Realistic or Modern An old favor... [For Out of Words]

[Allion]

You have been informed of your grandfather's passing and in his will, he had given his estate to you. His estate is a moderately large home built upon a massive stretch of property on the far outskirts of a city. The home is fully paid for as is the land and even the bills seem strangely taken care of. It is essentially a free home with the only problem being its a small distance from the nearest town or city. All you mainly have to do is make money to buy food and enjoy a lovely home in the country side. However, also in his will was a strange message addressed to you, assuming you chose to move into the home. The message read: "Beware the old favor..." No one in your family knew what this meant. Your grandfather suffered from mild to severe stages of dementia in his twilight years. There were days where he was unable to remember his own name, yet he would continuously tell stories of creatures or monsters that would come to his home. You're family assumed he was just going mad. It was a large shock to much of your family when he said that he was now giving his ancient home to you...



A deep mystery is connected to this old home, and with you inheriting it they are how connected to you as well. Ancient creatures and entities will soon begin to emerge from the shadows. A deep twisted lore will steadily rear its head and with you in the middle! How you handle what is to come will determine your survival and how lively your new life will progress.

 

[Allion]

The Blackstone Estate, an ancient home built several years ago on a massive stretch of forested land. By day in the summer, it is a beautiful, scenic area with its lush tress, clean fresh air, and even the occasional wildlife here and there. By night however, it becomes a rather spooky and unsettling location. The vast forest around it stretches for miles from the nearest town, making it a terrifying place to get lost in. There is still a road not too far away from the house and a beaten path that acts as a very long driveway all the way to it. Mailmen and delivery services are the most common form of individuals who actually know of the place and come by from time to time to deliver mail.

The building itself is in rather rough condition, yet still structurally sound despite going back nearly 200 years. Time has had a good run at the old home which is visible by the ancient peeling paint and the few splintering planks in the porch. Still, even with being out of its prime, the house is a marvel to be seen. The old architecture tells of a time from long ago, giving it a rustic classical feeling. Its almost as if looking at a piece of art in a museum. Internally, the house looks more 'newer' than the outside, possibly a recent refurbishing by the previous resident. The flooring within is composed of hardwood floors, albeit rather dusty. The walls are standard drywall though much of it is covered somewhat peeling wallpaper. Pictures are still hung up from the previous man who lived here along with much of his furniture.

The manor itself is composed of two floors, and an attic. From the entrance, one will enter a lovely foyer with an attached staircase leading to the second floor. It also contains a grand living room, a kitchen with connected dining room with a bay window, a study, a large bedroom and a bathroom. On the second floor, one will have four surprisingly large empty rooms and two additional bathrooms. Strangely, despite the size of this house, its only really had one or two residents living in it at once, leaving an immense amount of empty and unused space within. A cord hangs from the ceiling of the second floor which marks the entrance to a dark and dusty attic.

In the back, a solid wood deck allows for simple viewing of the surrounding nature. A glass double door marks the backdoor of the home which appears to be more recent than much of the house. Simple wooden lawn chairs lay scattered about though they too are affected by age. Currently, it is within the Autumn months and many of the trees in the area have begun to change color, some even losing their leaves. This has dyed the area surrounding the manor a rich golden brown and adding to its beauty, at least doing the day. During windy nights however, the leaves howl through the air as the decaying trees rustle against one another, as if screaming of the inevitable winter.

In the will, it was described that the house itself was fully paid for, as was the many acres of land in which it was built upon. Financially, much of the place is taken care of and even much of the bills are strangely paid for in advance. How your grandfather managed to do that, he did not say. This means that much of the residence's finances would primarily go into maintaining food as well as maintenance for the home. This made the place almost perfect for anyone to move into or even have it just be a vacation home. However, that final message still lingered. "Beware the old favor." This phrase was spoke only a few times by your grandfather, and often it was during one of his rambling stories of monsters or strange creatures. Its possible that he heard this from his father, and was merely trying to pass it down. Or, maybe he was just completely losing his mind in his final moments. Either way, it has now become part of the inheritance to you...

 

[Out Of Words]

Spoiler: Jacob Blackstone

Name: Jacob Oswald Blackstone
Age: 28
Birthdate: October 13
Gender: Male
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 155lbs

General Information:
Jacob was the 'class clown' in school. An attention-seeker personality who wasn't comfortable being alone. He developed his quirky manner of dress by combining comfort with entertainment value. The bow tie, the various hats he wore, the slightly disheveled look, it all added to the 'showman' type of personality he found himself adopting more often than not.

As he graduated high school and moved into college, Jacob changed a little. It wasn't the same, but it never is, right? Attention was harder to come by, so Jacob felt the need to step up his game. He worked on being known as the party guy. Need to know the best place to find a party? See Jacob. Need some killer decorations and themes for your party? See Jacob. Need contacts to get the best booze and party snacks? You guessed it, see Jacob.

During this time, he even learned how to do small slight of hand tricks so he could be a semi-magician. Was great for entertaining a crowd at parties, which he was usually invited to. All of this partying meant he didn't exactly have the highest academic scores possible. He didn't really care about getting a degree though, Jacob had just enough money to live comfortably off if he wanted to. His mother and father had managed to do very well. As their only child, he didn't need for much, financially anyway.

Jacob did eventually drop out of college, and found himself rather lost in a world he found difficult to relate to. He spent a couple of years trying to find his way, his purpose. Did a few gigs as a magician, mostly at children's parties. Learned better tricks, even tried to study some of the greats, but it was never going to be more than a hobby. It was something to pass the time, and keep himself amused.

He wound up learning a few trades in the following years; bartender, DJ, dancing, front cook at a sushi place, and other small odd and ends. He never masted any of the skills, and could easily be considered a low level participant, but he had fun while the job kept his interest. Jacob was in the process of finding another interest when the letter came about his grandfather.

Jacob had always enjoyed the tales his grandfather told him. Probably one of the few who would actually choose to stay and listen intently. All the creatures Oswald talked about absolutely fascinated Jacob. While he was sad the tales would stop, he was beyond pleased to have his grandfather's house. There was no question in his mind, he absolutely would be living there.

One hour.

It took exactly one hour for Jacob Blackstone to pack up everything he wanted to take with him. He stood in the loft apartment he had resided in for the last two years. One would think it should take someone longer than a single hour to pack up their life. Jacob stood in the middle of the living room, fingers locked as his hands rested at the back of his head. There was a lot he was leaving behind. Goodwill would be coming by sometime today to pick up anything Jacob didn't take with him.

He wasn't taking the furniture, or any of the nick-knacks he had purchased in an attempt to make the place look lived in. Jacob didn't need pots and pans he bought when he thought he would make a career out of being a chef. Curtains would stay with the place, and he didn't care for any of the paintings or pictures on the wall. They held no sentimental value. Almost everything he was leaving behind had been an effort to make this place a home. Jacob hadn't felt like he had a home for a very long time now.

With an audible sigh, he picked up two suitcases and moved to the front door. Someone else might have felt a measure of regret, or sadness as they locked up the place for the last time. Jacob felt... excited. He was going back to a place he should have visited many times over. Jacob did regret not doing so, but at least he was doing something about it now. The reason was less than stellar, sure, however he hoped Pops understood.

Pops was Jacob's nickname for his grandfather, the man his mother used for Jacob's middle name. Oswald. Oswald had been a wonderful grandfather, in Jacob's eyes. The man told the best stories, and as a little boy, Jacob had been absolutely enthralled each and every time. Visiting Pops was the highlight of his summer, until the family discovered Pops had dementia. His parents cut his visits short until they were pretty non-existent by the time Jacob entered high school.

Looking back, that was about the time Jacob started 'acting up' as his parents put it. He didn't take school seriously, preferring to entertain those around him instead. Yeah, hindsight was a blessing and a curse. It let Jacob have a better understanding of his past behavior, while making him wish he could go back in time and change it. He would have definitely done his best to keep seeing Pops. Now, that wasn't an option any more. It was a small solace to know Jacob would at least be staying where Pops spent most of his life.

The trip was mostly a blur, Jacob alternated between sleeping, or zoning out. He was remembering Pops, and all the stories, all the creatures his grandfather talked about. Jacob didn't even recall the minutes before he found himself staring at the front of the old Blackstone Estate. It was a little more run down than he remembered, but that didn't stop the slow, wide smile from appearing. It was going to be a lot of work, he didn't know what the inside looked like. Even with the strange warning in the will, there had never been a question in his mind. Jacob absolutely would live in the house.

