Realistic or Modern If December Freezes (IC)

[Larry]

Aódh McFaol
Location: The Loving Spoon.
Mood: Absolutely ravenous.
Interaction: Out Of Words | OrganicUFO | KodakWolf .​

Aódh was a little bit bemused at the sight of an owner and his dog making their way into the café as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Such a thing definitely wouldn't have slid back at the old café he often frequented, The Tribesman, so the eccentricity of the event and everybody's abiding by it was something that put a smile on his face. But, the main thing as it stood to him now, was food. It could have been either Aódh's heightened senses, the acute degree of hunger that he was feeling or a mix of the two that alerted him to the all-inviting smell of the English breakfast being placed on the mat in front of him by Tilly. The egg, the hash brown, the white and black pudding, the sausages (reminding him of Mallons back in Ireland) and the beans were all cooked to perfection. Well, such was the level of his hunger that Aódh more than likely wouldn't have cared in what form the food was served, so long as it was served. The young man was surprised to see the small, stadial-shaped packets of marmalade in a small, oval-shaped wooden basket next to the butter. He was a bit of an oddity in that respect, for eating marmalade, and his family would have often call him 'Paddington' jokingly; were they to know of Aódh ability to transform into something approximating a bear, fur-wise, their nickname would have particularly portentous! It was only as he was about to devour the first piece of a carved-up sausage that Beatrice made a point about the difference when comparing these breakfasts to the ones in Canada.

"I can only imagine," Aódh said, his gaze glancing quickly between his fellow lodger and the sight of the sausage impaled on the fork, "I suppose given this country's history and that of my own, it would only make sense that we'd share at least this type of breakfast in common."

With that rather barebones treatment as to why two countries almost 18,600 kilometres away from each other share a type of breakfast, Aódh voraciously went to work on the meal before him. The young man wouldn't have recalled such a time where he ripped into portions of food as he was doing now. At the back of his mind, he knew that he should be reining in this display, for fear that, should it become even more animalistic, that his secret would be outed. Along with the odd feeling that this place exercised over him, it was a contingency that he ought to guard against. It was as he was finishing the thought that he realised the plate was nearly wiped, crum-clean, of food and if he had kept going, he might have gobbled down the plate at the same time. Conscious of the noise that he must have been making, he inclined his head in the direction of Marius, as well as Augie and his dog.

"I'm so sorry," he whimpered out, his face aflush in embarrassment at the thought of him scoffing down food like a glutton, "I wouldn't have ate anything since yesterday, so though it may be an explanation for my wolfing all that food down, it's no excuse for my lack of manners. Forgive me for that little display of mine."

He turned to Beatrice, the flush still spread all across his face.

"...I'm sorry you had to see that."

 

[Rhyme]

Indy

Location: The Station in the Woods
Tags: Thropian AsherMasher Silver- Collidias Rex

The familiarity crept up her skin, creeping from the shadows as the overcast sky flickered with memories of ancient trees and suppressed memories. Even as she stood in front of the station, a new mark on the old scene, Indy could feel the gravel crunch under her feet as though she was a child again trekking along in tattered sneakers, wild hair stuck to her cheeks. The trees were taller. The grass was longer. She was looking down the barrel of her childhood, too old now. Too distant, yet.

For that reason, when she heard the crunch of tires on the old road, an instinctive jerk assumed wildly it must be her mother--knowing she was home, sensing her daughter's return and arriving to greet her as she would every morning. Pulling her from the dirt like a mother pulling her toddler from the bed each morning, soft smiles pressed against her cheeks.

But it wasn't Beth. This was no longer home. Silver's warning was the anchor between now and then; Indy was no longer a member here, nor were any of them, and they needed to act as much. Indy watched the truck approach, lips pressed in a thin line as she stepped back, against Silver, braced in front of the group. She saw Silver's reproachful glare as the truck wheeled around the pull up beside them, the window rolling down to reveal the man inside.

The burning against her chest pulsed, a shiver running down her spine. There were a few ways to play this; she didn't recognize him, not that there were many to remember after twenty years away. She didn't miss that the man only lowered the window a crack, his piercing stare split by the glass pane. He was as suspicious of them as they of him. That checked out, he didn't talk like a snowbird or a tourist--no false politeness, just the brand name exhaustion of a man going about his day.

"Ah," Indy took a step toward the truck, running a hand through her knotted hair. "Kia ora--not lost, actually. We tried to hike it, back from the past town, but we got caught in some tough weather. Lost our supplies, got a bit banged up. We're hoping to hitch a ride back into town, my," she paused, hands clapping against her sides awkwardly. "Ach, well, mom--she's a local. Beth. Sanderson. She's gonna kill us." Indy attempted to laugh, the sound more a couple of uneven gasps. "You run the station?" She shoved her hands into her jean pockets, trying her best to hide the tension as her nails pressed into her palms. Better to adopt the clueless air of an unprepared hiking group.

coded by: @s e v e n

 

[KodakWolf]

Leif Hjalkarssen
Location: The Station in the Woods
Tags: Britt-21 Rhyme Collidias Rex Thropian AsherMasher Silver- ​

Inside the shack, there wasn't a single cat they could bleed for Roje, meaning she'd have to hang in some more, possibly until nightfall. But it was dark, and that Leif couldn't complain about. Perhaps they could even wait there a few hours, until it was dark and safe enough outside. Of course, Indigo might freak out if she got to town and didn't find them there first thing, but they'd find her eventually and she'd learn he hadn't kidnapped her sister.

The headache wasn't gone, but its lesser intensity allowed him to think a little bit clearly and take deeper breaths. Sitting down beside Roje, back against the wall, he glanced at her, but she seemed to be in no condition of saying anything. He wasn't sure why, truth be told. Blood would definitely help, but would it solve the problem? No idea. He wasn't thirsty, they'd both been teleported, so perhaps there was something else going on with her besides intense bloodthirst. Either way, perhaps they could find a willing donor among the group once they met again. Not hunting would definitely help in 'appearing human'.

