logs

<Camtist|GM> The hallway is dark and dim as Liz finds herself laying down on its carpeted floor, laughing at the sheer amount of relief that fills her body.
<Camtist|GM> She has just finished her trip through the Ribbon Forest Trail, and like the strangest case of jet-lag she's ever had, Liz isn't actually all that tired. It's probably one or two in the morning, but she had started her Path roughly in the morning as well, and it felt as if it only really lasted a couple hours or so.
<Camtist|GM> Time does get strange with the Void, after all. At least, according to Eric. And while this is probably going to horribly fuck with her body's internal clock, she now has what is likely a very full morning ahead of her.
<Camtist|GM> The slight creaking of wood emanates throughout the home, and it's a pretty decent guess that no one else in her family is active at this hour. As such, all she's left with is herself, her new toys, a letter to Klamath, a slash across her arm, and whole lot of strange, sticky white webbing coating almost every inch of her body, backpack, and clothes. ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> God, she was going to need to shower. Though, Liz might wear the clothes out to go get Kate back, just because there is a weird point of pride with them now. Baptism by webbing and cockroach wolves. She could take the first part of the morning to shower, figure out what her new toys do, spend a bit of time reading. No way she was going to bug Mary at 1 in the morning. In fact, that actually sounded like a decent plan. First things
<Tha|Liz|Kara> first, what was the actual time? She had a busy day of planning ahead of her.||
<Camtist|GM> There's a clock in the hallway, but it's analog and difficult to read in the low light. After a moment and some squinting, Liz finds that it's 1:22 in the morning.
<Camtist|GM> Because of time shenanigans, however, it feels more like noon. ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> Anyone that might have left her a message? That was a day gone and she had to wonder what happened there. Liz checks her phone quickly, then she was going to need to waste a few early morning hours, take a quick nap, then get down to business.||
<Camtist|GM> Her phone gives her a lot more information, the first and most important of which is that it's Wednesday. Apparently, that trip took a little less than two whole days to complete, even though only seemed like two or three hours at most.
<Camtist|GM> She also has a couple missed calls from Michael Graham, along with a text message from the day prior: "hi Liz, u there?".
<Camtist|GM> It's only now, over twelve hours after they were sent, that she gets them. Apparently you can't get a signal in the Void. Go figure.
<Camtist|GM> The rest of the morning goes by fairly quickly. A bit of reading here, some Asks about her new jewel and finger there (including a small meeting with a very...interesting ghoul), a shower and bandaging of her now puffy scratch mark sometime in between, and a quick nap get her to sunrise easily enough. ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> It's Wednesday!? The fuck was wrong with time? Liz will keep the web clothes now... keeping them safe. It's kind of like a point of pride for her. Those clothes mean something to her, it was like a baptism and it was proof she survived. However, she puts on a fresh set of clothes before grabbing her two new toys. The gem might come in handy and she wanted to see about selling the finger. Of course, seeing that it's Wednesday, she
<Tha|Liz|Kara> needed to stop her brother from going to the Expedition. Morph likes her declarations, and she declared herself to those Chaos mages that she was Liz the Dreamer. It would be so easy for him not to go if he just slept through it. She casts obscure, then goes to see if her brother is still asleep in his room.||
<Camtist|GM> She heads down to her brother's room, sneaking along with Untether active, and finds that his door is once again locked.
<Camtist|GM> Liz really should just get a key for it one of these days. ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> She could pick the lock, but odds are he was inside. How close does she need to be to have a prayer to Morpheus work? She just wanted to confirm that he was in there and asleep before she gave it a try, so Liz just waits for Untether to be undone, then she'll try Ethereal and see if she can stick her head in.||
<Camtist|GM> It's kind of an annoying process, as she has to wait a couple minutes then recast all over again, but Liz is eventually able to easily stick her head right through the door.
<Camtist|GM> The scene before her is likely not what she expected, however. The room is similar to before, a teenage mess of clothes and random bits of trash thrown about the area, with just a bed and desk really sticking out amid the piles. Unlike before, though, the very center has been cleared of debris in a wide circle, allowing her to actually see the color of the floorboards.
<Camtist|GM> In the cleared out space is a complex chalk diagram, though it's difficult to make out. Mostly because of the pool of blood and body lying on top of it.
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<Camtist|GM> Michael is there, limbs splayed out among the reddened chalk, and he looks /bad/. His arms and legs have gashes all across them, with bruises and blood scattered in between. One of his legs should /not/ be bending that way, and it even takes a moment to recognize his lumpy and beaten in face. His clothes, a t-shirt and jeans, are a tattered mess, making it look as if he's been put through a fucking wood chipper and spat out here.
<Camtist|GM> The boy is clearly unconscious, and with the amount of blood on and around him, it's pretty easy to tell why. ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> Oh fuck. What did he try to do that ended with him like this!? Liz pushes into the room right away, ignoring her plan and going to check on him. She... couldn't touch him to check for a pulse or anything, but she needed a way to stabilize him and fast... she only had one thought. She should have checked when she got back. At this point, she's crying. "Morhpeus..." She pauses for a second to get her breath. She was panicking at this
<Tha|Liz|Kara> point and this was her only option. "I know that I have not been with you long, and I even feel that this is a lot to ask, but in my nightmares, I never imagined anything like this... please save my brother..."||
<Camtist|GM> Michael does appear to be breathing, but his breaths are short and ragged. As she gets closer, Liz can see now that most of his blood actually appears to be dry, the brownish-red smattering already scabbing over many of his wounds.
<Camtist|GM> He's likely been here, in this state, for a /while/.
<Camtist|GM> ((Roll Social))
<Tha|Liz|Kara> $roll 1d6 social
<[ATM]> Tha|Liz|Kara "social" [3]  = 3
<Camtist|GM> Dealing with Morpheus is an uncertain and fickle thing, as the Sandman previously imparted, but as her panicked voice rings throughout the room, Liz soon feels a response.
<Camtist|GM> Some of Michael's wounds begin to close, the gashes across his limbs knitting back together. The bruises and breaks remain though, and his leg still looks utterly destroyed, his breathing slows and steadies over the course of about half a minute.
<Camtist|GM> ((but his*))
<Camtist|GM> A drowsy wave of reassuring calm flows over the Dreamer after the feat. While he will almost certainly need better medical attention, Liz gets the feeling that for now, Michael is stable. Unconscious and very broken, but stable. ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> "Thank you... thank you... thank you..." This gives her a bit of urgency, but at least he's stable for the moment. Grabbing Kate moves down a place on the list, she needed to hit up Hector first. If her brother is injured so badly, she will need to see what Hector can help her with... but at least she has time. Liz goes over to the door and phases through it, she was going to head straight to Hector's shop with her goodies.||
<Camtist|GM> It's very early in the morning, with half of the sun still trying to make its way above the horizon. The smell of dew and a surprisingly cool breeze from the prior night hits her as she heads out. Hector's shop is a decent walk away from home, but Liz knows the route, and finds that many of the streets are completely empty at this time of the day. Ethereal also fades not long into the trip, though that may be for the best.
<Camtist|GM> Eventually, the sight of a squat concrete building with cluttered windows comes into view. The "e" on the neon sign has burnt out again. As such, Liz quickly makes her way to the entrance of "Hctor's Pawn Shop." ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> Hopefully he was open. Morpheus had him stabilized, but she wanted him fixed and better. Might extract a promise of not going on the expedition, but she needed him better. As such, she was panicking a little as she tried to open the door.||
<Camtist|GM> The door is unlocked, although a sign on the glass front indicates that it should be closed at this hour.