It was home.

Jacob climbed the steps, nearly slipping when he didn't avoid a small hole in one of the porch planks. He laughed a little, still caught up in fond memories. He would swear the place smelled like he remembered, earthy with a touch of petrichor. He used to love the rain out here. Pops told the best stories when the electricity went out, and the only illumination came from old oil lanterns, and the lightning through the windows. Pops was still here, Jacob could feel it. Like an energy weaving through the old home, he breathed it in as his eyes closed. Exhale, rinse and repeat. On the third exhale, Jacob opened his eyes and murmured softly.

"Hey, Pops. I'm home."

 

[Allion]

The old dust inside swirled about as the door opened, as if it hadn't been disturbed in some time. Opening that door was like bringing life back into a dying creature, allowing the home to breathe once more. As Jacob enters, theres a strange disconnect for the moment, as if the old structure itself cant believe its old master is gone and this is the new inhabitant. The moment is quick to pass however, as the house recognizes its new master, one who had been here long ago. Jacob returning to this place was like him continuing a cycle, one that kept this ancient place alive and well.

Taking his look around, Jacob could discover the large spacious rooms and underused space. Obviously this home was not meant for only one person yet was not known for having more than that. Searching around a bit, he would probably discover the few rats that had managed to move in which scurried away to the far corners of the home upon his discovery. Besides them, the place had a very empty feel and that of loneliness.

One thing he would have found however, was the large study on the first floor. Usually this room remained locked during visits, but now it was free to explore. This was by far the cleanest room in the house and had a large ornate wooden desk at its center. A grand leather study chair sat behind it and the left and right walls of the room were lined from top to bottom with books. They were mainly classical literature and was indeed an impressive collection. Behind the chair resting upon the wall was a massive oil painting with unusual subject matter. The center consisted of a remarkably tall man with long lanky limbs and a golden mane for hair. On his shoulder rested a white cat with a large toothy grin and by his side was a massive black dog with a pair of curved horns protruding out of its head. It was unknown who this painting was suppose to be of as that man was definitely not his grandfather and much of the painting was well worn with age. Sitting beneath the painting in a glass case was an ornate double barreled shotgun. Seems grandpa liked to have protection, even way out here.

Surprisingly, his grandfather did spring for internet at one point in his life, maybe if only to keep in touch with his kids. It was... unreliable at best but still something. There was also a connected phone line linked to an old fashion wired home phone. Besides that, there was not really much else to get in touch with the outside world.

Over the next several days, the place was relatively quiet and calm aside from the occasional rat scurrying about. He could do what he wanted in that time, decorate how he saw fit and maybe even make some possible repairs that were definitely needed. At one point during the time, the mail been delivered to the Estate. The majority of it was mainly junk mail and ads, all except for a neatly folded hand written letter in the very bottom of the stack. It was sealed with an ornate wax impression and the paper was surprisingly stiff, like parchment. Inside, the letter itself was written in incredibly artistic handwriting. Every letter looked as though it was carefully crafted and etched into the paper. It was addressed directly to Oswald Blackstone and read:

Oswald,
There is much I wish to convey in this letter but time is short. Trouble has stricken us once more and our previous residence is no longer viable. I am forced to fall upon desperate measures. You know I would have avoided this outcome if I could. And so I am calling upon the old favor that was promised to us from decades ago. This letter is to warn you that we are coming. I shall explain further once we arrive.

Signed, L
​

There was nothing more to the letter. Much of it seemed vague and hastily written. Though it would seem that was the writers intention. Whoever these people were, they did not say, nor did they mention when they were arriving exactly. Jacob does not receive anything else until a full week after the letter's arrival. At nearly 1 'o clock in the morning comes a very small knock to his front door. Depending on how long it takes for him to answer, the knock shall come again. And again. And again...

 

[Out Of Words]

The first few days kept Jacob very busy. He made a trip into town to get some groceries and cleaning supplies. Took a little bit to see if any of the stores had online ordering and delivery, since he discovered there was internet service, albeit spotty at best. Might still be useful so he wouldn't have to drive into town each time he needed something. While there, he also took the time to eat at one of the diners, and ordered a take home meal. Jacob wasn't feeling up to trying to cook for himself yet, his focus was on getting the place cleaned up, fixed up, and explore... well, pretty much everything.

Jacob had moved his personal things into the large bedroom on the first floor, so it made sense to start cleaning from there. When he needed a break or a change of pace, he worked on the porch steps, and those splintering planks. Took him a couple of attempts to get it right, but Jacob wasn't above learning new trades. He wasn't skilled enough to be called a Jack of all trades, master of none. He was more of a solid Six of trades. He was working on being a Nine at least when it came to fixing up the house, but he had a ways to go. Still, his handiwork was passable, and he wouldn't be tripping due to holes in the floor.

Normally, Jacob wasn't a clean freak. He'd do the bare minimum and call it good, but for some reason, Pops house just felt like it needed a thorough straightening. Oh, he didn't really go through drawers or cabinets outside of seeing what the kitchen held. Figured he'd check inventory once the initial cleaning of the whole house was done. Otherwise, there was a strong possibility he would become sidetracked. It was difficult enough when he came across a photograph on the wall, or art of Pops.

Jacob had to take the time to look at it, and try to recall any memories of seeing it before. And those of Pops himself, well, Jacob would carry on a little conversation with the man's image. He had been talking out loud all this time, suppose someone would call it talking to himself. Jacob preferred to think of it as conversing with the house, and all the things Pops loved to have lived here so long. And yes, Jacob was totally a 'talk to the plants' kind of guy. Makes sense he would also be a 'talk to the house' type.

He was making pretty good progress on his cleaning of the first floor, four days after his arrival and he only had the study to go. The study was the very last room, as he could recall never being allowed in it. Old habits die hard, for some reason Jacob didn't even think about trying to enter the room until everything else had been straightened up. His hand stilled on the doorknob as he took a deep breath. Excitement flared like a firework within his chest; warm, beautiful, and with a sense of dread at the knowledge it could go horribly wrong at any moment.

"Hey Pops, I know you never let me in here before. But.. pretty sure I'm a big boy now."

Jacob laughed softly, and turned the knob. He wasn't entirely certain what he expected to find, but he was pleasantly surprised to see it wouldn't require much cleaning, if at all. The desk drew his attention first, he could just picture Pops sitting behind it, weaving a new tall tale. Eyes quickly latched onto the painting behind it. He couldn't recall ever seeing something similar, and the man did not invoke any memories of someone he knew. Pretty sure Pops never had a white cat, or a horned dog. Laugh. Still, it was very interesting, and Jacob made a mental note to check behind it later. Maybe there was writing, a clue to the subject matter.

"Oh ho, Pops. Wish you would have taught me how to shoot this beauty."

He was not looking at the shotgun in the glass case. There was no way he was going to touch it yet, but he would at some point. Let's be real, Jacob was going to explore every nook and cranny, and everything in between. He just didn't have the time yet. Still had to clean the whole upper floor, for crying out loud. And all the books in this room, Jacob did not foresee himself growing bored for a few years in the very least.

He allowed himself time to savor being in a room previously unknown to him, but the urge to keep working was strong. The house deserved to be clean, respected, lived in. For Pops, in the very least. Jacob closed the study door and smiled at the quiet click of the latch, followed by a tilt of his head upon seeing a small pile of mail on the floor by the front door. "Huh." He had nearly forgotten about mail, but was grateful suddenly for the mail slot in the door. Had it been a mailbox he had to go out and inspect, who knows how long the mail would have gone unnoticed.

Jacob sorted through the stack, attention locked on the envelope with the wax seal seconds before his mind even registered it. A fingertip ran over the seal design, then he reluctantly broke it to read the contents. The warning in the will nearly floated off the page in his mind's eye. Beware the old favor. Oh, well then. A small dollop of apprehension began to swirl in the pit of his stomach, but there didn't seem to be anything Jacob could do about it. They were likely already on the way by the time the letter reached him. And, there wasn't a return address to boot.

"Well, hell, Pops. Guess I'll be finding out about this old favor sooner than you probably expected."

Jacob kept the letter, actually put it on the desk in the study before returning to the job of cleaning. Sounded like he was going to have company, so he really needed to clean upstairs. And that's how he spent the rest of the week. Even did laundry, shock of all shocks. Had to make sure the sheets were cleaned, and rooms were company ready, after all. It gave him a good refresher course in all the rooms of the house, and a flood of memories. He told the house more than once how much he missed Pops. Might have even shared a few of his fonder memories of the man, as well. Jacob was satisfied with the initial cleaning, and the repair work on the porch and steps. It felt like he had accomplished something worthwhile, and it was a very good feeling.