The thought brought back memories Leif didn't yet know if painful of hopeful. Where would he go first to search for him? The woods. He liked running in the woods, that Leif remembered well. A shake of his head and the thought was (temporarily) put aside, just about the time he picked up engine sounds outside. Another glance at the woman sitting beside him, and Leif forced himself to a stand, moving to listen behind the door.

It seemed whoever it was had stopped at the station, and he picked up multiple voices, although he couldn't make out the words very well, concentration requiring some serious effort. The scents hadn't reached him yet, all his senses feeling numb, perhaps an effect of the teleportation thing or whatever that was. But it had to be Indigo's group. A woman had just spoken, it had to be Indigo. Or his brain was fooling him, falsely identifying tones he really believed were there, or hoped to be. After some deliberation, he concluded he and Roje had to wait a little longer for whatever conversation was happening outside to develop further. Preferably until the vehicle left, either giving all of the group or part of it a ride, going to get help or just going on their merry way. Then if no one was left, he could reach town with Roje when the night came, or if part of the group was still there, then they could align their bullshit stories. Last thing they needed was divergent stories that could potentially cause trouble or raise suspicions.

"I think they're out there." Leif muttered to Roje, not sure she was even listening. "Just stay quiet for now, there's someone with them."

 

[KodakWolf]

Riley Adler / Boy
Location: The Loving Spoon.
Tags: Out Of Words OrganicUFO Larry ​

Boy was excited. Going for a walk into town was always fun, but also kind of scary. With Augie as a guide, the scary part was mostly gone, so he was just excited, tail wagging non stop as he pranced through the narrow streets on Augie's tail. Plus, he was even going to meet the famous Tilly! It was certainly a big change in the outskirts routine he'd been following lately. Boy wasn't sure which reached him first, the bell jingle as the door was pushed open or the tantalizing smell of bacon and sausages, the smell he was quite familiar with at this point, only this time it didn't come from a specific spot, and instead seemed to surround him, embrace him as he stepped into the cafe after Augie. In a poor attempt to locate itself and the source of all the smells, the dog kept turning his head in all directions, sniffing the air, but it was like the walls themselves were made of bacon.

And then Tilly spoke, and Boy was certain it was Tilly because she sounded just like what he pictured from what Augie had told him. He wanted to sniff her in greeting, but the food smells were too strong, and she was even holding a piece of bacon herself, so he didn't quite get the chance. Wagging its tail effusively to greet her, the dog gladly received the pats and carefully took the piece of bacon she offered. Then as quick as she appeared, Tilly left, probably back into the kitchen. She was always very busy, Augie had said.

Boy then followed Augie to a table by the wall. At first, he sat down beside the chair Augie was sitting on, trying to pick up any conversations going on. When Augie spoke to the man he called Marius, the dog turned its head toward the man, ears perked, head slightly tilted to one side. His voice sounded... off. It was like he hadn't spoken in a long time. And he was probably really old, too. Boy wasn't really following what he was saying, it sounded like neither did Marius himself. Loch Ness? Then came the sudden bang of something on the table, startling the dog and making it stand up and back off several steps. Augie had moved and apparently managed to keep the man under control, whatever his problem was.

However, it just wasn't the same for Boy anymore. Perhaps having been startled awakened his sense of smell to something beyond the magical scent of bacon and sausages, something actually magical. Riley knew the scent of magic very well, and it surprised him how it took him so long to make it out among the food smells. Sure, Tilly's cooking was fantastic, but there was actual magic in the cafe. He was aware of the presence of a couple other people inside, but he couldn't make out their individual scents. That, combined with the now obvious taste of magic in the air, made the dog nervous. He had no idea whether that could be an actual threat of not, but he was in an unfamiliar, enclosed space, and the food smells severely hindered his ability to sniff things out.

Tail tucked, the black dog stepped over back to Augie, moving to sit under the table this time, leaning against Augie's leg and the wall for some sort of reassurance. His ears were pulled back and he was panting, which was now and then interrupted by a nervous yawn. Perhaps he was overreacting, but he'd been so careful to stay away from magic lately, that being in the cafe while unable to see and smell what surrounded him made him feel extra vulnerable.

Boy heard Tilly's voice again and tried to focus on it, and on the voices of the other people in the cafe, a young couple perhaps, so as to keep his anxiety at bay. In fact, he was so focused that by the time the young man seemed to perhaps address Augie, or Marius, the dog was again doing that head tilt thing while facing the table where the man was, ears alternating between perked up and pulled back as he tried to understand what was going on at the next table. If dogs spoke, Boy would reassure the man that it was okay to wolf food down, so long as it's Tilly's. No one should have to restrain their enjoyment of Tilly's food in the name of good manners. But dogs didn't talk, so Boy just sat there, tail wagging shyly while his head remained turned to the man. He'd relaxed a little bit, but remained sitting under Augie's table, leaning against his leg and the wall.

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
The Loving Spoon​

Marius hadn't noticed much after his little tirade, still staring out the window. Augie reached down with a hand and petted Boy, did his best to offer some reassurance. "It's okay, Boy, you're good." And he kept on patting even after lifting his other hand to give a small 'no worries' type of wave to the man who apologized about eating loudly. A bit of a smile and nod of his head.

Augie might have said something, or just watched the two new faces if the door to the cafe hadn't jingle jangled again. A young woman entered, her dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, but several strands had already escaped. She wore a simple purple blouse with a scoop neckline, and a pair of skinny black jeans. She looked a little frazzled, but the smile was quick to cross her face. "Sorry, Tilly! I know I'm late. I'm here now. Oh, hi Augie, Marius, faces I don't know."

Tilly could be heard making some 'ach ach' sounds from the back before she poked her head around the corner. "Nah worries love. Yer 'ere now. Could use sum 'elp preppin' fer the lunch crew. Heard tale of a possible shipment boat comin' in this afternoon. Could be busy 'round 'ere." She shook a wooden spoon in no particular direction and gestured toward the apron hanging along some pegs against the back wall for employees.

