:23] <~Daeren|Storytelling> His voice is like metal scraping on rock, obviously forced through a clouded and chaotic mind. "I used to be you, you know. Before one of your kind tried to kill me. I had no weapons, so I bit him. He was *delicious.*"
[11:23] <~Daeren|Storytelling> It grins even wider, the back teeth smeared with blood. "I wonder how I taste?"
[11:23] <~Daeren|Storytelling> It leaps for you.
10[11:28] * Daeren|Storytelling changes topic to 'OOC is #nwod. | Next game scheduled for Saturday, July 18th at Noon EST. | harrison, angler, harvey, freya, devourer'
06[11:32] * DoctorHarrison already has his gun out and times seems to slow as the gaunt, bony thing with a shark's predatory gleam leaps at Angler. He can feel the cold of Winter settle over him, not quite despair...but certainty. Inevitability. This shot will fly true. The gun kicks in his hand and a screaming, buzzsaw of a bullet slices the air and slams into the Devourer.
[11:34] <~Daeren|Storytelling> The horrible thing takes the shot square in the chest, and ceases its scuttling for a moment as it pauses, stunned. Strangely, the bullet doesn't chew as far in as it should; it's as if the Devourer's body was condensed, thicker, more resilient.
[11:35] <~Daeren|Storytelling> It retches, and vomits up a red slurry from the impact, and glares at Harrison. "I've never had a Wizened. Wonder if there's much meat on you?"
[11:36] <Angler> "I don't think you understand the dif-fer-encccce between us." Angler's teeth click-click-click-click-click.
06[11:36] * Angler puts two fingers into his mouth and blows a long, high, shrieking whistle.
[11:38] <Angler> At the edges of the clearing... cats start to creep in. Little ones, not all that dramatic-looking for all the way they've been twisted and changed by the Hedge, with scales or bones or other things... but there have to dozens of them, slowly padding into a circle around the group.
[11:39] <Angler> "I've found myself some friends in the meantime."
[11:39] <~Daeren|Storytelling> The Devourer grins widely. "Hors'Dourves? You shouldn't have."
[11:40] <Angler> There's a high, ranging yowl from the cats, a dozen dozen glowing eyes staring at the Devourer.
[11:45] <Harvey_Wallis> "Looks like you need.../me runs at the devourer and swings low, right before his fist impacts, the roots that have been trailing at his feet sprout forward and curl up infront of Harvey's fist, creating a larger area of impact and shattering as the punch connects into the Devourer's gut.
[11:45] <Harvey_Wallis> FFFFFFFFFF
[11:45] <Harvey_Wallis> "Looks like you need..."
06[11:45] * Harvey_Wallis runs at the devourer and swings low, right before his fist impacts, the roots that have been trailing at his feet sprout forward and curl up infront of Harvey's fist, creating a larger area of impact and shattering as the punch connects into the Devourer's gut.
[11:46] <Harvey_Wallis> "MORE FIBER IN YOUR DIET."
[11:46] <~Daeren|Storytelling> The Devourer is winded from the punch, and staggers back.
06[11:50] * Freya_Eldr strokes the flames on her arms for a moment, purring to herself before charging in behind Harvey. As his punch connects to Devourer's gut, she swings for his face, aiming to catch him with the flames the cover her arms.
[11:51] <~Daeren|Storytelling> The Devourer takes the punch, hissing as the fire burns his face. It suddenly scuttles across the ground past Harvey and Freya, and hurtles through the air towards Angler.
[11:52] <~Daeren|Storytelling> He smashes into Angler and pins him to the ground, shrieking and growling even more inhumanly than Angler usually does.
06[11:53] * Angler laughs, almost manic, as he tries to twist the hold around on the Devourer.
[11:56] <Angler> The cats all spring up, rushing at the pair of grapplers en masse.
06[11:56] * DoctorHarrison puts his hand on Harvey's shoulder, leaving a slightly sticky smear of blood there. "You hurt him more than my bullets. Do it again," he says, and the flow of glamour rushes into the woodblood.