Except for the attic, he was not ready to enter the attic. Jacob couldn't recall ever being there before, and attics just naturally have a creepy vibe, in his opinion. He'd rather start exploring all the nooks and crannies, drawers and cabinets, and all those books, than enter the attic. He'd rather tend to the landscaping, than enter the attic. He'd rather... do anything else, than enter the attic.

Jacob slept really well at night, hard work begets deep sleep. He certainly wasn't expecting company to arrive at one in the morning, yet arrive they did. Knock knock. Jacob thought it had been something in a dream, until the sound repeated itself a minute later. Knock knock. Oh. Oh! Oh hell. "COMING!" Not likely they could hear him from the bedroom, but he called it out just the same. Knock knock. Feet tangled in the sheets, he fell out of bed in his haste to get up. Jacob was not the fastest to wake up at a moment's notice.

Knock knock.
Knock knock.
Knock knock.

Jacob managed to throw on a shirt somewhere between the bedroom and the front door. He was still half asleep because he didn't even give it a moment's thought. He just opened the door and stood there, quite bedraggled in an old pair of lounge pants, bare feet, white undershirt rumpled and backwards, and hair all askew. With a bit of a welcoming smile, Jacob was trying to get his words out before he registered who his company was.

"Uh, hey, welcome?"

 

[Allion]

Jacob actually did not see anyone at first when he initially opens the door. Light was just barely shining out from the house itself, casting very weak illumination onto the porch outside. It was only when Jacob looked directly down did he notice the person who was knocking. At the base of the door, standing roughly a foot and a half tall, was a squirrel. More specifically, a red squirrel, though there were some very unusual things about it. It's fur was an unkempt reddish-brown with a creamy white underbelly ending just beneath it's jaw and just before it's tail. It's fur was littered with large white swirls, most notably on it's shoulders, thighs, and cheeks. It's size was also notably larger than a normal squirrel and its eyes here a bright hazel color, resembling that of a human.

Spoiler: Squirrel

The little critter looked up at Jacob with its sparkling eyes, its paws lightly twitching over each other. "U-Uh... H-Hello there." The creature greets him, gently waving one of its paws his way. "S-Sorry to have to stop by... so late. This is the... B-Blackstone Estate, right? A-And you're, uh... M-Mr. Oswald? Ya look a lot younger t-than the others said you were." Its has a surprisingly soft and feminine voice, albeit rather shaky and nervous sounding, though what can one expect from a squirrel. It also didn't really give Jacob much time to answer as words continued to pour out its mouth. "L-Lucy, Ludwig and Shuck should b-be here soon. They wanted me to r-run ahead a meet you. O-Oh!" She does a sudden jump, as if remembering something important. "A-Almost forgot! I-I'm, er... *Ahem* I'm Hyzenlay. I'm kinda new... It's nice to meet you!" She tells him, giving a gentle smile.

​

 

[Out Of Words]

Jacob thought the knocking might have been a prank, as there wasn't anyone there. Until, well, there was. His head tilted as he slowly sank into a crouch. Blink blink. More of a what, than a who? Or who.. what.. Wait. His mind was struggling to comprehend what his eyes were seeing. Elbows rested on top of his knees, still in the crouch, unable to do anything but stare as it... talked. Blink blink. And this is where the rational mind attempted to make the irrational... rational.

Maybe he was still sleeping. This was a dream. He had done a lot of work, maybe he was overworked. Maybe he had seen a squirrel outside when he was raking leaves and it stuck into his subconscious somehow. Because as far as he could recall, he was not familiar with any talking squirrels and ...

Oh, holy shit.

Pops had some stories. Some really tall tales of creatures, and while he couldn't directly recall anything about a talking squirrel, there were things that simply defied explanation. Jacob was still desperately grasping at the threads of what he knew reality to be, which did not include ... "High-zen-lay?" He might not have pronounced it correctly, but he gave it a good attempt. Let's stick with the notion that this is a dream. He could work with that.

"Uh.. Oswald... was.. my grandfather." Jacob would focus on the points that made sense, the little things his mind could latch onto with absolute certainty. "My name is Jacob. Annnnnnd... uh.. wow. Well. I just.. uh.." One hand reached up to scratch at the side of his head, as he slowly stood up. Jacob moved to the side, his other arm moving in a general sweeping direction toward the interior of the house. "Come on .. in?"

What the hell, Pops?

 

[Allion]

The little squirrel nods her head to the man as he sounds out her name, pronouncing it correctly for the most part. She was still smiling at him softly until he tells who he actually is, her smile slowly fading away. Anxiousness seems to take over her form as her tail and ears both twitch nervously, and she even leans backwards a bit at being invited inside.
"S-So you're not... Mr. Oswald. A-And did you say... 'was' your grandfather. L-Like he's... He's..."

"Gone tits up. Dead, hehehe" A secondary voice chuckles out from the shadows, this one also sounding feminine but having a thick British sounding accent. Hyzenlay immediately spins around, her eyes wide as her breathing elevates. Whoever this was, was making the little squirrel panic just from hearing their voice. "Figured de old man finally kicked da bucket. You simians don't tend ta 'ive past a 'undred afta all hehehehe. Well that really puts a roight nickka in our plans though..." It continues to say, the the body of this taunting voice soon entering the light...

Spoiler: Cat

What emerges appears to be some sort of feline with a very crouched, anthropomorphic figure that somewhat resembles a cat. She has wiry white fur dotted with big dark red spots, most notably on her chest and the right side of her body. She has two fluffy ears that curl at the tips, the right being red and the left being white. On her head, she wears a red leather had that conceals her messy unkempt hair and around her neck is a white handkerchief with red polka dots. She approaches on two legs, each foot ending in massive red claws. In her hands, she brandishes a large kitchen knife and playfully drags her claws along its reflective edge. Her eyes gaze up at Jacob, one being a sparkling silver and the other a deep crimson. She has a huge smile along her face that shows off the creatures numerous needle-like teeth. Hyzenlays entire body is shaking like a leaf as her eyes lay upon the strange feline.

"Oh god, she found a knife." The little squirrel whispers, her voice full of dread. "N-Now Lucy... I know what-- what Ludwig t-told us but... I-Its not his fault. H-He's... He's--" Her trembling eyes suddenly blink, the squirrel spinning around to face Jacob. "Wait, you're his grandson!" She exclaims, turning back towards the murderous feline. "T-That means it still works, doesnt it?! Then no one has to die!"

Lucy stopped abruptly, still casually twirling the kitchen knife around in her sharp paws. Her mis-colored eyes glaring at the man with a curious, scanning expression. A thick intensity begins to fill the air, as if the crazed looking cat could jump at him at any moment. Just as that powerful tenseness in the air becomes completely saturated, the feline pulls back, closing her eyes and simply shrugging her shoulders. "Meh, works fer me. Guess the old man musta skipped a generation." She says, her voice relaxing as she marches on past Jacob into the house. "Hope ya don't mind if we make ourselves comfortable while waitin' fer Ludwig. Damn fukka always likes ta take his fukkin' time when movin'." She says, before heading towards the kitchen.

Hyzenlay nervously walks in after, the little critter anxiously fiddling with her paws as she looks up at Jacob. She lets out a relaxed sigh. "S-Sorry about... Lucy. She can be a little... Like that. A lot of the time... B-But she's not too bad once you get to know her." She tells him, trying to give a confident smile.

"Oi! Ya got any liquor is this facking place?!" Lucy yells out from the kitchen, following by the sound of shattering bottle.

 

[Out Of Words]

With the additional voice, and the subsequent revelation of a talking cat, Jacob was definitely going with the vibe of this being some strange dream. See, he recognized the feline from stories Pops told. This helped strengthen the notion that Jacob was dreaming. He was in Pops house, and all the memories it brought must have triggered this quite extraordinary, quite vivid dream. In the very least, it helped Jacob deal with the irrational side of it all.

He was pretty quiet with the exchange between Lucy and Hyzenthlay. The hand that had previously completed the sweeping gesture of invitation was now rubbing back and forth along the top of his head. Jacob was listening, sure, but his mind was also racing to recall the stories Pops had told him about the cat, er, Lucy. It wasn't until he heard the bottle shatter, that Jacob seemed capable of moving once more.

"Uh, any particular... kind?"