<Camtist|GM> The inside is the same as usual. A musty scent emanates from the walls of junk and clutter on either side, with a small pathway through the knickknacks leading up to a simple, large oak desk. A ledger and hotel bell sit there in even the exact same place as last time, though there is no one behind the counter. ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> Why was the door unlocked if he wasn't open? She was worried, but she had other, bigger concerns at the moment. "Hector?" She says aloud while ringing the bell. She had to wonder why he was unlocked early if he wasn't supposed to be open.||
<Camtist|GM> "Oh!" Liz hears an elderly voice from up the staircase. "Ms. Graham?"
<Camtist|GM> The thunking sounds of footsteps soon follow, and eventually a short, familiar figure comes into view.
<Camtist|GM> "My, you're here ear-" Hector starts, stopping himself once he finally sees Liz. He looks fairly surprised, though even at this hour, the elderly gentleman is well dressed in cargo pants, hiking boots, and a thick long-sleeved shirt. His spectacles now possess a thicker rim to them, and his cane already on hand.
<Camtist|GM> "Ms. Bartow?" he asks, finally reaching the ground floor and already heading to the stool. "Oh dear, um...I wasn't expecting you today." ||
<Camtist|GM> ((cane is already*))
<Tha|Liz|Kara> Liz doesn't even sound remotely casual as she starts speaking. "Emergency, didn't know where else to go..." She's wondering if he was the type to take advantage of something like this. "Sorry... tried the door even though you weren't open, but my brother isn't in great shape from some ritual he was doing... I asked Morpheus for a bit of help, but he's still not in great shape."||
<Camtist|GM> Hector looks fairly taken aback by her explanation. It's still around six in the morning, and he /clearly/ did not expect this to pop up.
<Camtist|GM> "Um, please...please do calm down, Ms. Bartow," he replies, adjusting his spectacles as he hops up onto his stool. "I'm, ah...to be perfect honest, I'm not sure why you're coming to me with this."
<Camtist|GM> "...did you wish to buy something?" he asks, trying to bring this more into his own element. ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> "I was going to see if there was something I could buy that would help, actually... as long as you're willing to either buy or trade the for the Void artifacts I brought back." And she really didn't know who else she could ask about this. She thought about calling an ambulance, but that would raise so many uncomfortable questions that she couldn't lie about.||
<Camtist|GM> "Help with...your brother?" he asks with a concerned expression. Although he doesn't even blink at the casual mention of void artifacts.
<Camtist|GM> "What kind of 'shape' did this ritual put him in, exactly? Because I'm sorry to say that many magical effects can be.../difficult/ to reverse, at best." ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> "Severe injuries. Morpheus undid some of them and stabilized him a bit, but he still looks really beat up." Now that she's actually talking, she starts calming down a bit. She just now realizes that she could have gotten better data from the Pygmy with the Broken Finger. Maybe she still can if Hector is unsure. "Other stuff I'd want to be buying or trading for, but this takes priority for me. I also have a trip to Klamath to pay for
<Tha|Liz|Kara> and wanted to some other self-defense options in the Void." She was expecting her cut from the Cockroach wolves to be the worst injury in the house.||
<Camtist|GM> "A-alright." Hector seems a little overwhelmed by all this. "...let's deal with one matter at a time."
<Camtist|GM> "Severe injuries. If that's all, then I'm sorry to say that I likely won't be much help. My healing items are sold quite easily, and as such, quite /quickly/, so I doubt I have any that can be retrieved in a reasonable length of time."
<Camtist|GM> "If you require a healer, however, then there are many other practitioners in town that I can point you towards. Mr. Joseph, the Grahams, Ms. Phillips, Ms. Gallagher...possibly even Mr. Petrov, if he has anything left over from his uncle."
<Camtist|GM> "In fact, I know that Miranda should be arriving sometime in the next few hours. As far as I'm aware, she's likely been taught some techniques to transfer health, if need be." ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> She's rather not ask the Grahams, Joseph hates her, but maybe he would be willing to help her brother. Also, who the fuck is Gallagher? She could ask later. "I was going to need to head to Mary's, anyway..." She would be willing to help her brother... she hoped. Otherwise, she would need to Ask for something she could hit up for healing.||
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<Camtist|GM> "I do apologize about not being able to help," he replies. "You've, ah...caught me at a bad time, it seems."
<Camtist|GM> Today is the day of the expedition, and Hector said he'd be going at the meeting. Hence his current getup.
<Camtist|GM> "Is there any other way I can be of service? We're technically closed now, but I've got some time to spare." ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> She takes a second to calm down. Morpheus stabilized her brother, he wasn't getting any worse. "Might as well talk about the void items while I'm here, then..." Liz pulls out the finger and places it on the counter. "This is a Crawler's Finger."||
<Camtist|GM> Hector's eyebrows shoot up.
<Camtist|GM> "...oh my," he replies, eyeing the blackened finger. "May I inspect it?"
<Camtist|GM> He pulls out a small jeweled eyepiece from underneath the counter, and gently reaches a hand towards the digit. ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> "Of course." She would bring out the gem if she needed, but out of the two items, that was the one she most wanted to keep. She had uses for that, but the finger seemed to be better to sell.||
<Camtist|GM> Hector gingerly picks up the finger and brings it to the eyepiece, then closely examines it from all angles.
<Camtist|GM> "Yes, this does appear to be the genuine article," he comments. "Not an /incredibly/ rare find, but certainly one that can be quite difficult to obtain without the proper channels."
<Camtist|GM> "Do you already know of its potential uses?" ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> "I asked a few of my experts. Eating in, breaking it in half, or it seems alchemists use it." The latter was the part Hector was most interested in since they could sell the thing to them for quite a bit.||
<Camtist|GM> "Yes, and I know of a particular alchemist in Osaka that requested this item a few years back."
<Camtist|GM> "Are you looking to pawn or sell it?" he asks, putting the finger down. ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> "Sell." She answers quickly. Without a concrete goal, she wasn't going to risk mutating herself horribly. Maybe if she decided she wanted snake fangs or something... or just a pile of eyes... no, that'd be too freaky.||
<Camtist|GM> "Hm. Very well then. I can offer..."
<Camtist|GM> He moves to his ledger and begins flipping through the pages.
<Camtist|GM> "...three thousand for it. As I said, it's not /incredibly/ rare, just often a hassle to get one's hands on."
<Camtist|GM> "Or I could point you to the buyer in Osaka. They may give you a better offer, but you'll have to do the negotiating and letter-writing yourself." ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> That was actually more than she was expecting to get for it, Liz was expecting the low end of a few hundred, so that sounds great to her. "Actually, that sounds great to me."||
<Camtist|GM> "Excellent," he replies, taking the finger and getting out a checkbook. "I hope you don't mind a check."
<Camtist|GM> He writes it out and hands it over, completing the transaction easily.
<Camtist|GM> "Was there anything else you needed?" ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> That will definitely pay for the Klamath trip, but with that done. "Might be back later, I'd want to see about expanding my options. Might wait until after the expedition, at least. Thanks, Hector!" Liz says as she starts heading for the door. Time to head to Mary's...||
<Camtist|GM> "It's not a problem, Ms. Bartow," he replies with a smile. "Good luck with your brother."