Augie gave a bit of a wave, "Hey, Miranda. Did ya see the town mascot?" The question caused the woman to stop and turn with a bit of a confused look on her face. Augie had to gesture toward Boy who still leaned against his leg for reassurance. "He loves bacon as any self respecting dog oughta."

Miranda did take a moment to go and pet the dog, murmuring, "What a handsome boy. I bet Tilly's packing your box full of bacon." She gave Augie a wink and moved to get her apron and wash up before she gave a helping hand. Augie was a pretty regular occurrence lately, and took a lot of to-go boxes, enough that they knew what to put in it before he even had to ask.

Before Miranda could check in on Aódh and Beatrice, there was a sudden series of loud pops as all the light bulbs in the cafe went out. One by one, the glass shattered, but they were far enough away from the customers, the shards only landed on the floor along the walls. It did cause Miranda to scream in fright, Augie curled protectively over Boy and sheltered the dog with his own form, Marius kept on staring out the window as if he hadn't heard a single thing.




OOC Information

Aódh Larry : There's one bulb closest to your table, making the sound even louder, but no glass gets in your food or on you or Beatrice.

Beatrice OrganicUFO : You could feel a quick tension in the air around you, and your fingertips tingle as if they touched something electrified. You know this was your fault somehow.

Boy KodakWolf : The magic you smelled became even stronger as it surged a second before the sound of the bulbs breaking. This caused fur on the back of your neck to rise, and you feel Augie covering your form with his own as soon as the mini explosions registered.

All: Tilly will get some extra bulbs from the back, Miranda will move quickly to sweep up the glass, and make sure everyone's okay. There's still enough light streaming in from the front windows to carry on. Tilly doesn't seem surprised or upset.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
Town Hall​

Angelo smiled and made sure each page was in order, and all signatures or initials were filled in while Hatsu talked. "A bike? If it's just for in town, I wouldn't get a ten speed or anything. You just need a simple bicycle to get you from point A to point B. Check at the import store on the docks. They might even have one from a local trade, or they can order one. And a bed frame?"

He tilted his head, pondering what he recalled of the inside of the house. "Think there were two. A twin and a queen, mattresses were given up to be recycled. Oh, that reminds me." He shuffled through another small stack of papers in his briefcase. "If you have recyclables, here is a list of what is and is not accepted. They come once a month, you'll need to keep them stored either on your property out of sight, or use the bin if it isn't full. No bags are allowed outside the bin. Animals and what not, goes for your trash as well. Bag it, bin it, don't let it sit outside." The paper he handed over had the standard recyclable or not list.

As for anything else Hatsu needed to do, "Let me just file this, and I'll walk you to your new home and hand over the keys. I'll do a walk through with you, have to make sure nothing's changed since last I saw it before I can hand the keys over, but won't take long. You can sit tight and I'll go get this filed and be back." Angelo gathered up all the papers, save for the copies meant for Hastu. Then he headed out of the small office, leaving the door slightly ajar behind him.

Sounds of a conversation drifted through the open door. Two women were walking by, one pushed a small cart with stacks of mail as they headed toward the main part of the town hall and the mail cubbyholes for local envelopes and the like. Their voices were hushed, but excited. "Are you going to go this time?"

"To the camp out on the beach? Maybe. I haven't decided yet."

"It's fantastic. They have limited spots though, so you have to make up your mind soon. The glow in the water is amazing to see."

"I'll think about it. Oh, is that a package for Dusk?"

"Yeah." And the two women giggled. "I hope he comes in to get it while I'm here."

"Shameful!" And more giggling, the sounds faded as they exited the door into the main part of the Town Hall.

Another two minutes passed before Angelo returned and held the door open. "Alright. Everything is filed. Let's go check out your new home." He walked with Hatsu out of the back area, and toward the front door of the Town Hall. The two women he likely heard talking were by the wall with the cubbyholes, sorting the envelopes and what small packages would fit. On a table beside it, there were several baskets of more mail and packages waiting to be picked up by the manager of the post office on the edge of town.




OOC Information

Hatsu silverwhere : Angelo will walk with you out of town hall, past the farming fields, and toward the old Mr. Miller place. It is a very casual pace, with Angelo enjoying the scenery along the way. Once or twice, in the corner of your periphery, there's a quick motion. Trying to follow it is futile, but it tugs on your senses, it feels like you're being watched but you can't confirm it.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[KodakWolf]

Riley Adler / Boy
Location: The Scary Spoon
Tags: Out Of Words Larry OrganicUFO ​

Boy relaxed a little more when he felt Augie's hand patting his fur. He couldn't chill out completely though, as just like Augie seemed unable to sense that he wasn't just a dog, he was probably unable to sense the magic Boy was picking up in the air inside the cafe. Perhaps if he could, he wouldn't be as calm. There was no way to know for sure, but Boy wanted to trust Augie knew Marasong and its residents enough to know where he was walking into, but he stayed alert, just in case.

So the dog was quick to turn its head towards the door when it jingled open again, head following the steps as the woman entered the cafe, then as she walked up to him after Augie introduced him as the bacon loving 'town mascot'. She had that briny ocean scent Tilly also seemed to have, only fresher, or a bit stronger perhaps, although everything was confusing for Boy to make out, as if everyone had bathed in bacon. The dog wagged its tail, ears pulled slightly back in a friendly manner, and stepped forward cautiously to receive Miranda's pets, although it didn't completely leave the makeshift shelter provided by the table. She sounded nice. At least being nice to the dog is usually the first step towards being generally nice. And she worked with Tilly, so she had to be nice.