Jacob made sure the, uh, squirrel was inside before he closed the front door and moved to find some of the liquor he had noticed in his cleaning. There was a bemused, confused half smile on his face, and he kept glancing between the two creatures. "If you break bottles, they'll be less liquor for later, you know." He made a brief appearance in the kitchen, long enough to see the broken glass he needed to clean up now. "Uh, this way." He gave a little wave of a hand and moved to where he had seen a few bottles.

It was in the grand living room, there was this built in cabinet, sort of like a china cabinet but.. not. It had some liquor, and in his cleaning, Jacob had moved all the alcohol he came across to the one location. Made sense in his head at the time. He opened up the door and was perusing the options as he asked the cat... uh.. Lucy, "What's your poison?" Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was wondering how he was handling this so well.

Some little voice inside kept trying to tell him this isn't a dream.

 

[Allion]

Hyzenlay quietly walks beside Jacob as they head towards the kitchen, the little squirrel dreading what Lucy had already gotten herself into. The demented looking cat had climbed up to some of the top cabinets and was currently looking through some of the cheaper brands of alcohol, or rather, tossing them out. She stopped and looked back upon hearing the man call out about breaking the liquor and how there will be less for later.

"Yea, yea, I'm just tossin' out the shyt kind, dats all. Some of this stuff is roight piss water!" She yells out about to toss another bottle onto the floor before Jacob gave a little wave to her and motioned her towards the living room. She left the bottles be before scampering down and scurrying after the man.

Reaching the large room, Lucy leaps atop one of the couches, climbing onto the arm rest and casually swings her legs back and forth while Jabor looks through the liquor cabinet. Hyzenlay also cautiously enters as well, climbing up to one of the shelves in the area and taking a seat far from Lucy. The strange cat gives a little chuckle when asked to pick her poison.

"Ooh! Gin be ma favorite. Bit 'arda ta come by these days tho. If not, some absinthe'll do be good. Just something that'll burn on the way down ehehe." She cackles, smiling widely as she shows her countless rows of needle like teeth. "Oh, and if possible, anythin' you got datin' back to da seventeen 'undreds. Dey always had da reeeal good stuff."

Hyzenlay gives a small sigh, carefully positioning herself before leaping from the shelf to the top of the liquor cabinet. She peers down at Jacob. "S-So Jacob... Your grandpa... He did t-talk to you about L-Lucy and all then b-before giving you this place... didn't he?" She asks nervously, realizing how confused he was acting when Lucy marched her way in.

"I sure as fack 'ope he did. Or else Ludwig's gonna lose his fukkin' mind. Or whats left o' it. Fack he's slow. Hell, I think Shuck might make it back 'ere from parameter duty before Ludwig even get's 'ere. Now wouldn't dat be awkward." Lucy comments, before taking off her hat and twirling it around her finger. "Oi, new Blackstone bloke. Whats ya name again? Jason, was it?"

 

[Out Of Words]

Jacob was glad there was only a little mess to clean up, though it would not become a habit. He had to laugh and scratch his head. If dream creatures made messes, they could clean up after themselves, too. But back to the bottles in front of him. He started looking through the labels, and double checking the dates. Jacob didn't drink much, but he could read labels. He found two possible candidates and set these on the coffee table. "Well, both are Gin, not quite the dates you're looking for, but older than the rest."

He closed up the liquor cabinet, as was its purpose from this point onward. Another laugh escaped with the question about what Pop told him. "Not really. He had .. stories. Tales he told, but that was when I was just a kid, really. All I got with the house was 'Beware the old favor' kind of line." He even lifted up his hands to do air quotes. "To be honest, I'm not entirely convinced this isn't a dream built from memories of Pops while I cleaned up the house."

Jacob grinned wide as he flopped down into the recliner next to the sofa. "But whatever it is, dream, not a dream, my mind finally breaking, I don't care. It's a hell of a lot more entertaining than my life had been previously." And that was the truth of it. Jacob had always felt like whatever path he started to go down, there was something wrong with it, or with him. He had never felt more home than the last week or so. And if home meant he started to inherit Pop's demented tales and hallucinations, so be it. Wasn't going to be anyone around who would have him committed anyway.

"I'm Jacob. Jacob Oswald Blackstone."

 

[Allion]

Lucy takes one of the bottles from him, inspecting the date on it before frowning a bit on it not being as old she as would have preferred. Regardless, she bites down onto the cork of the bottle and yanks it out, spitting the stopper several feet away. She then takes the bottle in both hands and starts downing the contents, chugging down several mouthfuls before easing off. Her body trembles and puffs a bit, though she has a rather satisfied face on her.

Hyzenlay swallows nervously seeing how heavily Lucy chugs down a chunk of that bottle before looking towards Jacob again. "S-So he only... told stories? Thats... not exactly good. Ludwig's not going to like that." She mumbles out, looking down from the top of the shelf.

"Y'er damn roight! Thats just insaultin'! We're worth much more than just stories!" Lucy lashes out, taking another large swig directly out of the bottle. "And dis ain't no dream 'ere Jacob. Ya see, y'er grandfatha... er, great-great gandfatha actually, owed a favor ta 'ol Ludwig! He said dat dis favor would last fer as loooong as Ludwig lived. Hehehe funny choice o' words there since we live fer eva!" Lucy let out a high pitched laugh and took another sizable gulp. She was really putting away that bottle as nearly half of it was gone already. "Since Ludwig outlived the guy, he would pass the secret o' us to 'is kid. Then he would pass it down ta da next one, then 'ventually we got ta you! Thats the basis o' it. Ludwig can tell ya the rest." She informed him before laying herself back on the arm rest.

It was at that moment that a sturdy knock came from the front door. Hyzenlay gives a small jump of surprise as she jerks herself around. "O-Oh th-th-that must b-b-be L-L... L--"

"Ludwig, ya stuttering git. Gad, you gotta learn ta relax sometimes, dove hehe." Lucy calls out to her. "Mind gettin' that, Jacob? Ma head is feelin' a lil ditzy at ta moment, hehehe..." She chuckles out, no doubt because of the fact she chugged down nearly an entire bottle of gin by herself.

At the front door, assuming Jacob answers it, is a monster of an individual. He is a tall, gangly humanoid with a skeletal frame, bone-colored skin, and long, lanky limbs. His fiery orange-and-red hair splays out from the top of his head and runs down the back of his thin, foot-long neck like a mane, and sways about on its own accord. His face is gaunt and skull-like, with beady orange eyes set in deep black sockets, sharp cheekbones, and a chiseled but flat nose that appears to be no more than two slits. His mouth stretches from ear to ear, full of red needle-like teeth that lock tight together, giving his mouth the appearance of being flayed open like a "Glasgow Grin". A smaller set of outer teeth interlace where his lips meet at the middle, making his mouth appear smaller than it actually is.

Going down his neck are a four blood-red slits from where multiple white quill jut out like fishbones, the largest being on opposite sides of his head, curling around his head and neck like a collar. From the neck down, his anatomy is more conventionally humanoid with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His hands each have five fingers and a thumb tipped with black claws. Much of his height is taken up by his long legs, which are digitigrade in shape and end in raptor-like feet with five huge, sickle-shaped claws. He stands at 9 and a half feet tall, towering well over Jacob as he gazes down at him with small beady eyes. He says nothing, as if waiting to gauge the human's reaction.

Spoiler: Ludwig

 

[Out Of Words]

Jacob gave a bit of a sideways scowl, and moved to pick up the cork from the bottle. This he held out with raised eyebrows, not for Lucy to take, but for her to take note of. He set it down on the coffee table. "Everyone needs to pick up after themselves here. I worked hard on cleaning up this place, it's a lot easier to pick things up as you create the mess." Then he moved back to the chair, even as Lucy was stating this wasn't a dream. A chuckle and half grin, Jacob wasn't certain he was prepared for this to not be a dream. And thus, he kept it a dream in his mind.

He jumped a little with the knocking on the door. No lie. Jacob pushed on the arms of the chair as he stood up. It did not feel like he would have a restful slumber this night. He did indeed answer the door, but stared straight ahead for several seconds before it registered the being at the door was taller than he was. Slowly, as if he was taking stock of everything he saw, Jacob tilted his head, shifting his gaze upward. And upward. Several more seconds spent, just staring, registering the manner of creature before him.

"Well, hell. You must be the scariest gentleman I am to ever have met."