<Camtist|GM> "Oh," he says right as she gets to the door, "And you mentioned you may head to Ms. Phillip's?"
<Camtist|GM> "You should probably know that she is livid with you." ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> "Well, this will make things interesting..." Interesting was bad, wasn't it? "Thanks for the warning." Was it because she left Kate with her for so long or because Liz just went on a suicide mission? Either way, she needed to head over there quickly.||
<Camtist|GM> "Take care."
<Camtist|GM> Mary's house is already a decent walk away from Liz's house, which makes it even longer from Hector's. Things have just started to pick up in Harmony Bay, so the sidewalks are a tad bit more crowded then before, but it's only the difference between desertion and one or two people passing by.
<Camtist|GM> $roll 1d6 ?W
<[ATM]> Camtist|GM "?W" [6]  = 6
<Camtist|GM> ((Roll Wits))
<Tha|Liz|Kara> $roll 1d6-1 wits
<[ATM]> Tha|Liz|Kara "wits" [3] -1 = 2
<Camtist|GM> "Hello there."
<Camtist|GM> Liz gets about halfway to Mary's before a voice rings mere inches from her right ear. She turns to see a tall, smiling man in a trench coat just behind her, a thick beard tied together with elegant metal rivets and one ear pierced three times along its side with fancy jeweled earrings.
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<Camtist|GM> He seems pretty polished, with a handsome and chiseled face that couldn't be no more than thirty years old, and the smirk on his face matches his suspicious clothing well.
<Camtist|GM> "Elizabeth Bartow, yes?"
<Camtist|GM> The rest of the sidewalk is near empty as far as the eye can see, save for a hobo blatantly watching them a couple feet back. ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> Liz doesn't have time for this nor was she in the mood, but she had no idea who this person was. "Perhaps, but I believe it was polite to introduce yourself first." The look on her face would translate to her is that she's already over today and the day has barely even begun.||
<Camtist|GM> "Fair point," he concedes, backing away a little.
<Camtist|GM> "Kaelkra," he continues, holding out his hand to shake. "That's my name, not a cough."
<Camtist|GM> "And I must say, I have been running into the most /fascinating/ of people, recently." ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> Liz hesitates for a moment before shaking his hand. "And I am Liz, yes." That... wasn't a good thing to hear, she's debating pressing the issue. "That doesn't sound good for me, then..." Fascinating people and someone knowing her? Yeah... that's not good.||
<Camtist|GM> “Really?” he replies, a confused expression crossing his face. “It was supposed to be a compliment.”
<Camtist|GM> “It’s not every day that I get to meet the one responsible for angering so /many/ of my brethren.”
<Camtist|GM> Kaelkra’s smirk turns into a grin, and he seems to genuinely relish his statement.
<Camtist|GM> “Kudos, I must say. Normally they’re just so.../apathetic/. It was getting a little boring, really.” ||
* soulpelt| is now known as soulpelt|nap
<Tha|Liz|Kara> Cave gnome? "The cave gnomes, right? Seems I've been doing a lot of that recently. And really? It took so little effort on my part." She didn't even do anything to deserve it, really. "Seems the whole thing was caused by me not saying that Liz taught me the illusion to hide my eye..."||
<Camtist|GM> “Really now?” the tall gnome asks with a nod. “What a /delicious/ misunderstanding. And an ironic one at that.”
<Camtist|GM> “I’ve been trying to get them involved in mortal affairs for /centuries/ now, and who knew all it would take is a little stubborn girl and a tiny illusion.”
<Camtist|GM> “Care to share any further details?” he asks, his voice dripping with curiosity as he walks alongside the Dreamer. “I do love a good story.” ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> Might as well talk and walk. "Sure." If he wants to have them riled up, she actually has a few good ideas. "Let's start from the beginning. Pre-awakening. It was last Tuesday, I believe. It's when I got the Eye of Tah in my head by accidentally doing the ritual. Which, to preempt the question I would ask, was touching or holding the Eye and saying Tah which was written ON the item itself. Also would activate for saying something like
<Tha|Liz|Kara> talk, according to the notes I got later. I talk to Hector, I awaken the next day, then I get into a fight with a little girl and some goblins." She'll pause there for a moment to let Kaelkra ask a question.||
<Camtist|GM> "Penelope Williams?" he asks, though his attention has been very focused on Liz for this entire time. ||
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<Tha|Liz|Kara> "Yeah, this was between doing the ritual and learning any spells. I had to return some stuff back to Hector that I borrowed. I had to hit some of her goblins. Well, day after that I had two people to talk to. One was Mary since she was able to get the Eye under some sort of control. The other was Sandman for something else." Did she ever get his real name? No, he'd likely keep it to Sandman for her. "He was the one that tipped me off
<Tha|Liz|Kara> about Mary. So I'm walking over there and doing the eye illusion. Now, here is the part you likely care about. I get stopped, asked where I got the illusion, and I try to ask since... day before, Kate doesn't seem to be the most popular person. I try to ask why. He seemed to take exception to that. Asked me about the tree-fuckers, I had no idea who he was talking about, then I tried to run and got shot with a crossbow."||
<Camtist|GM> "Oh. Ohoho," he replies with a wide grin. "He thought you were with the forest gnomes? My, that'll /certainly/ do it."
<Camtist|GM> "Did you get a scar? From the crossbow?" He leans in closer. "Can I see it?" ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> "Don't think so, but it might be hard to see." She points to the Eye side of her, about where the bolt hit. "Sandman also helped with that a bit." She was fine with him seeing it, but why did he seem so happy that everyone else hated her? Was he that interested in getting his kind involved with mortals?||
<Camtist|GM> Kaelkra starts giggling as he catches sight of the small scar.
<Camtist|GM> "A scar, a fight," he says with pure joy, "The Dreamer, Chaos Mage of Harmony Bay, against the Cave Gnome Collective that lives and lurks below." It sounds more like he's setting up a wrestling match than recounting a rivalry.
<Camtist|GM> "How /beautiful/." Kaelkra's face is gleaming with giddiness, grinning from ear to ear.
* Thaydean is now known as Thay|Robert
<Camtist|GM> "Here," he says hastily, flicking his wrist. A slip of paper appears between his fingers, and he holds it out to Liz.
<Camtist|GM> "My card." ||
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<Tha|Liz|Kara> Kaelkra is definitely enjoying this way too much, but she takes the card. "Thanks." Liz says as she looks it over. She couldn't help but wonder what all of his interest was in this mess. He seemed interested in getting them motivated. Then again, she did have an idea.||
<Camtist|GM> The card is completely blank on both sides. It looks like just a white slip of paper.
<Camtist|GM> A moment after Liz takes a look at it, Kaelkra peers over as well.
<Camtist|GM> "Oh, whoops," he says, then swiftly snaps his fingers.
<Camtist|GM> The card immediately bursts into flames. ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> Actually, that's pretty badass. Liz drops the card in surprise, but actually wonders how that worked. Probably a fairly simple trick, actually. "So, I have an odd question. Why have the Cave Gnomes not had much interest in being involved with humans?"||
<Camtist|GM> "Oh, they're just too focused on those...how did you put it? 'Tree-fuckers'?"
<Camtist|GM> As the note hits the ground, the flames begin to concentrate one certain places of the paper. It begins to burn letters directly on the card, eventually creating three lines of text: "Kaelkra", "Storyteller", and an instruction to turn left.
<Camtist|GM> "But now that they've taken an interest in you, well..." the gnome picks up the card and once more hands it over to Liz.