Just as Boy was giving another step towards feeling comfortable in the cafe, he sensed the magic peaking, hackles raising instinctively. It was quite sudden, and he barely had time to start getting up before the sounds of exploding glass were heard coming from above several times, then Miranda screamed. The dog would've guessed the small explosions came from lightbulbs if he was in any condition of processing what was happening, but instead he jerked himself upwards and would've bolted toward the door, or attempted to, if Augie hadn't curled protectively over him, making the dog half run into him, ears drawn back and tail tucked low.

In Augie's arms, being unable to run, the dog just froze in place, heart pounding within its chest. Then when the sounds indicated that everyone was carrying on, cleaning up and replacing the bulbs as if whatever had just happened had been just some ordinary occurence, and not a magical attack or something more dangerous, the dog let out a couple of high pitched, frustrated barks, his way of saying 'for fucks sake!'.

 

[Britt-21]

Tags: KodakWolf (Directly) | Rhyme Collidias Rex Thropian AsherMasher Silver- (Nearby)

Roje kept her eyes closed as the pain only increased, making her feel like she'd want to die right about now just to make it stop. She fought through the pain and the only thing that continuously ran through her mind was the want to feed. To fill herself till she felt a thousand times better. But with the current situation, she was going to have to fight through this a lot longer. Eventually she heard Leif speaking, causing her to stir and open her eyes slightly and try to listen to the best of her ability. It sounded like he was giving her instructions on the situation? Either way, Roje had no energy to do anything or say much, so everything had been up to him. Be it speaking for her, and helping her move to different places. When the Vampire had closed her eyes, she heard a door being knocked on and soon was opened. Followed by being gently put down on the floor and propped against the wall. Slowly but surely, she fell asleep, pain waking her up every so often but luckily she was able to avoid most of it for the time being.

As much as it felt like a long time, she slowly fluttered her eyes open and took a slow look around at her surroundings. They were both inside now, seemingly like a shack of some sort. It wasn't the ideal place to hide but it did keep the sun out from beating down on them. Turning her head to the side, she noticed the male sitting with her. He looks bored, and I don't blame him. she thought. The sound of an engine barely caught her attention, Leif not only looked back at her, but had gotten up and moved toward the door. Her hazel eyes watched him, studying him even. He didn't seem much like a fighter, such as herself. Definitely a handsome lad, could probably get any partner he wanted in all honesty. Hell, he's probably a different race of Vampire like she had been too. Before her thoughts could continue to flood her mind, she grunted softly and took a breath as her pain continued to hit her wave after wave. Roje had paid no mind to the sounds outside, knowing that there was another pair of ears with her to let her know what was going on.

He began to mutter, causing her to tune into her heightened hearing and listen up. He thought the group was out there? With an extra person? Well as long as nothing bad happened out there, the vamp wasn't too worried. With a nod, she muttered just barely "Okay..." she shifted her position weakly, but remained against the wall. I really need food...I don't know how long I can hold out like this.​

 

[OrganicUFO]

Beatrice Welles

"...I'm sorry you had to see that."

Beatrice looks at him as he says this, swallowing her piece of sausage before replying.
“Oh it’s no worries. I’ve seen way worse. Plus if you haven’t eaten in so long I don’t blame you for teaching your breakfast whose boss.” she says, smiling at him as she moves on to the beans.
It was true as well. While Beatrice didn’t have much experience with the magical world outside of her family’s bubble, she was once allowed to attend a dinner with a family of shifters. They’d nearly flipped the place inside out which she couldn’t really judge since she could only imagine the energy it would take to transform. Still though, she did find it a bit odd that this human could compete with that lot, however she brushed it off. She’d seen university boys eat before, and he seemed young enough to fit into that category.
“Would you like my bacon? I’m not the biggest fan.” She then says, trying to change the subject and help Aódh feel a bit less awkward.
She wasn’t used to people blushing around her, and Beatrice struggled with how to handle it other than to keep on smiling.

However, despite trying her best, Beatrice really did feel a bit awkward. She wasn't used to being treated so politely, and perhaps that topped with the fact that she was in a new place surrounded by entirely new people was finally getting to her. She'd never been this far away from home and her feelings around it were starting to catch up to her. What if she'd made a mistake coming here? Maybe her mother was right, that she was better off at home where she could be supervised. Either way the thoughts suddenly poured into her head and before Beatrice could respond she heard a series of loud crashes and turned to see shattered lightbulbs. Beatrice's eyes widened and she tried her best to appear calm.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, jumping as a lightbulb shattered behind Aódh, "That was odd. Are you alright?" she asks him.
Beatrice tried to remain calm, although her relaxed exterior was slipping and a glimmer of anxiety began to appear in her face. Her eyebrows were wrinkled in stress, and the palms of her hands began to sweat, causing Beatrice to compulsively wipe them on her pants. Her magic at the best of times was unpredictable, and these clearly weren't the best of times. She felt like jumping out of her seat and running. Running all the way back to Canada, even if it meant being pushed to the sidelines and ignored, even if it meant spending her days being told how much worse she was at magic than her sister. Anything felt better than being here where she might have made her biggest fuck-up yet. Exposing her magic. She didn't even know how she managed to do this, but there was no denying she did. She needed to come up with an excuse, and fast.

LOCATION

The Loving Spoon

MOOD

Anxious

WITH

Larry Out Of Words KodakWolf (nearby)

 

[AsherMasher]

Clementine Holt
Thropian Silver- Rhyme Britt-21 KodakWolf Out Of Words​

As she shook out her clothes, Edwin’s answer made her stop in her tracks. “New Zealand?!?” She accidentally shouted at him. “I’ve never left the state before, let alone the country! I don’t even have my passport!” Clementine groaned. That issue would have to wait for another time. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised with everything else that happened.”

As Silver approached them, she took in the others around her that seemed to already have their bearings. Thank God we are all together. At least we have that going for us. The green, lush scenery around her did leave her slightly speechless, but also seemed to leave an aching in her heart as she remembered a lost friend. She could have spent more time in awe, but the constant melody in her head threatened to cause a major headache if she ignored it for too long.