[12:00] <~Daeren|Storytelling> The Devourer laughs at the cats, but suddenly stops, shudders, and vomits a bloody mess again. "Poison?!"
06[12:00] * Angler hisses and snaps at the Devourer under the pile, teeth grinding like saws.
06[12:05] * Angler lets out a shriek as the cats yowl and scatter, and bites - and bites - and the blood's spraying everywhere as his jaw grinds through the Devourer's should and neck and he chews and swallows and there doesn't seem to be any resistance left in the thing, but he's still tearing and eating, glassy-eyed like some hulking predator, spines sprouting down his back and arms and clawlike hands.
[12:06] <~Daeren|Storytelling> The Devourer screams and howls, desperately trying to get away, but slowly seems to be losing its strength, twitching from the poison and massive blood loss, gurgling, eyes glazing over, slumped over Angler.
06[12:11] * DoctorHarrison turns away from the sight, the blood soaking into the ground...and Angler's features. He can still hear the snapping of bones and sinew, though.
[12:13] <~Daeren|Storytelling> Angler's mind seems to shudder, then...loosen, slightly, as he begins to eat. The Hedge itself seems to bend in to watch as the Devourer slowly disappears down Angler's gullet. As the last of him is eaten, Angler stands up, thoroughly shaken yet....satisfied. And somewhere in the crawling pit of his stomach...still hungry.
06[12:13] * Harvey_Wallis steps away and drops the roots, letting them slowly return back to their mother tree. "S-shit man."
06[12:14] * DoctorHarrison dabs at his forehead, looking a bit more pale as he turns back around. "I believe that...ah...that would be the end of this matter."
[12:14] <~Daeren|Storytelling> Freya notes the look on Anglers face, and sees that he sees the world a little closer to how she does now.
06[12:15] * Freya_Eldr grins slightly, turning her head as she looks at the blood soaked Angler. "The mirror cracks and joins the flame."
[12:16] <Harvey_Wallis> "Okay could we all speak some fucking English, you're both starting to freak me out."
06[12:16] * Harvey_Wallis cricks his neck. "I want to go home now."
[12:16] <~Daeren|Storytelling> Suddenly, you can feel the Hedge quiver around you, and the same booming voice from the Market rings through the area.
[12:17] <~Daeren|Storytelling> "YOU HAVE DONE *WELL*."
[12:17] <~Daeren|Storytelling> A path appears in the Hedge. "YOU WILL SEE ME NOW."
[12:18] <~Daeren|Storytelling> SESSION END
<Daeren> Last time, the group finally hounded down and defeated the Devourer, in a spectacularly gory fashion. Now, the voice from the Market beckons them, and the Hedge has opened a pathway for them...
<Daeren|Storytelling> The path through the hedge winds its way away from the Devourer's hollow, the Hedge returning to its normal verdant green. Soon, you come to a large archway covered in briars and vines, set against a wall of dirt.
* Freya_Eldr proceeds towards the archway, trying to see if there was a way through it.
<Daeren|Storytelling> As Freya approaches, there's suddenly a gust of wind towards the Archway, and a glowing white portal appears in the center, seeming to suck the dirt into it.
<Daeren|Storytelling> "ENTER."
<DoctorHarrison> "Why don't I trust this?" he says aloud, to no one in particular. Somehow he knows his reservations will go unheeded.
* Freya_Eldr turns to look at Angler, motioning to the portal. "The flame first, or the hero of our tale?"
<Harvey_Wallis> "I vote for Freya to go in first."
* Angler steps forward after a moment's though, chewing a little on one of his fingers.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Nevermind then."
* Freya_Eldr gives Harvey a small shrug, before following after Angler.
* DoctorHarrison keeps his gun drawn and follows behind.
<Daeren|Storytelling> As you step through the portal, you suddenly get a lurching feeling in your gut, and a sense of vertigo, as you realize the portal opens suspended in the air. You crash to the ground after a short drop, no more than a few feet. You find yourself in a hollowed out dirt cave, vines along all the walls, the area lit by a glow from somewhere behind you.