<Camtist|GM> "Follow this card, and it'll take you to my home. I'll trade handsomely for any other /fascinating/ tales you may provide, especially with as grand a scheme as this."
<Camtist|GM> He lets out another giggle to punctuate his statement. ||
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<Tha|Liz|Kara> Liz grabs the card and puts it away. That was actually really cool, but now she felt a part of some weird gnomish game. Trading stories for whatever else seemed lucrative, especially since the Void was filled with weirdness. She might even make the offer to give them someone to be REALLY pissed over. "What kind of stories are you interested in?"||
<Camtist|GM> "Not-boring ones," he replies quickly. "So long as it holds my interest, then I consider it interesting."
<Camtist|GM> "Come by if you find anything that fits the bill."
<Camtist|GM> With that, the gnome and his grin vanishes right before Liz's eyes. ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> Did she just get Cheshire'd? Liz is slightly confused by this turn of events, she expected a meeting with any of the gnomes to go poorly. Not... well, then again... he did want to keep them interested? Were all gnomes that interested in being entertained? She'll make a note that if she doesn't want to be stopped, she should gem herself before crossing town. And now, she has to hurry to Mary's...||
<Camtist|GM> Fortunately, nothing but the hot sun bothers Liz as she walks the rest of the way through the Southside district, passing by various neighborhoods and houses until she eventually finds the Warden's abode.
<Camtist|GM> It is still as strong as ever, with a variety of glowing lines and runes leading around the outer fence and walls of the home. The veritable fortress of magic faces the Dreamer, with a well-kept but empty yard that has several toys and playthings scattered throughout the grass, indicating the most common kind of occupant it houses.
<Camtist|GM> Even at this early of an hour, Liz can see a light shining through several windows, with some shadows occasionally running past and blocking it out. People are home, that's for sure. ||
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<Tha|Liz|Kara> Liz was expecting a lecture she was going to have to cut-off about her brother. She was dreading the lecture. The problem with nearly absent parents was that you never got used to this sort of thing. Deep breath, then she knocks on the door.||
<Camtist|GM> As soon as her fist gets close to knock on the rune-choked door, it immediately opens before her. There is no one on the other side, however. Just an empty wooden hallway that leads further into the house.
<Camtist|GM> The giggling and small, rapid footsteps of children reach Liz's ears easily, and she spots one little ankle-biter chasing another at the far end of the hall. There's other chatter and the sound of playing coming from a couple other entryways up ahead, acting as the only greeting for now. ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> Oh, this is ominous as shit. Liz looks in the door for a second, peering down the hallway before she says anything. "Hello? Is Mary there?" Liz says to seemingly no one. Someone had to open the door, right?||
<Camtist|GM> There is no one in the immediate vicinity. It seems that it just opened on its own.
<Camtist|GM> Down the hallway, one of the ankle-biters peeks back around the corner, getting a good look at Liz with wide brown eyes.
<Camtist|GM> "Hi!" he calls out to her with a smile and wave. Another child's voice cuts in from behind the corner, causing the current kid to look back and then dart out of sight once more. ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> Okay... did Mary rig her door to open up for certain people? Liz has no idea what to think of that, so she starts stepping inside. "Hi!" She says back to the kid as she enters and closes the door. Kate and Mary had to be around here somewhere, should she start in the living room?||
<Camtist|GM> As Liz reaches for it, she finds that the door has already closed itself behind her.
<Camtist|GM> As she turns back, the Dreamer sees a familiar tall, black woman with a simple apron and conservative dress walk out of a nearby entryway.
<Camtist|GM> "Elizabeth Bartow," she says, oddly calm, with her arms crossed and face devoid of any emotion.
<Camtist|GM> Without another word, Mary walks straight forwards and wraps Liz up in a massive, firm, and warm hug. ||
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<Tha|Liz|Kara> There was a brief period of hesitation before Liz returned the hug. "Just watch the shoulder, please..." She needed to get down to it, she wasted enough time as it was. Liz just swallows and gets down to it. "Hector said you knew some healing? Not for me, whatever my brother did while I was gone seemed to go poorly. He's alive, but he was not in good condition when I found him. Morpheus helped a bit to stabilize him, but... I don't
<Tha|Liz|Kara> know what to do."||
<Camtist|GM> Mary sighs.
<Camtist|GM> "...I'm /so/ glad you're safe, sweetheart," she starts. "And I hope you know-"
<Camtist|GM> Liz  then feels Mary grab her by the ear.
<Camtist|GM> "That what you did was one of the /dumbest/ things," she says sternly, yanking her ear /hard/, "that I have ever heard of a child doing since Timmy/ jumped off the roof/ to learn how to fly."
<Camtist|GM> "Marcus!" she then immediately calls back into the house. A very tall boy that Liz vaguely remembers seeing around her high school appears at one of the entryways.
<Camtist|GM> "I'm leaving for a short while. Take care of the little ones while I deal with /this one's/ mess, please."
<Camtist|GM> "Yes ma'am," the boy replies with a nod, giving Mary's death-grip over Liz's ear a concerned look before heading back into the house. ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> It only takes ten pounds of torque to rip off a human ear, right? "Ow... ow..." This was worse than the bug-wolf, at least she had adrenaline, then. At this point, she's just emotionally exhausted. "Thank you..." She finishes quietly.||
<Camtist|GM> Mary opens the door with a flick of her wrist, then thankfully lets go of Liz's ear.
<Camtist|GM> "Get in the van," she orders, guiding Liz out and pointing towards the minivan in the driveway. "Tell me what happened."
<Camtist|GM> The mother then starts heading towards it without any hesitation, closing the door behind them with another flick of the wrist.
<Camtist|GM> "And you're welcome, dear." ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> "I got home at like 1:30ish this morning." Liz says as she gets in and buckles the seatbelt. "I spent a bit of time figuring out what to do with the items I brought back, plan the letter delivery, take a short nap. When I got back up, I snuck into his room since I needed a way to stop him from going on the expedition. When I got in there, there was a lot of blood. I asked Morpheus for help and stabilized him, but... he's still in
<Tha|Liz|Kara> pretty bad shape. I ran over to Hector to see if there was something I could buy to take care of this, he named you as someone who could help."||
<Camtist|GM> "Hector's a smart man," she replies, getting into the driver's seat and starting the car. "I'm a little surprised you went to him instead of me first, but I can see the reasoning."
<Camtist|GM> She pulls out of her driveway with barely a look back, and then barrels down the road. Liz gets the feeling that Mary could not give less of a shit about speed limits right now.
<Camtist|GM> "Reasoning that you /weren't/ using," she continues with that same stern voice. "When you decided to /go into the Void/."
<Camtist|GM> "Sweetheart, what in God's good name were you /thinking/, going on a trip like that?" ||
<Tha|Liz|Kara> "My reasoning for diving in before I felt I was ready was that maybe I could get something to stop my little brother from going on the expedition today." Liz says plainly. She was going back in, but she was hopefully going to buy more stuff to get her better prepared. The trip was like all the best parts of a horror book, a horror movie, and a breaking into a place. "Otherwise, I would have made better preparations. I thought this
<Tha|Liz|Kara> one went well. Even with the poor luck on my part."||
<Camtist|GM> Mary takes a moment to give Liz a very stern look.
<Camtist|GM> "You're injured, your brother is back home bleeding, and your best friend has been stuck as a toddler for days now, and you think your little trip went /well/?"