Jacob was recalling his grandfather's stories more and more. And maybe he was starting to think Pops wasn't so crazy after all. Or.. Jacob had inherited more than just the estate. Some mental illnesses were hereditary, right? He couldn't help but laugh then, a laugh bordering between madness and a sleep addled mind. Jacob kept laughing as he opened up the door and gave the gentleman a sweeping gesture of welcome.

Once the man had entered, Jacob closed the door, chuckling now more than laughing outright. He proceeded directly to the alcohol cabinet, where he proceeded to pour himself a shot of tequila. This was raised in a toast as he murmured, "To you, Pops." And then it was downed before Jacob turned to face the others again. He needed a bit of an internal fortification. "Well, now what?"

 

[Allion]

Ludwig gazed down at the small human, look at Jacob with a looks that demanded respect and let out a small "Hmph..." to his comment. The tall creature was silent as Jacob let out a laugh that marked a crack in a person's mind before seeing him give the sweeping gesture and inviting the tall monstrosity inside. Ludwig crouched down to avoid the top of the door frame and entered, uttering a simple, "Thank you" as a response. His voice very was quite deep, yet also surprisingly smooth at the same time. Ludwig walked his way towards the living room, quickly followed by Jacob who went directly to the liquor cabinet. Lucy was still laying back on the couch, but smiled deviously when she saw the tall figure.

"'Bout time ya caught up. Hyzenlay n' I 'ave been waitin' for ya fer ages!" The grinning cat chuckled out.

"I had to ensure we were not followed." Ludwig spoke before turning to see Jacob take a shot and turning to face everyone. "Am I to assume this is the new host? Either that or Ms. Lacemaker has begun to prioritize drinking over her actual duties." He voiced out darkly, eyeing the half empty bottle the cat was still taking swigs out of from time to time. She chuckles and places the bottle down before sitting up.

"Nah! He be da real thing! Jackson Oswalf Brackstone 'r somethin' like that..." She slurs, her body starting to really feel the heavy effects of the Gin running through her system. How someone as small as her was able to put down that much alcohol that fast was a bit of a mystery. "Da ol' geezer finally kicked da bucket. Seems like the ol' fukka didn't tell 'em 'bout us tho! Hehe aside from stories..."

"Stories?" Ludwig asks, standing before the fireplace with his hands tucked behind his broad frame. "Oh dear. That means you didn't know what to expect upon our arrival. I'm surprised you're handling our appearance so well." He comments. "That also means there is going to be a good bit of... explaining to do. Irritating."

Lucy swirls and chuckles on her spot, taking several more mouth fulls from the bottle. It was nearly empty now. "Oh, it ain't that bad. Hehe I already told 'em 'bout why we're here... Now tellin' 'im who we are... dats your department." The drunken cat says, pointing to the tall but frightening gentlemen. Ludwig lets out a small growl of annoyance at his ally before looking back towards Jacob.

"Hmm... So it seems some introductions are in order. Allow me to introduce us. This..." He motions towards the cat giggling devilishly on the armrest. "Is The Voice Of Court: Lucy Lacemaker."

"'Ello love! Lovin' the Gin by the way..." She greets, placing down the finished off bottle on the table.

"Quite. We also have the Sciurus vulgaris, Hyzenlay." The little squirrel sits atop a nearby shelf and gently waves down to Jacob sheepishly. "And I am Grand Voice Ludwig, leader of my current court. We also have a fourth member who is currently out running surveillance of the area. He'll be here shortly for you to meet him as well."

 

[Out Of Words]

Jacob was debating another shot as he did his best to follow the conversation going on around him. Instead, he settled back in the recliner, letting the warmth of the alcohol seep into his bones. "Pops was pretty descriptive in his stories. And.. we'll see how well I am come morning." He was fairly convinced he was in a state of shock right now. Most of his life had been spent being told Pops was crazy and filled with dementia. Wonder what they would say about himself now?

"Met Lucy, she has a broken bottle to clean up in the kitchen." He gave a smile though, and added, "As long as you clean up after yourself, I'll keep the Gin stocked. Even will look into the older years if possible." Figured making a bargain now rather than later was as good as he was likely to get. "And Hyzenlay." And his attention focused on the 'gentleman'. "Hello, Ludwig. Jacob Oswald Blackstone. You'll have to excuse me if I scream come morning, a little ... shell shocked? I suppose. Yes, probably some variety of shock."

He laughed again, on that teetering edge, as one hand ran through his hair. "What else did Pops not tell me? Or what else did he tell me that was played off as a story by my parents?" There was a shaking of his head, and a plucking of fingers at the arm of the chair. "Or just what did my father really know and decided he wasn't going to be the one to deal with it?" That was more likely the case, knowing his father.

Jacob clapped his hands together and gave them a vigorous rubbing. "Well, sooooo.. maybe tell me about this fourth member before they arrive? Lest I fall any deeper into shock, disbelieve and outright madness." Kind of what it felt like, after all. Outright madness. "And... maybe more about this favor Pops owed, and why."

 

[Allion]

Ludwig looked as though he was fully expecting for Jacob to have some sort of metal break while speaking to them and was quite surprised at how will he was holding himself together. At least, somewhat. Though it did annoy the tall humanoid at how little Jacob knew of them. Still though, it satisfied him to have the human speak to them in such a proper tone.

"I know not how much was hidden from you. You're ancestor made it a goal to keep our existence a secret, only revealing us to a select few, that primarily being his offspring. To my understanding this has been the pattern for the past few generations." Ludwig informed him, carefully looking about the home from the living room.

Lucy chuckles with a wide grin as Jacob asks her about their other companion, the odd looking feline more than eager to answer. "Shuck! Oh he's ma faaaaavorite drinkin' buddy! Haha, 'im, Ludwig n' I have been friends foreva!" She tells him proudly, her eyes awkwardly swirling about. Ludwig gives a curt nod in agreement to her statement.

"Indeed. Drinking aside, he is a valuable ally to us and his previous enrollment as a Yolsh soldier makes him especially useful." Ludwig informs.

"I just wish he didn't become such a pussy back in da 1700s. The fukka won't even eat meat anymore!" The cat complains, throwing herself back on her arm rest. Ludwig seemed like he was able to add to this statement, but took a bigger interest in Jacobs secondary question on the favor itself.

"Perhaps it would be best to directly address that question, since your grandfather failed to do so. Around 200 years ago, I had suffered a critical lack in judgment, and accidentally saved your ancestor, Sebastian Blackstone. Originally, I was going to end him anyways, but he begged for his life, stating of how thankful he was to me. As a result, he told me that he now owed me a favor, for the rest of my life." The tall gentleman explained. Lucy gave a little chuckle with a devious grin.

"Dat was a pretty apt choice o' words there seein' how our kind don't age. We live foreva and are older than your lil simian brain can even comprehend."

"Yes, and so I decided to take him up on this offer, informing him that all I wanted was to use this house as a safe location for my comrades and I to reside in, if we so ever needed. Since I did not know when this would be, your ancestor pushed the favor onto his offspring, and then his next of kin, and so on. Strangely, it seems to have skipped a generation, and now we have arrived at you, Mr. Jacob. That favor is now being collected." The tall man explained, loosening up his suit top as the quills sticking out of his neck flick back and forth. "Do understand that you do not have a choice in agreeing to this and I will politely ask you to cooperate. If you refuse or tell anyone of our existence here, then I will be forced to allow my companion to... have her fun, with you." He warns. Lucy flashes a large unnerving smile at Jacob, showing off every one of her needle like teeth.

 

[Out Of Words]

Jacob paid attention, really he did, just some things were beyond his ability to comprehend at too damn early in the morning. He did lean forward a little bit more in his chair when Ludwig began to talk about Pops, and the favor. It made sense, in general at least. "My father wasn't too keen on all the stories Pops talked about. And he also didn't care for the house, too far from the city, where he makes the most money. Yeah, I can see my father not wanting anything to do with the house. Maybe Pops knew and that's why he left it to me."

Jacob stood up and stretched with a bit of a groan. He really needed sleep, and all this required time to settling in, dig down deep into his brain, and take root. "Glad I cleaned the upstairs rooms then, plenty of room up there for you." He gave a bit of a hand wave at the warning. "Pish posh. Should be obvious I'm cooperating. I don't mind. Again, as long as you remember I may scream in the morning, or several mornings. Probably several mornings. I'm good at adapting. Just.. a little slow on the processing of information."