* Angler takes a look behind.
<Daeren|Storytelling> The place feels...strange. Like you're standing in the threshhold of a gateway between the Hedge and Earth.
* Harvey_Wallis finally goes through :U
<DoctorHarrison> "This doesn't feel like the hedge," he murmurs. "Not quite."
<Daeren|Storytelling> Angler turns to look, and immediately feels his heart drop to his stomach. Behind him is an enormous tangle of vines and briars rooted within the walls, like those of the Hedge itself, undulating and twisting in a giant Gordian knot. Light shines from within it, and you can feel an indescribable intelligence from within it. You realize all the vines you see are part of it. It's HUGE.
<Daeren|Storytelling> You feel the umistakable, screeching discord in reality that heralds the presence of the True Fae before you.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Its voice booms through the chamber, preceeded and followed by a large bass rumble, as though the volume of the air itself seems to turn up and assault your ears. "YOU HAVE DONE ME A SERVICE IN REMOVING THE DEVOURER."
* DoctorHarrison simply stares up at the cluster of vines, writhing and twisting. He slips his gun back into the pocket inside his jacket. One doesn't suppose it'd work on something like this, anyways.
* Angler lets out a hiss of breath. "What else was I to do?"
<Harvey_Wallis> "Just exactly what are you anyways?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> "I AM."
* Freya_Eldr turns to notes the Godian Hedge. She considers being Alexander the Great.
* DoctorHarrison purses his lips. "Wonderful, a hedge being with a deity complex."
<Daeren|Storytelling> "I AM THE UNITY OF ALL, THE SEVEN SCREAMS ASCENDANT, AND THE GUARDIAN OF THE NEXUS, WHICH LIES BEFORE YOU."
* Harvey_Wallis takes a look around.
<Daeren|Storytelling> The dirt around the chamber shudders, and the dirt nearest the knot falls to the ground. You see viciously barbed vines rooted within, with shrivelled corpses impaled on them. "I AM BOUND TO PROTECT THE NEXUS, AND PRESERVE ORDER TO THE LANDS SURROUNDING."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Nexus?"
<Harvey_Wallis> "That's great and all but could you like, not allow the "lands surrounding" to bleed into the sandbox. You're scaring the kids."
<Freya_Eldr> "Is the Nexus the playzone of the young, or is the vine's light bound to another?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> The rumble begins again, but the voice is oddly quiet, sinister. You can practically hear it grinning. "You hide your cowardice with bravado, woodblood. But once your false courage fails you, where will you have left to run?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> "I was bound here, Flamekin, long ago. My presence here, between the two worlds, has exposed me to the flow of time within your world. It...confuses me. I do not know how long I have been here, nor how long I shall remain. It has felt like an eternity."
DoctorHarrison concentrates less on the thing's words, the proclamations and taunting, and instead focuses on the being's structure, tracing the vines...seeing how they twist and knot, how the light shines through them from some *other* place.
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Now. You have done me a service. I shall return unto you the favor. I will render you one of two things. I may either answer any one question you ask of me with perfect truth, or I can utilize my connection to the Fae lands to widen your own."
* Freya_Eldr raises her hand like a child in a schoolyard.
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Flamekin."
<Freya_Eldr> "I question what I spoke before. Is the Nexus the playzone of the young, or is the vine's light bound to another?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> There is a short silence.
<Daeren|Storytelling> "I am BOUND here against my will. I do not remember HOW, but I remember why. The Realms Invisible bled through this point, and I was forced to serve as the gate for the paths."
* Mitchell has joined #Legends
* Angler 's teeth click against each other in multilayered patterns.
<Daeren|Storytelling> "The Nexus is a hole in the World you call Earth, a weak spot caused by forces unknown in the veils between lands. The Hedge is but one, the Dreams another, yet I have been chosen of the Guardian for All."
* Harvey_Wallis has quit IRC (Ping timeout)
* HURF has joined #Legends
* HURF is now known as Harvey_Wallis
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Three favors remain. Choose what you will."