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<Camtist|GM> "Did you get a concussion there, too?" ||
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<Thalia|Liz> "No, just the cut. And I think I only got that because of something that has about a 3% chance of happening." If there wasn't the webbing, she probably would have been fine. "I don't think I could have done anything about my brother if I was here, and I didn't want to leave Kate alone since I wasn't going to take her." Liz pauses for a second. "Don't worry about my next trip, it's just up to Klamath to deliver a letter for a little boy
<Thalia|Liz> I met in the Void. He wanted to send his sister a letter."||
<Camtist|GM> ((I think I’m gonna have to pause here, sorry))
<Thalia|Liz> ((It's fine, you said until 7, so it was about time.))
<Camtist|GM> ((I’ll probably be back around 9 my time, if you want to keep going then))
<Thalia|Liz> ((Sure, see ya then!))
<Camtist|GM> ||| ((Pause))
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<Camtist> ((o/))
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<Camtist|GM> ||| ((Unpause))
<Camtist|GM> ...
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<Camtist|GM> "You're leaving /again/?" she asks incredulously. "Elizabeth, sweetheart, if there's anything that thick little skull of yours should take away from today, I think it's that you really need to have your things in order before you go jumping off somewhere new."
<Camtist|GM> "I don't care if its the Void or just a block away, but being away from your problems doesn't mean that they just /stop/ and wait for you."
<Camtist|GM> "You really are Kate's friend..." Mary mutters as she takes a corner a bit too sharp and nearly hits the curb. ||
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<Thalia|Liz> Liz chuckles for a moment. "Actually, when you think about...with our age difference and my family situation... she more or less raised me." She closes her eyes for a moment while she gets this next thought together. "Most of my problems are magical in nature lately, and I do have to leave to do anything to help there. I'm just hoping my brother will listen now when I tell him that he's dealing with things that are out of his league."||
<Camtist|GM> Mary takes a second to process Liz's comment.
<Camtist|GM> "Raised by Kate...no wonder you're like this," she replies, shaking her head.
<Camtist|GM> "And for your brother, well. If he doesn't listen to you, then I'm sure I can make him listen to /me/." ||
<Thalia|Liz> "I'm sure he will. He's the good kid, but he's the... he's the one that gets good grades really easily, does well in sports. I think he's been a metaphorical big fish in a little pond." She does say her next thought, but she thinks it loud. Of the two of them, Michael actually has a future.||
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<Camtist|GM> "Sounds to me like he might have an ego," she replies.
<Camtist|GM> With that, Mary pulls into the driveway of Liz's house, braking hard to stop the van's momentum from the tumultuous trip. It's a little surprising as well, as they managed to get there in likely record time.
<Camtist|GM> "Show me where he is," she orders, unbuckling and getting some things from around the car. A first aid kit, a strange doll, and an even stranger ladle are all gathered into her arms. ||
<Thalia|Liz> Liz goes into the house and takes Mary up the stairs. She doesn't even think about her family since they likely wouldn't even notice. Liz points out Michael's bedroom door. "He has it locked. I can try and pick it... or phase through the door and unlock from the other side... or..." Actually, she has a weird thought. Does shunt work on an inanimate object? Liz decides to try and shunt Michael's door.||
<Camtist|GM> The door disappears from reality with a slight plopping sound.
<Camtist|GM> "That works," Mary says, passing through the new doorway with barely even a blink at the display.
<Camtist|GM> "...oh dear," she sighs as her eyes finally see the state Michael's in. The boy is the same as before: bloodied, bruised, and beaten in in several locations.
<Camtist|GM> "Hold these for me, sweetheart." She hands over the doll and ladle, then kneels besides Liz's brother with the first aid kit. ||
<Thalia|Liz> Liz is actually surprised shunting the door works, but she just takes the items Mary gave her and waits there quietly.||
<Camtist|GM> The items are even stranger up close. The doll looks like a very old Victorian relic, the kind that they now use in horror movies, with pale white porcelain skin and a very lacy dress. The ladle, meanwhile, appears well used and simple. It's made entirely out of brass, and seems very out of place here.
<Camtist|GM> Mary starts by opening the first aid kit and getting some cloth out, then uses it not on Michael, but to wipe away the pool of blood around him. She takes note of the chalk diagram, then takes out her own stick of chalk from her apron pocket.
<Camtist|GM> "You mentioned that Morpheus stabilized him?" she asks as she works. The mother doesn't look at Liz, too busy drawing around Michael and repurposing his diagram for her own use. ||
<Thalia|Liz> Liz nods a bit. "Remember the talk with Sandman?" She asks. Liz was pretty sure that she mentioned it to Mary at least once. "When I came in, there were more wounds and his breathing wasn't great. I kind of... panicked." She should have asked the Pygmy, she might have got a proper diagnosis and could have done more.||
<Camtist|GM> "That's understandable, sweetheart. You're much too young to be dealing with this sort of mess."
<Camtist|GM> Mary finishes her diagram, a complex set of runes and intertwined boxes around Michael's body, the lines somewhat incorporated to his original diagram.
<Camtist|GM> "This may interfere with Morpheus' influence, so I hope that that's already run its course."
<Camtist|GM> With that, the lines of chalk begin to gain a glow. A /strong/ glow, brighter and much more powerful than even her house's many setups. ||
<Thalia|Liz> Morpheus was, hopefully, a quick heal and maybe keeping her brother asleep, just so he wouldn't be in pain. She should have asked the Pygmy, maybe there was another option. She needed to get ready to deal issues like this... somehow. More notes for the notebook. She needed more plans, but for now, all she can do is watch Mary work.||
<Camtist|GM> "...looks alright," Mary comments as the lines continue to glow. Michael is still unconscious, and his breathing continues steadily onwards.
<Camtist|GM> "Let's see..." she continues, apparently reading from the diagram. "Two impacts to the head...a black eye...several cuts along the torso and arms...three broken fingers...broken nose...two cracked teeth...seven major gashes along the back...a stab wound through the right thigh...his left leg bone is /dust/...he's lost a lot of blo-"
<Camtist|GM> She hesitates, rereads the lines before her, and lets out a low, long sigh.
<Camtist|GM> "Elizabeth. Where are your parents?" ||
<Thalia|Liz> Liz stops and thinks. "I'm not sure..." Mom was probably asleep or off drunk somewhere. "Dad is probably at work already. Mom is probably asleep, if I had to make a guess. Why?" The concern is starting to take over her tone of voice.||
<Camtist|GM> "Your brother has been here, in his room, in this /state/, for over thirty hours now."
<Camtist|GM> "I know you said your situation here was bad, but if they failed to notice him /dying/ in their /own home/ for over a day..."
<Camtist|GM> She lets out another sigh, then starts digging into the first aid kit.
<Camtist|GM> "I have more than half a mind to call Child Protective Services." ||
<Thalia|Liz> And this is why she went to Hector first. Liz is clearly panicking a bit now. That would be a horrible thing to happen to her at this point. "And what exactly could you tell them? That my brother tried a magic ritual and nearly got himself killed while his older sister was off being chased by giant cockroaches?"||
<Camtist|GM> "I would likely tell them that I had met you earlier, and came here after being informed that your brother was injured."
<Camtist|GM> "The rest would be up to the police. You had mentioned that your mother was a drunkard, and alcoholics have a tendency of doing strange things. Like draw magic diagrams, or beat their children."