He rubbed at his face with the palms of his hand as he continued. "All I ask, is you clean up after yourselves. You make a mess, you clean it, pretty simple." Yes, he sort of looked at Lucy with the request, there was still the broken glass in the kitchen. He might let that one slide, might serve as a reminder of this nights ... events. "Oh, and maybe write down things you need while here. If you have special uh.. dietary restrictions." Heh. Not sure he really wanted to know, but it is what it is.

"I would like to stay up to meet your fourth, but I am pretty sure my brain has absorbed all it can handle without exploding, or imploding, or both. I.. need sleep. Maybe I'll have room tomorrow to handle more. I think Pops wrote some of his stories down, and I recall seeing sketches. Somewhere. Maybe in his desk. I.. haven't had time to go through everything yet." Jacob rubbed the sides of his head, feeling a headache coming on. "So.. I bid you good night, please, for the love of my sanity, allow me to slumber in peace and quiet."

Jacob gave a little bow at the waist, one arm sweeping as if he had a hat he was tipping in respect to the trio. He then proceeded to disappear into his room, where he locked the door behind him, and promptly fell face first into the mattress. Even has his thoughts were screaming at the absurdity of everything, Jacob had very little trouble passing out. If left uninterrupted, Jacob would sleep until about lunchtime. Where he would shower and change clothes before heading to the kitchen with the notion of preparing something to eat.

And yes, the moment he saw one of the trio, his first instinct was to scream.

 

[Allion]

Ludwig was rather pleased by Jacob's willingness to cooperate as well as it manners, the simian even going as for as to request dietary restrictions or other needs. It was refreshing to the tall humanoid, though a little disappointing to Lucy that she would be denied her fun. The strange cat creature waved him off about cleaning up after themselves though agreed to clean up the mess she made in the kitchen. Ludwig also understood the human's need for rest as he was still surprised at how well Jacob was managing all this new information, though that could possibly just she shock setting in. Regardless, they told him good night as he returned to his room.

Throughout the night, the house will be surprisingly quiet and calm, with little noise coming from outside. Upon his waking around noon and exiting his room he will be faced with quite the odd sight. Lucy would be lounging on an arm rest of one of the couches, two empty bottles of liquor sitting next to her, one being from last night, and a third one in her hand. She appears to be wildly to heavily intoxicated as her head gently swivels about. On the coffee table in the living room, is an old chess board that had been set up. The large squirrel, Hyzenlay, was currently at one end of the board in deep thought as she planned out her move. Her opponent however, was not Lucy or Ludwig for that matter.

Sitting beside Lucy was an amalgamation of different creatures mixed together, the most apparent being wolf, panther and ram like qualities. He stands on four legs, his fur mainly pitch black, with some strands on his arms and legs ending in silver or white. He has two black ears with long tufts of red at the tips that usually curl upwards instead of down like most. He has a furry dragon-like snout tipped with two small horns pointing up to a row of more much smaller horns that gradually get longer as they trail up his forehead and over his eyes. Most noticeably, he has two hollow ram horns that come out from each side of the top of his head which end at a very sharp curve next to his cheeks. The left horn is split at the tip. He has a long wiry black and red-dotted mane starting from the back of his neck all the way down to his skinny waist. Two diamond shaped red splotches are over his eyes, which are oddly the same color as his sclera (eyeballs). His eyes are a sickly yellow color.

About 13 or so bone-like spines jut out of his sides, some straight and some curved. His back is covered in large dark red spots, abruptly getting smaller as they reach his waist. The lower half of his body is longer, thinner, and smaller than the front, but his thighs still appear capable of giving a good kick. He has two front paws with five toes, each quipped with thick hooked claws while his back legs are equipped with huge powerful hooves.

Spoiler: Shuck

The horned beast is deep in thought as he plays against the little squirrel, though he also had two bottles of the cheaper booze sitting beside him. He turned and looked at Jacob exited his room, only to be met by that terrified scream. The shout seemed to snap Lucy out of her stupor as she scrambles up, immediately leaping from the couch and latching onto the man. She then slams both her paws against his mouth, silencing his scream.

"Shut da fack up, ya git! Do ya have any idea of the fukkin hangover I'm nursing roight now?!" She questions him, bringing her unsettling face mere inches from his own. Jacob got a good look at Lucy's eyes and her mouth filled with needle like teeth. Each of her eyes was a different color, one being red, the other white. In the center of each eye was a four-sided star shaped pupil. She patiently waited for the man to calm down, and only then did she release his mouth and leap down from his body. She staggers a bit as she lands, picking up her bottle of liquor and taking a long swig.

"Plus, you know, we also got Ludwig workin' in the study. We all know how he gets when he's interrupted, so keep ya voice down, will ya?" The demonic looking creature says, his voice a surprisingly deep and smooth tone with a light British accent, though no where nearly as strong at Lucy's. He casually takes one of his chess pieces and captures one of Hyzenlay's. The squirrel lets out a crushing sigh, her body slouching as she sees the pile of her pieces sitting to the side, and the two of his pieces that she managed to take. "Name's Shuck by the way. Was told about da old man passin'. Seems like we got you now, huh?" He chuckles out, barely taking his eyes off the board.

In the kitchen, the mess Lucy had previously made had been cleaned up though now a new mess was apparent. The shove had been used not too long ago with the dirty pan still resting on the stove top. Thankfully it was off. Three sets of dishes were now in the sink which were mostly washed off of whatever food they once carried. On the counter, there was plate with a full meal still sitting on it consisting of eggs, toast, thinly cut hash browns and a single strip of bacon with a bite taken out of it. The food was lightly burnt here and there and seemed like it was left for Jacob, though someone might have gotten to her bacon first. The food was also cold by now. Sitting beside the plate of food was also a piece of paper containing a list, as the man had requested during the night. It possessed several different forms of handwriting, as though everyone had a turn in writing what they preferred. It read:

Ludwig: Omnivorous diet. Just about anything will do. I care little for human cuisine. Likes black tea and sugar cookies but doesn't like anyone to know.

Lucy: Strictly Carnivorous. If I find a single patch of green in my food I'm gutting someone. Also, get a shit ton of liquor! Absinthe, Gin, MOONSHINE, the stronger the better! Also likes tea but with salt instead of sugar. Likes poetry too.

Shuck: Strictly Vegetarian. I gave up meat back in the 1600s so anything without it will be fine. Doesn't like the sight of blood either. Really likes math though.

Hyzenlay: Mainly Vegetarian. I prefer fruits mainly and just about anything sweet. Tea is nice too. I also like educational books too if its not too much trouble...

Seems like Hyzenlay was the last one allowed to write on the note.

 

[Out Of Words]

Jacob very nearly hyperventilated, hand pressed firmly against his chest, as his eyes frantically ran over all the strange creatures in his living room. Lucy's paws against his mouth helped give him focus, the physical touch of a very unrealistic creature did wonders to wake his ass up. He gave a little nod to Lucy, indicating he was okay. Okay-ish. Several slow, deep breaths were taken as Shuck introduced himself. Jacob's voice was gravelly, an indication his sleep had been deep, indeed. "Yes, sorry. I did say I would most likely scream in the morning. Hello, Shuck. Yes. I'm Jacob. And.. hopefully I will scream less tomorrow morning." No guarantees.

Nearly stumbling, but not quite, Jacob headed into the kitchen, where he did an abrupt stop. Now he was really, really awake, and displeased. The mess in the kitchen was not going to be cleaned up by himself. Well, maybe the plate on the counter, as it looks like someone had made him breakfast. It wasn't their fault he had slept in... wait, well, it sort of was. Company at godawful o'clock in the morning? Yeah, maybe it was. But it wasn't the first cold breakfast he's had.

Jacob eyed the shopping list as he stood at the counter, munching on the cold food. He actually smiled upon reading Hyzenlay's little notes. And a new plan hatched in his brain. Jacob did finish his food, partially eaten bacon and all. He did wind up washing his plate, and the other plates in the sink before he could even think to stop himself. Once he got going on something, it was like being in a tunnel. Jacob had to finish nine times out of ten. So, when he was ready to leave, everything except the pan on the stove top had been washed and put into the dishwasher to run later that night.

The list was tucked away into a pocket, and Jacob headed back to his room to get his wallet and shoes for a trip to town. On his way out the front door, he paused and addressed the others. "Thank you for the breakfast, whoever cooked. I did the dishes, but the pan still needs washing. I'm going to make a trip to town and stock up on your requests, it may take me a little while." He gave the trio in the living room another glance over, knowing he wasn't going to be mentioning any of them, lest they lock his ass away. He stood there a moment, as if giving them time to add any last minute thoughts to the list. And then he was gone.