* Mitchell has quit IRC (Ping timeout)
* Angler takes a long breath inward.
* Harvey_Wallis thinks.
<Angler> "How can I find something to eat that will sate me?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> "The Devourer has given you a hunger for shadows that will neither be slaked, but neither increase. It is the reward, and the punishment for your actions. For foods of the flesh, your hunger is mortal."
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Two favors remain."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Give me those crazy Green Lantern powers or whatever, ain't much I wanna ask."
<Daeren|Storytelling> You can feel *presence* looming over your mind, inspecting you. "Control over the Darkness, over Fear, or the Den. Choose."
* Freya_Eldr raises an eyebrow at Harvey. "You wish to have laytex upon the skin, defeated by the banana?"
<Harvey_Wallis> "Hey, that was ONE issue."
<Harvey_Wallis> "May as well be darkness, those other two sound frightful."
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Very well." You can feel a single horrible tendril of thought caress across the very front of your mind, and suddenly your entire being is filled with visions of screams, of beasts in the dark, of the Dark itself coming to get you, horrible memories that are yours but not yours-
<Daeren|Storytelling> You collapse to the ground, and suddenly realize you KNOW how to access the power of Autumn intrinsiclly. All it took was an implanted Durance to do it.
* Harvey_Wallis upchucks.
* Freya_Eldr steps back casually to give Harvey barfing room
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Your favor is the last, Gremlin. Speak your wish."
* DoctorHarrison runs his fingers down the lapels of his jacket, straightening them. He brings his long-fingered hands up and smooths back his gray hair, and then removes his glasses. Plucking a cloth from his pocket, he cleans the lenses. "I want nothing that you can give me," he says, even and measured, but unable to hide the venom in his voice. "I deny you and all of your kind." He pinches the glasses and...
* DoctorHarrison ...puts them back on the bridge of his hook-like nose.
* Harvey_Wallis wipes his mouth on the back of his arm.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Booming, roaring laughter echos through the chamber, rattling the corpses stuck to the vines. "Learn from this one, Woodblood. He hides his fear with hatred, and hatred gives him true courage."
* Harvey_Wallis :<'s
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Your time here is finished. You shall be my liasons to the Courts above. Tell them what has happened here, and in the Hedge."
<Harvey_Wallis> "Just stop eating people and chill, alright?"
<Freya_Eldr> "Autumn will know the tale, vines."
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Those you see here are those who broke the rules of my Binding by disrupting the peace."
<Daeren|Storytelling> A large tunnel through the earth starts to form, sharply inclined upwards. You see a dim light from the end of it.
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Now, leave me. If I require you again, I shall call you."
* DoctorHarrison turns without a word and heads for the tunnel. Winter will know, oh yes, how much this town consorts with the fae.
* Harvey_Wallis walks into the tunnel in a hurry.
* Freya_Eldr gives the vines a short bow, before turning towards the tunnel and walking away at a normal pace. She pauses at the entrance, before turning around to face the fae. "How will we know the siren's beconing, vines?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> "YOU WILL KNOW." The voice fades away, and the glow subsides to a dull pulse of light.
* Freya_Eldr nods, before exiting via the tunnel.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Harrison and Harvey note that, as the tunnel breaks into sunlight, the vines exposed shrivel away and retract out of the light.
<Daeren|Storytelling> The group emerges to the light of day above, and note that, from how they travelled, the Fae must be a few dozen feet below the fountain in the center of the park. The hole behind them seals shut with dirt, and grass appears over it, all traces of it gone.
<Harvey_Wallis> "Crazy."
<Daeren|Storytelling> You look across the park, the idyllic surroundings, and suddenly realize how *Wrong* this all feels. There's a thoroughly alien intelligence slumbering just a stone's throw below your feet, the same kind of thing that made you what you are now, and you SPOKE TO IT. The clash of the two paradigms is almost too much to bear...
* Harvey_Wallis falls into a crossed legged sitting position.
<Harvey_Wallis> "I wanna go home and dream."
Angler 's stomach growls.