Silver’s kind offer to carry her gave Clementine a strong feeling of comfort that she longingly missed from her family. “No, I should be okay,” she relied to Silver with a smile. “I appreciate the offer though. Thank you very much.”

Clementine stretched her arms and let out a huff. “An hour walk doesn’t seem too bad. It will help get the blood pumping a bit.” As the group headed out, the melody still flowed through her thoughts. Clementine was happy to be in the back with Edwin and Silver as their company gave her a sense of familiarity and ease. She marveled at the landscape around them and felt, even for a moment, safe.

By the time they reached the gas station her legs felt like rubber. It was sad, really. Clementine was never really an athlete, but her walks home from school didn’t make her weak in the knees. All that magic must have really taken a lot out of me, she thought. I guess I’ll keep that in mind for next time. “So,” she looked toward Edwin and Silver. “Is there somewhere that we are going? I’m happy to see a gas station, but does anyone have any money? Or anything we can use to get somewhere safer?” Clementine rung her hands in her sleeves. Sure, she felt safe with these people. However, the darkness fast approaching them seemed to quicken her heart rate and strengthen the melody that plagued her thoughts.

 

[Collidias Rex]

Rawiri Reaves​

Location: The Station, Marasong Outskirts
Tagging: AsherMasher AsherMasher Rhyme Rhyme Silver- Silver- Thropian Thropian (present); Britt-21 Britt-21 KodakWolf KodakWolf (nearby)

"Well shit, ain't that something. You're Beth's kid?" Wiri jerked the window down a few more inches, leaning out of the vehicle to inspect the small crowd that had gathered. The woman at the front seemed nervous, but she seemed to speak freely. That was good. No fey shit. He took the moment to look the lot of them over, mustering a weary grin of greeting.

He was aware that Beth had a kid. The circumstances there were ... unusual. Marasong was a bit ... it wasn't the kind of place you left behind, to put it simply. Beth had always struck him as a straight-shooter, which meant she either had her head on straight, or she was real fucking good at hiding whatever she was up to. Wiri sincerely hoped it was the former, because the latter would entail a lot of baggage he didn't want to consider.

So, the newcomer was either lying or telling the truth. If she was who she claimed to be, there was no harm in showing her to town. And if she wasn't ... well, it wouldn't be the smartest move to call her out on that. Staying cool seemed to be the best plan.

"Name's Rawiri. Folks call me 'Wiri'. Easier that way." He fished a water bottle from the seat beside him and took a quick swig before returning it to its place beside the other three. The bottles were identical, save for the strip of grey electrical tape wrapped around the one he'd taken. This bottle in particular was fresh from the sea and briney, but the taste had long since grown on him. Salt water certainly didn't have the same effect on him that it did on most. A tension wound within him and spread through his muscles. A few minutes. That'd do. He had no intention of getting into a fight - he only needed to be able to run if things went sour. "And yeah, I reckon I handle most of the station's day-to-day. I don't own the place, but it sure as shit feels like it sometimes."

He made an awkward sound between a chuckle and a sigh as he pushed the truck's door open, only killing the engine as he stepped out. He rolled his shoulders and took a moment to bask in the sunlight before making a lazy beeline toward the station. "You got a name, love?" He waved a hand in the speaker's direction as he moved, being sure to keep a bit of distance between them. A name. It was an innocuous questions, but an important one. He knew Beth called her kid "Indie", short for ... fucking ... something or another. Indiana? Fishing for the girl's name would be easy verification of an imposter, if she didn't know it.

"Any of ya, speak up. I don't bite." His eyes flicked to the woman's company for a moment. "I reckon I can give you and your mates a lift, just give me a few minutes and we'll be good as gold. Gotta deposit some papers in the shack. I haven't got shit for an attention span, so I've gotta do my papers as I complete my runs. I stack them all back at the station between deliveries."

 

[Larry]

Aódh McFaol
Location: The Loving Spoon.
Mood: Alerted.
Interaction: Out Of Words | OrganicUFO | KodakWolf .​

Aódh was about reach for the bacon that Beatrice was offering, much like the dog that belonged to Augie, but just as the words 'Thank you!" were about to leave his lips, the bulbs around the café spontaneously burst and broke apart, with one being particularly close to both himself and Beatrice, though fortunately neither of them, nor the food they were eating, were flittered with shards. The young man could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and, if it were not for a certain checking on his end, an inhuman snarl might have been issued from the back of his throat. It was an aspect of being a werewolf that Aódh had to take a decent bit of time getting used to, namely, the greatly-expanded bursts of adrenaline that occur at spontaneous occurrences, which, without his being able to verify if they were a threat or not, his more effierced instinct responded to them almost instantaneously and violently. Luckily, the presence of others in the café, with a concern for their safety and worry for his secret being revealed, was good enough motivation for him to dull his lupine senses for the time being. Turning around to the other diners inside the establishment, Aódh looked upon Augie protectively embracing the dog, Miranda squatting down and hunkering herself into a ball whilst Marius stared out the window as though it were something happened quite regularly. A relieved phew came out of the Irishman's mouth, being glad to see his new acquaintances relatively unharmed following the incident. It was as he turned to Beatrice to ask how she was that, almost stealing the thought, she asked him how he was doing instead.

"I'm okay, thankfully and I hope you are too," Aódh replied, a tinge of anxiousness still present in his voice as the flush he had before distilled away, "And you're dead right, it was odd...more than odd, to be particularly blunt."

Before he was set upon by that werewolf all those years ago, like most people, Aódh wouldn't have believed in anything like 'magic'. Were there scenarios where he pondered what the world would have been like if magic existed? Yes. Did he ever think that one of those scenarios was actually the reality he lived in? Not in a million years. Obviously, being more than a bit circumspect, even after his first transformation, the young man thought that there might have been some bizarre evolutionary process that might have produced some bipedal, anthropomorphic wolfen creature. But the more he thought about it at the time, that particular thought pattern sounded like something out of a comic book than, say, magic, as odd as the alternative making more sense was. But as regards to anything else magical, the young man would have never noticed it since the attack, had it not been for his chancing upon Marasong as it had played out yesterday; and, when his senses kicked in, there was this nagging feeling that if he were to go any further, as regards to his transformation, that would have been a bad thing.