Jacob would be out for a few hours, as he had to make trips to the grocery store, as well as a couple of book and liquor stores. He didn't rush it, despite a nagging voice inside wondering what kind of mess he'd be returning home to. Jacob didn't want to make a lot of trips, and some of the alcohol had to be special ordered. He did managed to make out with some good finds, he was pretty sure the crew would be satisfied with. Hopefully they would be satisfied with.

When he returned home, Jacob used a little cart from the side of the house to haul everything in on, so he could keep it down to one trip. He had noticed it during his cleaning, and though it to be spectacularly handy, should he need to haul several items, like now. It was a bit of a struggle to get one door open, and hold it as he wheeled in all the goods. Everything was in bags, or boxes, so it wouldn't be clear what he had brought home yet.

See, Jacob was going to check on what messes were left, and if they wanted their goodies, well, he now had something to bargain with. They clean up, they get their good. Right? Maybe.

 

[Allion]

When Jacob had returned, the house itself was standing for the most part. The pan that was previously left on the stove was cleaned now by someone and was neatly laying off to the side to dry. Upon entering the house however, he came in to quite the sight. It would appear that a robe had been attached to the ceiling fan of the living room with a very distraught Hyzenlay desperately clinging onto it for dear life. Shuck and Lucy sat below, their heads going round and round as they watched the little squirrel get swung about. Lucy was chuckling like mad while Shuck mere sat there with a small grin along his face.

"M-Ms. Lacemaker! This isn't... what I meant!" The squirrel screams out, her body gripping onto that rope with desperation.

"Non-sense lil dove! This is a great way ta learn! Ya just gotta let go! Here, I'll give ya a lil help..." Lucy tells her with a sinister grin along her face before tugging on the pull cord below the fan. The blades began to pick up faster and faster, Hyzenlay's swinging body flailing through the air from the force. Eventually she wasn't able to stay held on as her little fingers slip from the rope. The little squirrel goes flying out of the living room, shooting across the house before crashing into a small shelf of (hopefully non-breakable) knickknacks. She lays there in a small passed out heap.

Lucy is on the floor laughing uncontrollably and Shuck chuckles and laughs along with her, though not quite as hard. They eventually come to, both of them looking up to see Jacob re-entering the house.

"Oh! Heya love, don't mind us. We're just given lil dove a few flyin' lessons, ehehehe!" She cackles out heavily. Shuck nods behind her.

"Quite right. She asked if she could be one o' them flying squirrels. We told her we'd be more than happy to help her find out." The demonic hound adds. A moment later, the two of them bound of to Jacob, eagerly wanting to see what sort of goodies he had purchased.

"I trust ya found the note. There betta be some quality drinks in 'ere. Ya liquor cabinets just 'bout run dry."

"Honestly, must you two be so noisy..." The deep voice of Ludwig growls out, the tall humanoid slowly creeping out of his cave that is the study. "Do you have any idea how irritating it is to work with a Sciurus vulgaris screaming just outside my door."

"Sorry, Ludwig. We was just havin' a bit of fun, dats all." Shuck says, trying to prevent getting yelled at, though Lucy seemed like she could care less. Ludwig glares out at the two of them before redirecting his gaze towards Jacob.

"Ah, you've returned. I trust that shopping wasn't too much of a hassle for you. Our dietary needs should be rather simple to shop for."

 

[Out Of Words]

Jacob stood, a little shell-shocked, just inside the threshold as the squirrel took flight involuntarily. Thankfully, most of the trinkets on the shelf weren't breakable, well, too much. His expression twisted into a displeased state as he continued to wheel the cart farther inside and close the door behind him. By then Ludwig was out, and they were wanting to see the goods. Before he let anyone touch them, he held up a hand and clicked his tongue.

"Please try your best and refrain from breaking my things, right? Right. Okay, so... took me a few stores, and some alcohol is on back order, but should be delivered in a couple of days. Until then... Let's see what we have, hmm?"

Strangely, Jacob was finding great enjoyment in this part. It sort of felt like Christmas, and he felt a little like Santa. He didn't let them see what was inside the bags or boxes until he held it out. Things that needed to go into the fridge would be set aside, but he showed them what it was. "First, for Ludwig!" His grin grew, damn this was sort of fun. "Aside from the food, which you care little for as long as it's food, we have... black tea, and three assortments of sugar cookies. One I wasn't sure if you liked frosting on them or not, but they are really the best I've had." If Ludwig wanted to hold onto the items as his own personal stash, out of the others' picking fingers, Jacob would hand it over.

"Next, for.." He was going to just go down the list, but since Lucy was next, and Lucy was making most of the messes, he switched it up. HA! "Hyzenlay... Plenty of fruits for the kitchen annnnd... a nice assortment of tea. I've a couple of brands for you to try. Forte tea is especially good in my opinion. Also, two bags of various candy, and.." He was handing the items over to the squirrel as he pulled them out. If anyone else attempted to reach for it, he'd click his tongue and remind them they still had goodies he could or might not give to them if they didn't respect boundaries.

Hey, he's gotta try to keep some order in the house.

"I've set you up with a monthly book subscription. Here's the catalog, you just check which items you want, up to five a month, and mail the form in. And next month, you have your books to keep, and a new catalog. And to tide you over, here's two from the bookshop." And before Shuck and Lucy could pester the squirrel, Jacob tried to hold their interest by making a grand show of what was left. He had been a magician after all, he knew sleight of hand.

"Shuck! Lucy! Let's check your goods out, shall we?" It wasn't different from a child's birthday party, really. Jacob was in the groove. "Shuck! Lots of vegetables, and some veggie burgers as well. No blood with it, no meat with it, I bought extra to try one out as well. AND!" Cue hand flourishes, and general magician distraction tactics. "I found some books with math puzzles!" And these were held out to the creature with a grin.

"LUCY OH LUCY!" He was making this one feel like the best was saved for last. It was becoming clear Lucy liked being important. "All the meats, luv." He even put on a bit of an accent for her as he passed over bottle after bottle. "No breaking these, dearie if you please. We have some vodka, but not just ANY vodka.. This .. this my luv, is Spirytus vodka. Ninety-six percent alcohol, and is supposed to be the strongest bottle of liquor sold. One hundred ninety two proof!" Maybe he was trying to bribe Lucy into not making messes, but if it worked, then it was all good.

"And keeping with the theme, number two is some Everclear. Followed by.." He put on his best, which wasn't, Scottish accent. "Bruichladdich quadrupled Whisky." Switch to a poor accent Jacob couldn't even really say what it was supposed to be. "Hapsburg premium reserve Absinthe. And Balkan Vodka. The top five strongest alcohol drinks in the world, so I've been told. And do not forget the old Gin on back order."

Just as Lucy was about to go drink herself into a stupor, "Wait! One thing more m'dear." He sank into a crouch and held out a small bundle of books with a catalog on top. "You have been subscribed to poetry of the month club. Here are some books to get started with, and much like Hyzenlay, you can pick up to five books each month and they'll be delivered." Damn, it felt good to be Santa.

 

[Allion]

Everyone came around as Jacob wheels in the good, each one of them, aside from Ludwig, seemed at least mildly interested in seeing what he got, though Jacob was doing an annoying job at keeping the contents hidden. Ludwig was at least somewhat surprised when he was the first one to be shown, the tall humanoid sure that he put the most generic request on the list. He was still and quiet when Jacob presented him with the cookies and the tea, his tall gaze narrowing downwards into small eye squints. Slowly, he extended a hand forward, taking the box of plain sugar cookies and examining the contents. "I suppose this is... adequate." He spoke calmly, though Lucy and Shuck chuckled at his reaction, knowing full well that's how Ludwig expressed mild joy. He would keep the single box with him quietly, and allow the rest to reside in the kitchen. He wasn't so much of a child to hoard a stash of them but a personal amount would suffice.

Lucy raised a suspicious eye when he went to Hyzenlay next, the demented cat just rolling her mismatching eyes as he spoke out what the little squirrel had gotten. The little thing was still rather shell shocked from the abrupt flight through the house and was slowly stumbling her way from where she landed. She rubbed her head a bit and gave a small polite smile upon seeing the things Jacob had purchased. Seems like he had listened to her little side notes quite well. She calmly took a look at the packages of different teas he had brought for her but completely jumped when he told her about the book subscription. "You what?!" She exclaims, her tail flickering back and forth with immense excitement. She happily took the two books hugging them tightly to her body before looking over their contents. Seems like the little squirrel was an advent reader. Lucy and Shuck looked like they were about to say something about her reaction before Jacob managed to pull back their attention.