<Camtist|GM> Her tone isn't stern anymore. Just calm and calculating, analyzing the situation and figuring out what she thinks is the best possible solution.
<Camtist|GM> "You wouldn't even have to lie, sweetheart," Mary continues as she takes out some bandages. "Just tell the truth, and let the natural inclination of innocents go from there. They'll likely think you're traumatized, and if they don't, well...one of my jobs as a Warden is to maintain the divide between mundane and magical. I can work something out."
<Camtist|GM> The mother starts wrapping up some of Michael's wounds, starting a small incantation as she goes. Liz can see some of the worst or bloodiest of his scrapes being scabbed over, picking up where Morpheus left off. ||
<Camtist|GM> ((tendency to do*))
<Thalia|Liz> "I-I-..." Liz is shaking. It would probably be for the best, but that would, in certain terms, be the death of her. God, then she'd have to start doing well in school and all the rest of that bullshit. She'd end up in Mary's place, without a doubt. And then what? It would be like her life would be more fucked up than before. Then again... if she really needed to, she could just dump Liz in the gem and be someone else.||
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<Camtist|GM> Mary pauses in her work to look over at Liz. She sees her shaking, gets up immediately, and heads over to her with a concerned expression.
<Camtist|GM> "Elizabeth?" she asks, hugging the girl once more. "Shhh. Calm down, sweetheart. I'm not going to call them this instant."
<Camtist|GM> "But with this kind of situation, I think it's something we need to consider. Your brother almost died, honey, and the last thing I want is for something like this to happen again." ||
<Thalia|Liz> "I-I... I know..." Liz winces, she doesn't return the hug. She just sort of stares off. She's still shaking. For a moment, she thinks about the whole path she walked yesterday. The constant feeling of dread, the blackness, the cockroach wolves, and anything else. "Going through that... that scares me more than the Path I walked already."||
<Camtist|GM> "This one, you won't have to walk alone," Mary replies. She starts rubbing Liz's back, still keeping the girl in her embrace.
<Camtist|GM> "I've done similar things for plenty of my kids before, and I'm certain I've got many more times ahead of me. You can trust me, Elizabeth." ||
<Thalia|Liz> Liz could always activate the contingency protocol. The one she just fucking thought of. Use the gem and just vanish. Liz would cease to exist and she could use a different name. She might be able to trust her, but Liz feels pretty fucking betrayed. "How many of your kids were involved in all this?"||
<Camtist|GM> "You might have to be a little more specific there, sweetheart. Abuse cases? Probably around a third, over half of which I had to help them through one way or another. Criminal neglect? A fourth, easily. And cases of either where magic was involved?"
<Camtist|GM> She takes a moment to think about it.
<Camtist|GM> "Almost all of them, really. It's just what I do." ||
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<Thalia|Liz> "It was more the last one, but that does explain a lot." There wasn't really any abuse here, probably more neglect than anything. The idea of being closely watched was about as scary to Liz as anything else.||
<Camtist|GM> The mother keeps rubbing her back, but eventually lets go of the hug.
<Camtist|GM> "Tell me what you're thinking, dear. Please. I won't be mad if you don't like what I'm saying, and there isn't a force on this entire earth that I will let stop me from healing your brother."
<Camtist|GM> "But I want to know your opinion. I don't want to force you through anything, especially if I think it might only do more damage or cause more problems. And you likely know this situation better than I do." ||
<Thalia|Liz> "Barring magic, we've mostly been fine. He's... like I said, he's a good kid. He just has a huge ego because he's never really been challenged. If he's going to push himself like this, he would be better off having someone like you watching over him." That was the supportive part. "But." Here comes the hard part. "When I told him about my Practice, about Chaos magic, he said calling me a chaos mage was more fitting than having me go by
<Thalia|Liz> Dreamer. He's sort of right... the very idea of you calling CPS..." Liz visibly shudders and her breathing becomes a little more panicked. "I already feel a bit like it's suffocating me."||
<Camtist|GM> "...you're afraid I'll be overbearing?" she asks. "Well, it's certainly not an unreasonable fear."
<Camtist|GM> "And going from no supervision whatsoever to a foster home will likely be...challenging, to say the least."
<Camtist|GM> "But I've had children who need space before. I know it's a flaw of mine, to get too attached or involved sometimes, but I can try to take measures to make you more comfortable."
<Camtist|GM> "There are options here, Elizabeth. Things I can o, things we can try. For now, just try to calm down and relax. Your brother is no longer in danger, and again, I'm not going to make that call right this moment. Not until I'm absolutely certain that it is the best possible option for you, and hopefully, you'll be certain as well." ||
<Camtist|GM> ((I can do*))
<Thalia|Liz> She was afraid any oversight would be overbearing, but she has around three grand in her pocket. It would likely be in her best interests, but it didn't really matter. She'd rather go into the Void than deal with this crap. She takes a deep breath before responding. "Like what?"||
<Camtist|GM> "...you would have your own room," Mary replies. "And with my sort of magic, and the power of my demesne, I could alter it almost any way you'd like. It could be as large as the house itself, or an exact replica of your current room. Or something completely different, if you'd like."
<Camtist|GM> "And normally, my children have a curfew, but...I could also make an exception for you. I'll admit, I wouldn't exactly be happy if you showed up at four in the morning and expected dinner or something like that, but I understand if you may need some time away from the house."
<Camtist|GM> "...and I'm not /entirely/ against your Void trips. I would just prefer that you be prepared for them. And perhaps that you do the entrance rituals in the house, just in case something goes wrong so that I can intervene and stop you from killing yourself."
<Camtist|GM> She noticeably glances towards Michael at that. ||
<Thalia|Liz> "At least we're on the same page for being prepared." Liz feels for the gem in her pocket. "This trip was rushed because I was worried about him and the expedition." In a weird way, she's glad that she won't be worrying about THAT here.
<Thalia|Liz> "And the first one was needed to get some options. I can actually afford something now if I need it." And she met those white serpent people. Suspicious, but they seemed alright enough.||
<Camtist|GM> "...that does remind me," she replies. "Now that you're back from the trip, I've been intending to have one of my wards analyze you."
<Camtist|GM> "I know we were just talking about having me avoid being overbearing, but I wanted to check and make sure nothing else made it back with you."
<Camtist|GM> At that, Mary glances towards the wound on Liz's shoulder. ||
<Thalia|Liz> Liz sighs. "Understandable. There are some nasty things out there." And a few nice-ish. Eric seemed okay and that serpent wasn't overly aggressive. "The one I'd be worried about would be the cockroach wolves. Most everything else seemed alright."||
<Camtist|GM> "Those do sound like something to worry about."
<Camtist|GM> Mary backs away from Liz, taking a few steps towards Michael.
<Camtist|GM> "So, we need to get you back to my house at some point. Both so you can deal with Kate's...situation, and so that I can use the diagram I have there to root out any Void things that may have latched onto you."
<Camtist|GM> "I also need to finish making the more permanent injuries on your brother less-so..."
<Camtist|GM> An apologetic look crosses her face as she looks into Liz's eyes.
<Camtist|GM> "...and I still really do want to call the CPS," she says, trying to judge the girl's reaction. ||
<Thalia|Liz> Liz will need to find out what he was doing. She could ask him, in fact, she probably will. In some ways, this really wasn't their parents' fault. They didn't do the magic thing, so this wasn't really their bag. It was better that they ignore the kids when this stuff came up. But that was a point against as well. Both kids were involved with witchcraft and the parents had no idea. Liz had been having a fox sleep in her room and they
<Thalia|Liz> had no idea. She doesn't even say anything when Mary brings up CPS again. All she can manage to do is wince and look away.||
<Camtist|GM> Mary's expression falls a little, and she lets out a sigh before turning to Michael.