* DoctorHarrison suppresses a shudder of revulsion at the contact with that alien thing, that foul, soul warping being. He can feel the hate rise and he pushes it down, cooling it, banking it, turning it to steel in his mind. "There's no going home."
* Freya_Eldr smiles, the smile a little more cracked than before. "First to the seasons, then to the resting place of the heart."

<Daeren|Storytelling> Last time, the group followed the voice from the hedge, and discovered a True Fae lurking underneath the city park, bound to serve something unknown, to enforce peace and to act as a gate.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Now they are standing in the center of the park, the hole behind them sealed shut, shaken by their encounter, and ready to head back to the courts.
<DoctorHarrison> "Our priority is...informing the court leaders," he says, giving a glance at the more bestial Angler. Perhaps sense would still get to him. "Don't you agree?"
* Angler clicks his teeth a few times. "I... I suppose."
<Daeren|Storytelling> It should be a decent walk back to the landscaping office, but you could always call a cab.
* Angler shifts smoothly, the red of his suit bleeding away into a more casual outfit.
* DoctorHarrison glances towards the exit of the park. "Then we walk. Perhaps you should...go to your court, and I to mine...to save time," he says, words measured and careful.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Freya smiles, slightly more off-kilter than usual. "Then I would attend to the broken mirror on his trip."
* Angler looks over at Freya, blinking.
* DoctorHarrison runs his fingers back over his white hair, as if smoothing himself into place. "Then it's decided. I will talk with Winter."
<Daeren|Storytelling> The group splits up, Harvey heading to the landscaping office, Harrison heading for Molly's house, and Angler and Freya heading for the library.
* Angler probably ends up... licking... Freya somewhere along the way.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Harrison makes it to Molly's house after a while of walking, still looking all the part of the idyllic 50's suburban home.
* DoctorHarrison raps his knuckles on the door. Three curt knocks, no more, no less.
<Daeren|Storytelling> There's the sound of movement within, and then the door opens. Molly stands in the threshold, confused. "Harrison? What are ye doin' here?"
* DoctorHarrison invites himself in. "News, Molly. Important news that cannot wait," he says, as he slides past her and into the chilled suburban idyll.
<Daeren|Storytelling> She closes the door behind you, and beckons you into her sitting room once more, taking a seat in her favorite chair. She puts aside a novel she had been reading. "Did ye kill the Devourer then?"
* DoctorHarrison shakes his head. "No, I didn't. Angler did, in most gruesome fashion, I might add. He consumed him, Molly...and I fear it may have damaged him further." He sits on the couch, still for a moment, before he leans forward and picks up the remote control for her television. "But that is not...that's not what has me most concerned."
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Somethin' more dangerous than Angler EATING his fetch?" She raises an eyebrow. "By the by, I didn't tell you it were his fetch so you wouldn't do...drastic things. Like that."
<DoctorHarrison> "Molly, dear, we couldn't have stopped him if we wanted to." Harrison begins to turn the remote control over in his hands, long fingers twitching like pale spider-legs. He then begins to recount the story of what happened after. The voice, the hollow underneath the park, and how this True Fae was bound there as protector and gate. He seems to grow more agitated by degrees as he explains it...
<DoctorHarrison> ...in a rush. "And the worst part is they...they all accepted its boons," he says, darkly. "They took a piece of it into themselves. I fear they're in danger, Molly, of being lost again." He looks down at the remote in his hands. It's in several pieces now, carefully taken apart.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Her face is cold, iced over...merciless. "Answering questions I can almost understand, for fools. It's Harvey that chills me. Keep an eye on him. If he steps out of line, kill him."
<Daeren|Storytelling> She leans forward in her chair. "I can tell you with nothin' withheld that none in the courts knew of this. Horace may be a fool, but even he wouldn't tolerate a True Fae in his domain."
* DoctorHarrison deposits the disabled remote on the coffee table, in a neat little sprawl. He's silent for a reflective moment, and then nods. "I will kill him if I must," the gremlin states, standing, smoothing out his jacket. "No, Molly. I believe you. I know you wouldn't let...one of them remain so close, either." He sighs and heads towards the door. "Sorry about the remote."