What had just occurred was of magical origin, Aódh felt sure of thinking.

But who caused the event was something that would the young man would have to look into. Tilly, who was with the rest of them when the bulbs exploded, seemed markedly unfazed by the mass shattering. Even if she just happened to be particularly staid and unexcitable, to not even react in the slightest to what happened, seemed a bit suspect but Aódh didn't want to jump the gun just yet; it could have been an electrical malfunction that caused the bulbs to break. Wishing not to seem more pensive than he was, Aódh got up out of his chair, gently pushing it back so that it didn't clamber over any shards and tiptoed his way to Miranda.

"I don't suppose you'd need any help sweeping all this up, would you?" Aódh asked politely.

 

[silverwhere]

Hatsu Black
Location: Town Hall & Towards Mr. Miller's Hatsu's House
Tags: Out Of Words​

Hatsu only knew one thing about bikes and that was how to ride them. When Angelo offered up some advice one which bike he should invest in he just nodded his head pretending he knew exactly when he was talking. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Nothing fancy for now." Hatsu replied and was relieved when he was informed that he would have bed frames. Thankfully he wouldn't have to find out how to get rid of the old mattresses and he was even more grateful when the rules about recycling and trash were spelt out for him. It wasn't a lot in the grand scheme of things, but it was an information dump; which made it hard to process it all at once. Hatsu took some time to read over the list and thankfully there was some information about how it worked as well. "Alrighty, thank you so much." He said as he looked at the paper once more until Angelo had left the room.

Que him reaching into his pocket to grab his cell phone. He had put it there before he walked into this room with Angelo since he didn't want to seem rude or get distracted during the paperwork process. Hatsu had wanted to make a decent impression and he hoped that it was working out so far. He didn't really want to make enemies out of anyone, especially since it was a small town. The original intent was to look up what a ten speed bike was, but as his home screen lit up to great him his attention was turned out into the hallway. As he began to swipe aimlessly into a web browser he could hear two women and a squeak of what he assumed to be a mailcart. Shifting in his seat to get a tad closer to the door, he was able to make out a few things.

Firstly, there was a camp out happening at the beach and something was going to be glowing. What would it be he really wasn't sure, but curiosity of what it could be made him interested. He didn't know if he would want to stay the night at the beach but he was curious if he could go and stay for an hour or two before going home. If he wanted to become more of a local he had to start doing more things with the locals and not just going to their stores and making small talk. So maybe he'll go see what this fuss is about the glowing and maybe he'll see a few familiar faces. Secondly, there was someone named Dusk. He really wasn't sure if he knew who they were talking about after all he wasn't always the best with names. He'd have to see his face to maybe remember if they have met or not.

In the grand scheme of things it really didn't take Angelo long to finish filing the paperwork and Hatsu was surprised quickly getting up and pocketing his phone once again before making his way after the other man. He couldn't help but to sneak a glance at the two women before rushing out the Town Hall. It had finally settled onto him that this would be the place he would have to go if he wanted his mail and it had came across him that he was now a homeowner. And something else became clear to Hatsu as he followed Angelo to his new home.

When you're in the city, surrounded by people, you never feel like you are being watch. Okay, maybe you do sometimes, but there was a silent agreement between everyone. And that agreement was that you don't bother anyone else. So people keep their eyes on the ground or their eyes on their own business as they do every day tasks. However, it wasn't really the case here in Marasong; it was acceptable to approach one another and talk - after all it was a small town and everyone knew each other. For some reason, the lack of people made it feel like more eyes were on you. And Hatsu currently felt that as he followed Angelo. He swore he saw something just out the corner of his eye and he paused to stare into the woods for a bit trying to see if he could catch what it was. He first assumed it was Boy- but he also believed that Boy knew him well enough to approach him. Not to mention that whatever it was fast enough to dart out of his field of vision. Hatsu watched for a bit longer rubbing his wrist as he did so before sighing. Maybe he had finally lost it and was now going crazy. He picked up his pace to catch back up to Angelo as he tried to shake off the feeling of being watched- after all as long as he wasn't interesting whatever it was would eventually get bored and leave right? If he was being watched, which he wasn't right? He took a deep breath maybe this was part of the homebuying experience. Yay.

 

[Silver-]

Silver Blackwood
Tags: Rhyme AsherMasher Collidias Rex | Mentions: KodakWolf Britt-21 Out Of Words Larry OrganicUFO |
Location: By the station, Tilly's diner and a Toyota Hilux??​

Clementine’s kind smile stirred some form of familiarity that made Silver jerk her head away, embarrassment making her face feel a bit too warm as she quietly nodded at the girl’s answer, fumbling with the collar of her mock neck top. “Sure.” She nearly stammered over her words, not used to the gentility and relatability that was coming off Clementine. She was right to react the way she was at the fact that they’d been oh-so conveniently dropped in New Zealand of all places but at the very least they had Indy to guide them through the lush landscape.

A part of Silver wondered where Rhevens had gone now, along with the minotaur that had fed them back at the caverns. They hadn’t gone with them, nor had the.. fairy? The image of the golden fairy that had been with them so briefly in a grassy glade was marred, her memories not quite focused enough for her to even remember what they fully looked like. All she knew was that it felt as if they were missing something.

“I’m not sure the exact location,” Silver answered Clementine’s question slowly, having to ponder the inquiry herself as they were essentially following Indy like blind mice but she also would rather not scare the young girl. “Indy seems to have come from here—or at least she appears to know someone from around here that may be able to help us.” The moment Silver sensed that they were being followed by something, she silenced herself, glancing to the truck that passed them just as they were getting to the gas station. Would Edwin and Clementine know to raise their guards?