<Camtist|GM> "Please think it over, sweetheart," she says as she gets out more bandages. "It would put a horrible taste in my mouth to make that call while that's still your reaction."
<Camtist|GM> The mother returns to healing up Liz's brother, now focusing more on his decimated leg. ||
<Thalia|Liz> She has been thinking over her other option if Mary goes that route. She could squat in one of the abandoned houses, hide herself with the gem, and start using a different name. No enemies, but no friends... "It's just... hard for me to think about."||
<Camtist|GM> "Just take your time with it, pumpkin," she replies. "I'll likely be working on this boy for next while, so we've got time."
<Camtist|GM> "It's a big consideration. Certainly not something any of us should rush into." ||
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<Thalia|Liz> "It's huge... it's Michael's life and mine." He was the one that mattered, though. He was the one that probably had a future. Liz had the void magic and like nothing else. There was no chance of her getting into college, and there was no fucking way she'd do some boring-ass 9 to 5 job. Liz feels like she should have gone to Grandpa Joseph, even if he hated her.||
<Camtist|GM> "To be fair sweetheart, considering both your ages and how each of your decisions have turned out for yourselves, I'm pretty comfortable with you making the decision for him."
<Camtist|GM> The leg slowly knits itself back into a less sickening state, just as Mary lets out another sigh.
<Camtist|GM> "...but if you would like, I could try to wake him up."
<Camtist|GM> ||
<Thalia|Liz> "Maybe when he won't be in terrible pain. He's the better one, I'd want his opinion." The second half comes out less like an opinion and more like an indisputable fact of the universe. Liz was the designated fuck-up, even if she designated herself that.||
<Camtist|GM> "I can numb the pain," she replies. "Though he may not be awake for long. Even healing can be exhausting, and this boy has been through a lot lately." ||
<Thalia|Liz> "I'd just prefer not to hear screaming." She'll leave that option up to Mary, she'd know better. That gem, however, is burning a hole in pocket. Just stop being Liz... she could walk away from everything.||
<Camtist|GM> "I wouldn't wake him up, if that would be the case."
<Camtist|GM> Michael's leg looks straighter now, though it's hard to tell if it's been fully healed or just repositioned.
<Camtist|GM> "Could I have the doll, dear? And the ladle, if you want him conscious again." ||
<Thalia|Liz> Liz decides that she'd rather just find out now, so she hands them both over without saying a word.||
<Camtist|GM> Mary takes them, and first carefully lays the doll across Michael's chest. She then grabs the ladle and starts muttering another incantation over it.
<Camtist|GM> The ladle fills with a strange, dark, steaming liquid, and the smell of chicken noodle soup soon reaches Liz. The mother heads over to Michael's head, kneels down, and props him up before carefully drizzling it through his mouth.
<Camtist|GM> When the ladle empties fully into him, she returns to the doll and leg. It only takes a few more moments from there for Michael's head to slowly start lolling around.
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<Camtist|GM> His eyes flutter open, and the boy looks absolutely /exhausted/. There are bags under and around his eyes, and his breathing quickens a little as his eyes try to focus on something.
<Camtist|GM> They eventually settle on Liz. ||
<Thalia|Liz> Liz looks back at Michael, frowning. "Hey..." She says weakly as she hunches down next to him. She wonders where to start or what to do... she should get on with her curiosity first. "So, what happened?"||
<Camtist|GM> He blinks in confusion, before his mouth soon opens.
<Camtist|GM> "Trial..." His voice is incredibly hoarse. It's like if Michael were suddenly a chain smoker. "...went bad..."
<Camtist|GM> "Fought against...the river..."
<Camtist|GM> "Got...so close..." There's a bitterness in his tone, regret and anger intermingling.
<Camtist|GM> "...why can't...I feel...uh..."
<Camtist|GM> "You should be glad for that," Mary remarks. She seems to be idly casting something, one arm on the doll while the other rests on Michael's leg. ||
<Thalia|Liz> "Yeah, when I came in here your leg was bending in the wrong direction. You were laying here, injured, for about 30 hours according to Mary." Liz pauses dramatically for a moment to let that sink in. "If I didn't break in here to prevent you from going on the expedition, you might have ended up dead."||
<Camtist|GM> "...fuck..."
<Camtist|GM> His head tilts back as he closes his eyes.
<Camtist|GM> "It...it used to...hurt..."
<Camtist|GM> "...I screamed...a lot...called for help..."
<Camtist|GM> Another confused expression crosses his battered face.
<Camtist|GM> "Didn't you...hear me...?" ||
<Thalia|Liz> ((What time is it?))
<Camtist|GM> ((About 8, I'd say))
<Camtist|GM> ((Maybe closer to 7))
<Thalia|Liz> "I was in the Void until about 1:30 this morning." Liz says while breaking eye contact. "Time moves weird there, so... it was a few hours for me but I left on Monday morning." Oh my god, that makes it so much worse for the CPS thing if he was just in here screaming.||
<Camtist|GM> "...I left...around then...too..."
<Camtist|GM> He pauses for a moment, then looks down.
<Camtist|GM> "Who...?" he starts to ask, looking straight at Mary. ||
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<Thalia|Liz> Liz doesn't smoke, but she could really use a cigarette right now. "That's Mary, she's nice." Liz starts simply, then moves into the heavy stuff. "She's a foster mother, I know her through Kate. She was... discussing calling CPS because our parents didn't notice you were bleeding to death in your room while I was gone for a day."||
<Camtist|GM> "Oh..."
<Camtist|GM> A beat passes.
<Camtist|GM> "...wait what."
<Camtist|GM> "CPS...the fuck...?"
<Camtist|GM> He looks back down at her, and watches as the doll's leg turns to dust. An effect fills his own leg, snapping it up a little and making it seem more solid, though it seems that he's unable to feel it.
<Camtist|GM> "...the fuck?" ||
<Thalia|Liz> "In her defense, you've been laying in a puddle of blood for about a day. The wounds were -bad-." His leg was pretty much gone, wasn't it? "If it wasn't for magic, I don't think you'd be walking again."||
<Camtist|GM> "According to you, it was even worse before I got here," Mary chimes in. "You needed two different types of magic, one of which came from a /deity/, to get you fixed back up, sweetheart."
<Camtist|GM> Michael narrows his swollen eyes at both of them.
<Camtist|GM> "...I'm trying...to /fix/...our fami-"
<Camtist|GM> The strain of that word apparently brought something up, and Michael has to turn to the side and spit a bit of blood out. Liz can see a tooth among it as well.
<Camtist|GM> "...the fuck..." he huffs out. ||
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<Thalia|Liz> "Unless you're a rehab facility, I don't think you'll be fixing mom." Liz spits out somewhat bitterly. How many years of being ignored now? If mom was anything like her kids, she was probably drinking so much because she was bored out of her mind. She met dad in college, didn't she? Could they awaken her to fix her issues? "And fixing me would probably involve time travel. And that was a tooth."||
<Camtist|GM> "...Wohpekumeu," he grunts out. "He can...help..."
<Camtist|GM> He glances back down at Mary, then frowns.