<Daeren|Storytelling> "It's fine, dearie." She stands up and goes to the door with you. "Oh...and by the way. I'm proud of you. I won't forget this." She kisses the top of your head, and opens the door.
* DoctorHarrison hides any hint of expression other than solemn determination, then exits.
<Daeren|Storytelling> MEANWHILE
<Daeren|Storytelling> Angler and Freya make it to the Library, and walk in. Emma is at her desk as usual, and looks up. "You're back!" She sounds relieved, and walks out from her desk to you.
<Angler> "Emma, darling..." Angler slides over to sit on the edge of Emma's desk, grinning ear-to-ear. Almost litereally.
<Angler> (*literally)
<Daeren|Storytelling> Her smiles fades slightly as she looks at Angler's face. "...What happened?"
<Angler> Ripples of change spread across his face and arms before crystallizing into something with little spiky ridges. "We just had a little, hnn, run-in."
* Angler licks his lips.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Freya's grin also disappears, suddenly seeming to have a rare moment of lucidity as she carefully watches Angler.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Emma gulps slightly, mouth audibly dry. "Angler...what did you do to him?"
<Angler> "It was honestly a little--ironic, you know?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> She sounds as if she already knows.
* Angler lets out a little, chirping laugh at himself.
* Angler 's face twists, the inappropriate glee melting away all at once into hard edges and violent feelings.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Emma takes a step back, and Freya takes a step forward, the air around her shimmering with heat.
<Daeren|Storytelling> "You ate him. Didn't you?"
<Angler> Anger curls up on himself a little where he's sitting on Emma's desk. "Could have used a little more salt..."
<Daeren|Storytelling> Emma smooths her dress out slightly. "While I appreciate the...the fear that must have caused, I must suggest you schedule an appointment with Dr. Harrison."
<Daeren|Storytelling> "You're...acting strangely."
<Angler> "I'm fiiiine." Angler shifts spontaneously, copying Emma.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Freya steps closer. "Stay away from Autumn, mirror. Or I will take the 7 years."
* Angler stretches, a cruel little twinkle in her eye. "Relax, I won't... bite."
* Angler shifts again, into a form with red hair and ice-pale skin...
<Daeren|Storytelling> Emma straightens, getting a sudden dark certainty in her eyes. "Angler, in the name of safety for yourself, the Courts, and the populace, I order you as your sovereign to tell me everything that happened in the Hedge."
<Angler> "Really, Emma..." Haughty, of course. It's almost spot-on, though the niggling little differences in body language and speech give it away. "He wanted to eat us, and I returned the favor instead. Oh, and there's the Fae bound into the Park. It was happy that the Devourer is gone." She idly studies her nails. "I wasn't foolish enough to take the power it offered, but Harvey was."
<Daeren|Storytelling> The one-two punch of information sends her reeling. "Th...there's a FAE under the Park? And Harvey took power from it!?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Tell me about the Fae. What was it?"
<Angler> "It said that it was bound there a long time ago, set to protect the place... a thing with vines and a voice like all the world, meant to act as some kind of gate."
* Angler shifts again, a reasonable simulacrum of Freya's appearance and clothes melting across her features.
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Did it..did it say what its Titles were?"
<Daeren|Storytelling> Freya immediately walks over to Angler and puts a vice-grip on her arm, hand searing with barely restrained heat. "Change. Back."
* Angler twitches and her form shapes again... and it's like Freya but -not-, somehow, with patterns of ice-whorls and frostbite instead of the omnipresent burns...
<Daeren|Storytelling> Freya recoils, glaring silently.
<Angler> "The home, the dark, the buried chill inside your heart, the deep of sweating night, the fractured but undoubting awareness..." Yeah, he probably mis-decided the question.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Emma shudders. "It commands all that. But those are not titles, but powers. What did it call itself?"
<Angler> "The guardian of the Nexus." She rubs her arms. Too cold.