Shuck tiled his head to the side curiously when his gifts were presented. A soft smile when across his demonic looking face as Jacob mentioned all the vegetable, though Lucy merely scoffed at him with light disgust. "Thank ya kindly. Really appreciate it." He says to the man, the strange canine looking rather eased. Seems like his dietary requests are a sore subject for some reason. Shuck did raise an eyebrow curiously when he was also presented the math booklet as well. He blinks in surprised, sitting back on his hind legs at he takes the book and looks over it. "Hmm... Some of da problems seem a little more simple than I'm use to-- oh! Sudoku!" He chimes a moment later, finding a few of the more advanced puzzles half way through the book.

Lucy had crossed her arms in front of her chest by now as her clawed foot impatiently taps against the hard wood floors. She smirks as he presents the meats along with that little attempt at an accent. It was... cute. Her eyes suddenly shot open however when he presented that alcohol to her however, the white and red feline suddenly snatching the bottle from his hands and examining it herself. "Holy shyt... A 'undred ninety-two... This shyt's so pure I can light it on fire!" She says with excitement, her tail lashing out behind her. She looks up at the strange and worried glances she was receiving from a few of her housemates. "Not that I eva would! It be a waste o' good vodka." Her attention was brought back as he presented the other four drinks, each one being remarkably powerful. She keeps the vodka tightly grasped in her claws as she gazes up at him, seeing him crouch down and hand her something else. She has an eyebrow raised questionably when he hands her a few poetry books and a catalog, telling her of how its similar to Hyzenlay's subscription. She takes one of the booklets in her other hand and is silent for a moment, just staring down at the material. The feline then tilts her head back up towards him, her eyes glaring at him. "Yer a roight tossa, ya know that? But... I guess this shyt ain't half bad." Shuck gives a little chuckle, knowing that's Lucy's way of saying thanks. The deranged cat takes the vodka and the poetry book back to the living room, hopping up on top of the mantelpiece to enjoy herself.

"Well damn, almost got a 'thank you' out of the gal. I'm amazing you got that far." Shuck says, chuckling a bit before taking his puzzle book and going to the living room to join her.

Jacob will feel Hyzenlay cling to his leg, giving him a tight hug before taking her two books and the catalog with her to go enjoy herself somewhere quiet. Ludwig was the final one remaining, the large humanoid crossing his arms over his chest and gazing down at the human with a sharp glare. "Take well to remember, simian. We are Kivouachians. We cannot be bought over with fancy gifts or kind words. Our respect if earned, not purchased. However, I do believe you have managed to entertain them, for at least a small while. Whatever allows me to continue my work in peace. You have my thanks for this." Ludwig told him flatly, his voice lacking much emotion.

 

[Out Of Words]

Jacob grinned as he watched the others leave with their goods. The grin remained even with Ludwig's chastisement. It felt good to be Santa, and it felt surprisingly nice to have someone to spend his money on. It was doing nothing in the bank, since he hadn't had quite the wanderlust he used to have. Now, it almost felt like he could have a purpose again. With this .. strange.. ragamuffin group. A group he still wasn't completely convinced truly existed, or were figments of a broken mind.

Either way, he knew a couple of things. One, he liked how this giving felt and two, he was likely still going to scream come morning. "Ha!" Jacob was smiling so much his cheeks started to hurt as he gave Ludwig a nod, and moved the cart still holding the groceries. It was wheeled into the kitchen, where Jacob started to pull all the things away. Even put on some music while he was at it. Nothing too loud, nothing too brash, just something he could sort of jam to while doing work. Wound up being the top 40, but whatever.

Took him the better part of two hours, mainly because he thought reorganizing the fridge would be a good idea. Sectioning it off based on who liked what, and what shelves would be easily accessed. And he did the same with any of the pantry items, sort of on a tunnel vision kick really. It was only when that was done, and Jacob let the tiredness seep into his bones, that he began to sink into a bit of self doubt.

This was all his imagination, most likely. Something that came about from Pops' stories, and his always overactive mind. Maybe he made these all up so he wouldn't be in this large house by himself. Bad things always seemed to wrap around him when he was by himself for too long. Or let himself dwell on all the things he had tried to be, and failed. One hand rubbed at the back of his neck as he made his way to the living room to see who was up to what.

If it was all just his broken mind, so be it. Right? Better to be broken, than alone. "Soooo what do you guys do? Like.. in general, aside from the drinking and that kind of thing."

 

[Allion]

Ludwig left Jacob to his own devices once the others settled down in the living room, with the tall humanoid himself disappearing into the study once more. Over the few hours that he had taken to reorganize the fridge and clean up a few things, the others were relatively quiet. Hyzenly was happily sounding out complicated words in her new books and tottering her head back and forth in delight. Shuck was sitting on the couch as well as his canine-like form would allow and was carefully taking his time analyzing several of the little math problems in his book. It would seem that his front paws were more dexterous than they appeared and allowed him to hold a pencil, as well as wright. Lucy was lounging on the mantelpiece, sipping buts of that powerful vodka directly out the bottle while quietly mumbling a few of the poems from her new book. Seems she was favoring the ones written by Shakespeare and chuckled whenever she came across an especially colorful bit of language.

Shuck was first to break free of his little math puzzles when Jacob asked about their other activities, aside from drinking and the more casual things. He just shrugged his shoulders for the most part. "Eh, whatever holds our attention at the time. We've always been moving from place to place over the past several millennia so we aren't allowed much freedom." He states out, scribbling in an answer to one of the questions.

"Quite roight. We've been all ova, doing whateva we can to keep ourselves hidden but entertained. Idol hands are the devil's workshop, as they say. Sure is shyt bein' on the run all the time though. Damn do I miss how things were back on Kivouach." Lucy sighs, putting her bottle down for a moment. Shuck slows his writing for a moment, blinking at her words as the pain seems to spread to him as well. "Kivouach was our home away from 'ere. We lived there long before dis dirt ball of a planet came in existence. Its gone now..." She says dryly, licking a claw and flipping her book to another page.

"Hmm... What I would pay ta be able to run along the Madness Frontier again. Had quite a few good fights back then when I was a Yelsh soldier haha!" Shuck chuckles out, the nostalgia making him a bit more somber in mood.

"Hmph, ya mean back when ya were actually scary. You use to be a force ta be reckoned with. Now ya basically gone n' neutered yerself with that whole vegetarian shyt." Lucy states, not even taking the moment to take her eyes off her book.

"Shut da fuck up! Ma reasons for givin' up meat are my own." He lashes out at the feline who couldn't care any less about his aggression. "You weren't there when it happened... Shit wasn't good." He tried to tell her, though Lucy simply rolls her eyes, barely listening to him still. They both became rather quite after that, a heavy awkwardness filling the air, until Hyzenlay finally broke it.

"Do you think she'll find us again...?" The little squirrel asks, her slowly looking over at the two of them. They both blinked together, each one gazing up and over the little critter.

"Fack I hope not. It be a real pain in the arse to have ta burn this place down n' move again." Lucy states with a bit of casualness in her voice. "We should be alright here though, at least fer a lil bit. Only the real trusted Kivouachians in Ludwig's government knows 'bout this place."

 

[Out Of Words]

Jacob settled into a chair, taking the time to really sit back and relax. It was a luxury he didn't often indulge in, because once it seeped into his bones, he just wanted to sleep, or nap at least. He was mostly following the conversation, and he should have been alarmed at the whole burn this place down. Probably would be later, but what his mind tripped over was someone finding them again. "Who's she?" And more importantly, "Is there anything we can setup to trap her if she does find us?"

He didn't even comprehend how he lumped everyone, including himself, into the 'us'. It felt weirdly right, this whole group together as 'us'. Jacob never really had friends growing up, never really fit into a group. So he had tried to be a 'drifter' and temporarily fit in every group he could. Jack of all, master of none. And here he was, with things, creatures, beings so fantastically wrong, no one would ever believe him. Jacob was starting to think that was fine, he wasn't in a sharing mood.

Jacob wanted to know if there anything he, or any of them, could set up now. "Just in case, like wouldn't it be wisest to be proactive, not reactive? Come on, let's plan!" Jacob gave a grin as he sat forward, elbows on his knees as he looked between Lucy and Shuck. Then a glance to Hyzenlay. "Doesn't it make more sense than just sitting and waiting?"