Their pause allowed Silver to shift the weight between her legs testily, noting that the walk hadn’t too much of a number on her so should they need to move quickly, she would be fine to continue, thankfully. Clouds had brewed in their favor in the darkening skies above, threatening rain on the light winds that graced the trees around them but it smelt like it wouldn’t be for a little while. Artificial lights coming from the nearby lamp-posts and the cool shade of vegetation coming from the forest surrounding them would provide the shadows they’d need so that their faces wouldn’t be completely recognizable by this man that had rolled up to them. Silver was surprised at how casually Indy spoke to him and although she knew she was putting up that sort of facade, she was doing well despite whatever seemed to be stressing her internally.

Silver cemented her feet to the spot she stood at, suppressing the desire to step back when the man introduced himself and proceeded to lean out of the vehicle, Silver cutting her dark gaze toward him when his gaze swept through them. She had to remind herself that not everyone was a potential threat, her father’s words commandeering her actions unconsciously as his policy towards people he didn’t know had been the whole ‘don’t talk to strangers’ aspect taken a step further. It turned Silver more anti-social than anything else, her expectations of others being that they were either to not be trusted or that there was always potential for them to cause harm. Her face gave away nothing as she merely nodded a greeting to Wiri when he introduced himself, the scent of seawater thwacking Silver in the face which instantly brewed questions. Was he… drinking seawater? She wanted to ask him but would people normally be able to capture a scent like that from this distance? The contents of his water bottle were definitely indecipherable from this distance. Silver instead raised her fist to appear as if she were yawning into it, taking in more of the scents around her by parting her lips. The tang of blood mixed with musty odors hit the roof of her mouth. Roje and the blonde vampire were already here? Their scents were strong, leading to.. the station? Maybe they’d made a meal of the people in there, she thought to herself jokingly though she honestly hoped not. Since when did her brain start functioning this well?

The seawater ingesting man was on the move and her instincts told her to give chase to such a slow moving variable so it would be best to distract herself by focusing on the task at hand.

“We were also supposed to meet up with some friends at the ‘station,” Silver chimed in, stepping forward silently to stand beside Indy, sincerely hoping she wasn’t making a mistake by mentioning Roje and Leif. “They went ahead of us to see if maybe they could find a way to contact ‘Beth to save us some time while we headed over. Some of us needed to take a second to wind down before headin’ for the station.” She dipped her head a bit in a respectful gesture to Wiri before looking over to the gas station curiously, “Are the lights normally out around this time, Indy?” Wiri was bound to realize someone was in there, better to have him take care of his papers and alert Indy of what was happening at the same time.

 

[Rhyme]

Indy

Location: The Station in the Woods
Tags: Thropian AsherMasher Silver- Collidias Rex KodakWolf Britt-21

Indy tried to cover her flinch at Beth's name with another awkward laugh, tugging at her shirt hem. Fuck, this was such an awful idea. At best, they were going to be murdered by this strange man in the truck. At worst, Beth would be interrogating her about everything she's gone through within the hour; she really didn't know what would be worse. Even as the song continued to bellow in her ears and her chest blistered with pain, deeply ingrained instinct layered every passing second with increasing unease.

As the man--Wiri--took a swig of water, an involuntary shiver went down Indy's spine. She could smell the sea salt within the bottle, the pain in her chest bursting in response. He said something--but she could barely hear it, fumbling over herself in response before she finally realized what he was saying. "Ah, yeah--Indy, Indigo, technically."

As he greeted the rest of the group, Indy instinctively shifted her footing so the girl and the man behind her would be slightly more blocked from view. She cast a glance back at them, noting they were speaking quietly--the girl looked fully awake now if a little worse for wear, thank whatever gods lied above or below. She prayed the man standing beside her was prepared to protect her should this go south; Indy wasn't exactly sure how far she could make it if they had to make a run for it.

Silver, however, had a pensive look--she was noticing something, but what? Indy chanced a pointed glance, raising one brow that she tried to shield from Wiri's view by mimicking a brush of her hand through her tangled hair. The man was saying he couldn't take them to town now, not before he finished his paperwork. The idea made her bristle, desperation failing to stay hidden from her voice as she forced a smile. "Yeah, course, I get it--we uh, we just really need some water, if you have it--do you think it'll take long? We just, we really need to get to town, you know? Some time out in the wild like we've had, it really does your fuc--your dang head in. Maybe we can come inside, grab some food? I don't have any money right now but I can spot you once we get to town, Beth will cover any bills. We had two other friends, by the way--they came this way, did you happen to see them?"

Hopefully, Roje and the other vampire had made it to town. Hopefully, they wouldn't arrive to find their bodies strung up on the light posts.

coded by: @s e v e n

 

[KodakWolf]

Leif Hjalkarssen
Location: Station in the Woods
Tags: Britt-21 Collidias Rex AsherMasher Thropian Silver- Rhyme
​

Leif had his ear pressed against the station's door, eyes closed, and it didn't take him long to realize someone was approaching the shack. And said someone wasn't part of their original group, something Leif could pick up through several small details, from the sounds and rythm of the man's footsteps on the ground, to the briny scent that had seeped its way through the door gaps. The man seemed to be ambling his way to the shack, meaning perhaps he didn't suspect anyone was inside. When a second female voice was heard outside, Leif was then sure it was their merry group of time travelers that stood outside. As whoever they were speaking to was coming toward the shack, and therefore moving away from the group, their voices got louder, making it fairly easy for Leif to pick up what they were saying, despite his lack of concentration. When the lights being out were mentioned, Leif assumed perhaps they were aware he and Roje were in the shack, and that was their way of indirectly talking about it without alerting the man. They were supernaturals too after all, and could've picked up their scent.