<Daeren|Storytelling> "Cold, Mockery? Allow me to warm you." Freya's hands burst into flame.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Freya nods. "The Nexus had two other names. It was the Unity of All, and it was the Seven Screams Ascendant."
* Angler shudders in a way that suggest she's just repressed a snarl in Freya's direction.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Emma seizes up at the mention of the third name, locked still, eyes reflecting utter screaming horror.
<Daeren|Storytelling> You can see her tilt slightly, but she barely catches herself from falling into a dead faint.
* Angler 's expression goes flat and then concerned, very suddenly.
<Daeren|Storytelling> She wordlessly walks to the basement door and closes it behind her, an audible click coming from the lock.
* Angler looks confused.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Freya can hear muffled shrieks of horror and sobs emanating from deep in the basement.
* Reiz is now known as Freya_Eldr
* Angler 's form twists again, back to himself... he's gaunter than he was before the Devourer, though. More broad-mouthed and narrow-edged.
* Freya_Eldr looks between Angler and the basement door, worried about Autumn but unwilling to go check on her with Angler still around.
* Angler looks between Freya and the basement door, eyes like wide lamps.
* Freya_Eldr points to the entrance of the library. "Time for you to leave, mirror."
* Angler frowns sharply. "This is my place as well as yours."
<Freya_Eldr> "Not now. I must tend to Autumn, but I refuse to do so with you here, mirror. Leave."
* Angler meets Freya's gaze, head tilting to the side, eyes unblinking. "No."
* Freya_Eldr lets the flame go from her hands, pulling it into herself as she address Angler. "A choice, then. Leave, let me heal Autumn's wounds. Or stay, and never be conversed to again. This is for me to do, not you, nor anyone else."
* Angler bristles, and his frown glowers in a way that's on the very edge of doing something oh-so-foolish, but some little part of him does wonder what such a pre-seared meal would taste like--
* Angler lets out a hissing snarl at Freya, and shrieks, and his maw divides in a way that it physically shouldn't, an expanse of buzzsaw-grinding teeth that would put a shark to shame.
* Freya_Eldr lights up her hands with flame again, not moving from the spot. She stares directly into the maw of teeth, and uses the heat from her flaming hands to sear the spittle off her flesh. "This meal would give heartburn, mirror. Back down."
<Angler> As the teeth twist back into a normal arrangement, Angler just... stares, like a statue.
<Freya_Eldr> "Enough of this. I must attend to Autumn." She turned from Angler, the flames returning into her hands as she pulled a key from her clothes. She unlocks the door to the basement, slipping in and hoping to shut it behind her before Angler could follow.
* Angler doesn't get in the way, apparently.
* Freya_Eldr ensures the door is locked, before descending into the basement, searching for Emma.
<Daeren|Storytelling> Freya descends into the basement, following the wails, and gets down to her room. Emma is curled up in a corner, in the fetal position, chairs and boxes piled up around her to shield her.
* Angler jimmies at the lock, examining it.
<Freya_Eldr> "Autumn? It's the burnt one. I am here to be your aegis."
<Daeren|Storytelling> She's still sobbing, curled up, barely registering anything.
* Angler waits, a few steps from the door, unmoving.
* Freya_Eldr comes forwards, trying to pick her way through her shield without knocking anything over.
<Daeren|Storytelling> She finally looks up, eyes bloodshot, blackened irises glazed in fear, face stained with tears.
* Freya_Eldr makes her way to Emma, before coming down beside her, crouching at her level. "Nothing will pass me. Nothing will harm you. I am your shield, Autumn, and I will be here besides you until you have become yourself again."
<Daeren|Storytelling> She curls up next to Freya, still sobbing softly. "I dun wanna go back..." she sounds like a lost child.
* Freya_Eldr isn't quite sure what to do, but put her arms aroudn Emma and making soothing noises. This is rather akward for her. "Nothing will get you with me here."
* Freya_Eldr is now known as Reiz
* Reiz has quit IRC (Quit: CAMPING YEAH)
* Angler is still waiting stock-still in front of the door. For the moment, anyway. His patience may run out eventually.