<Camtist|GM> "...what day...is it?" ||
<Thalia|Liz> "Wednesday. Between the fact that your body is going to be rest from this recovery, and the fact that the god of dreams did the initial healing, you're probably going to be sleeping." Liz looks over at Mary, hoping she'd agree. "We just wanted your opinion on the CPS thing."||
<Camtist|GM> His eyes widen.
<Camtist|GM> "...I need...to go..."
<Camtist|GM> Michael begins to strain, and it seems as though he's trying to move his body. None of his limbs budge an inch, however.
<Camtist|GM> "Stop straining yourself," Mary tells him. "You're closer to giving yourself a cramp than getting out of here any time soon." ||
<Thalia|Liz> Would Sandman sell cigarettes to a 16 year old? He sells drugs, so he should be okay on that front. "Let me say it again, you're lucky that you'll ever walk again. Sit there and recover."||
<Camtist|GM> "...no."
<Camtist|GM> He continues to fruitlessly struggle, and Mary just sighs and moves on with the healing in response.
<Camtist|GM> "...I need...to go...there is...an evil..." ||
<Thalia|Liz> "I'm starting to regret having Mary wake you up now." This talk would be so much easier tomorrow. No need for him to try and rush for the expedition. "I just wanted to hear what happened and then see what you thought about CPS because, honestly, I think you'd be better off in the long run."||
<Camtist|GM> Michael stops struggling for a moment, and instead stares at Liz with confusion.
<Camtist|GM> "...do you...want CPS?" he asks incredulously, sounding fairly surprised at his sister. ||
<Thalia|Liz> "I'm utterly terrified by the idea, but you might be better off long-term." Liz gets real quiet before she continues. "If you don't throw everything away, you're the one with a chance to have a good life and a good future. You're the one who matters more."||
<Camtist|GM> Michael takes another second to look at his sister, before eventually scowling at her.
<Camtist|GM> "The fuck...are you...talking about?" he asks, clearly angry.
<Camtist|GM> "I don't...what...'matters more'?" He's barely even incoherent, but Mary perks an eyebrow up at that last part.
<Camtist|GM> "You're a....a fucking /idiot/...for thinking that..." ||
<Camtist|GM> ((barely even coherent*))
<Thalia|Liz> Maybe she shouldn't have said that part out loud, but she thought it was true. She could say that even if he was laying in a puddle of his blood on the floor, he was easily making the better decisions. "Between the two of us, if things kept going as they were before we got involved with magic, I'd expect you to end up with the better life by a wide margin."||
<Thalia|Liz> ((Alright, I need to go to bed.))
<Camtist|GM> ((Yup, me too.))
<Camtist|GM> ||| ((Pause))
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<Camtist|GM> ||| ((Unpause))
<Camtist|GM> ...
<Camtist|GM> "Don't...don't fucking...say that..." Michael gets out. He seems absolutely /pissed/ at what Liz is saying.
<Camtist|GM> "You have...friends...Kate and Biggie...You know...computer shit..."
<Camtist|GM> Tears begin to form in his eyes as his teeth clench together.
<Camtist|GM> "You were tough...when mom...when dad..."
<Camtist|GM> "...'better life'.../fuck/ that..." ||
<Thalia|Liz> Maybe she was laying it on a bit thick, but almost dying to bug wolves while walking through the Void puts things in perspective. Liz didn't really have a future before the chaos magic thing. Thieving was only going to go so far over the years. "We can think about one other thing. To get things working again, sometimes people need a push." Liz taps by the Eye as she says this. "If Mary went that route, might get mom and dad on a
<Thalia|Liz> path to, y'know, being a family again. Because then they'd know something is wrong."||
<Camtist|GM> "Going into Child Protective Services doesn't have to mean that you would never see your parents again," Mary chimes in. "Reconciliation is possible, especially when you're older and when they've realized their mistakes."
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<Camtist|GM> Michael still looks angry, but he doesn't say anything in response. He just lays his head back down and lets his tears run their course. ||
<Thalia|Liz> "I'm not excited about the idea either, but that might be the best way to fix the family." Liz shrugs. She was going to get some opinions on this whole thing. No need to use magic if you could just use human psychology. "Just give it some thought, for me?"||
<Camtist|GM> Once again, Michael doesn't respond.
<Camtist|GM> "I think he passed out again, sweetheart," Mary says. She's currently tending to his other arm, closing the wounds with her bandages like before. ||
<Thalia|Liz> "Well, I'm going to get some other opinions on the matter when we're done here." Liz says quickly. Going to Void beings for family matters seemed odd, but she would Ask around. Then one more Ask to see who the best person to talk to in town about it that wasn't Mary.||
<Camtist|GM> "Again, I might not be done for a while here, sweetheart. And once I /am/ done, that's when it would be best to make the call."
<Camtist|GM> "I know I said we shouldn't rush this, but that doesn't mean we can wait forever. I can delay a little, pumpkin, but for now you should go do whatever you think you need to do."
<Camtist|GM> "So long as it may make you more comfortable, then I certainly won't try to stop you." ||
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<Thalia|Liz> She would feel bad about leaving her brother, but Mary makes a good point. Now is the best time. She'd ask Kate, but she literally had no idea how THAT would go. "I'll be back later, then." Liz says quietly before unlocking the door and leaving. Her first choice is to go into her books and figure out who she should Ask. Some opinions from the Void would be nice and helpful, then she would Ask one more time, but for someone she
<Thalia|Liz> could talk to in town about the whole thing. Is there an expert she could contact?||
<Camtist|GM> Transmutations from Beyond lists a few contacts that look good for this situation. Besides Melissa of Yehs for family matters, there's also HakGakGak for "hard decisions",
<Camtist|GM> ((Whoops, hit enter too early))
<Camtist|GM> Transmutations from Beyond lists a few contacts that look good for this situation. Besides Melissa of Yehs for family matters, there's also Hakgakgak for "hard decisions", Tolbi the Tricherion for "moral support", and a strange series of wingding-like characters followed by just the word "fate". An asterisk next to the last one leads down to a footnote, where the book states that Mr. Wingding there is usually unhelpful, but is
<Camtist|GM> supposedly quite knowledgeable if you can understand his ramblings. ||
<Thalia|Liz> Goddamn she had the weirdest practice. Melissa was the obvious choice to start with, they sort of knew each other at this point, right? Hakgakgak was next on the list. Then, because Liz is a curious little thing, she had to Ask Mr. Wingdings. That would make him the third. Maybe that would help get more answers out of him? Either way, all three with the same question. "Should I encourage Mary Phillips to call Child Protective
<Thalia|Liz> Services for my brother and me?"||
<Camtist|GM> ((Which one are you using Ask on first?))
<Thalia|Liz> ((In the order listed.))
<Camtist|GM> ((Oh, Melissa. I'm an idiot, sorry))
<Camtist|GM> Unlike the prior times Liz has called upon Melissa, there is no ghostly visage that immediately appears before her. She feels that the spell worked, and the spare change she used for it is gone, but there is no immediate effect for whatever reason.
<Camtist|GM> "Hello, Dreamer."
<Camtist|GM> The familiar voice comes from behind, and Liz turns to see Melissa standing before her. /Standing/. On two ghostly, transparent, pale legs. She's wearing a lacy dress that poofs out and reaches down to her knees, and her youthful face is smiling happily as she looks towards the Dreamer with her still pale and ghastly form.
<Camtist|GM> "A complex question. Fun." ||