Whoever that man was, he didn't bite, his own words. If you don't bite, you might get bitten, so one option would be to take the opportunity to get a meal, one that'd likely help Roje get back on her feet. That wasn't human blood heading their way, so a top-notch meal by the way. Still, assaulting the first person they came across was certainly not the best way of following Indigo's advice of appearing human. Plus, even if they succeeded, and there was no way of ensuring that, especially with a non human victim, someone else could find the man before he came back to his senses, and who else could the suspects be besides the newcomers? And lastly, Indigo was very emphatic about the 'appearing human' part, so perhaps a fellow supernatural being could actually be a real ally. He did sound chill and helpful, after all.

Option A ruled out, they could try to exit through a back door, if there was one and if they had the time to. Or even hide inside the shack. But if that went south, explaining themselves would be a lot harder than it could be if they just stayed put. So Leif retreated from the door, and moved back to sit beside Roje, staying between her and the door, on the one hand in order to protect the most vulnerable member of their two person party, on the other, to ensure she wouldn't wig out and try some sort of desperate attack once the man walked in. She didn't seem capable of that at the moment, but starvation certainly did things, and he wasn't taking chances.

The disruption of the chinks of light coming from under the door signaled the arrival of their new acquaintance, and Leif turned his head away from the door when it opened, letting in dreaded daylight. "Sorry for breaking in...." he was quick to add, squinting as he carefully turned his head to briefly regard the man, who didn't seem familiar for once. "... we really needed to take five, been lost for a while." He didn't need to fake the exhaustion in his voice, as the disruption of their comforting darkness made it even more intense. "Seen another lost group by chance?" By then, he had to move a hand to partially protect his face from the invading light, and he turned his face away from the man again. "Sorry, I have a migraine." That was also kind of true, as the pounding pain returned with full strength the moment the door was opened.

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
The Loving Spoon​

Augie slowly sat back up when the shattering was finished, both hands patted the dog, in that half rub, half pat attempt at reassurance. "It's okay, Boy. Just some light bulbs. No one's hurt." He then gently urged Boy to sit next to Marius. "I'm going to help clean up, you keep Marius company, okay Boy?" There were more of those half pats, half rubs, but they stilled a moment later.

Augie had stilled because Marius reached down and started to give the dog scratches at the back of Boy's head. Old and bony fingers, but the man had petted more than a few dogs apparently, for he seemed to know the best scritching places. Marius had even turned his head and was regarding the dog with a wistful type of a smile. His voice was slightly stronger when he spoke, "You're a good boy, good boy."

The expression on Augie's face was one of pleasant surprise, but he didn't have time to savor the moment. "Okay, you're safe here, Boy. I'll be back." There was the small scrape of chair legs against the wooden floor as Augie stood up and moved to help. "Here, you have an extra broom and pan, 'Randa?"

Tilly had handed off the supplies she had for cleaning to Miranda, and then another set to Augie as if she knew he would offer to help. She shook her head at Aódh's offer, as she moved to check on her customers, Beatrice and Aódh first. A hand gently patted Beatrice's shoulder, and in a very warm, motherly tone, "Everythin's a'right. It's a'right. We gots this handled. You folks jus' keep on enjoyin' your meal, and I'll even throw in a cupcake when yer done, a'right loverlies?" Another pat and a small squeeze before she moved to fetch a box of spare bulbs she kept in the back.

Miranda was still a bit frazzled, her smile one of befuddled resignation. "Never a dull moment in Marasong. Thanks, Augie. I'll get the glass over here if you'll take that wall?" Augie nodded and the two of them started to sweep up all the glass shards, while Tilly set out all the bulbs that needed to be switched out.




OOC Information

Aódh Larry : For a moment, shortly after the light bulbs exploded, you catch the barest whiff of petrichor mingled with particles caught in a ray of sunshine streaking through a window. It's magical, light and airy, playful and too energetic for its own good. Then the scent of your food washes it away as quick as a exhale of breath.

Beatrice OrganicUFO : If Tilly catches your eye, she gives you a small wink and reassuring smile. She isn't upset and is begins to hum softly as she works.

Boy KodakWolf : Marius knows how to pet dogs, and despite his old, nearly gnarled hands, his touch is as reassuring as Augie's. This close up, you can smell a deeper sense of the sea, not from a recent excursion into the waters, something deeper. It smells old.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
Heading to Hatsu's Home​

Angelo had stopped to exchange greetings with a couple of townsfolk who were pleased to see him around town. Nothing more than a couple of greetings, followed by the usual how are you, and a affirmation they should stay in touch more often, but likely wouldn't. Some folks did, others meant to, but life had a way of keeping them busy, even in a place like Marasong Harbor.

They were a couple minutes away from the house, when the scent of something burning drifted their way. Angelo might have sensed it a moment before it reached Hatsu, as the man's steps picked pu the pace. As they rounded the corner, the old Miller house came into view, along with thickening plumes of smoke. It was white, quickly darkening to gray with tendrils of brown that crept into the mix.

Hatsu's house was on fire.

It looked like it was currently contained to the upper floor, and on the inside, but it was growing, and fast. Angelo was already on the phone as he ran toward the structure. "House fire! The old Miller place, Southwestern end of town. Smoke's still light but not for much longer!" He didn't hang on the phone, instead he was already shouting directions to some of the others who had noticed the plumes and came to see what was going on.

"Get the hose, turn it on! I've called the ranger." Neighbors quickly unwound their garden hoses and opened up the valves. Angelo held a hand toward Hatsu, "Stay back, don't want you to get hurt!"




OOC Information

Hatsu silverwhere : Your house is on fire! There are about four people, three garden hoses, directing the water spray toward the second floor, but it hasn't breached the outside yet. After thirty seconds, there is more gray than white in the smoke plumes. Another thirty and the brown makes up half the smoke with black tendrils joining the others, indicating things inside are aflame.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Out Of Words]

IF DECEMBER FREEZES​

IC Thread - GM Post
Marasong Station​

The moment was interrupted by a phone ringing, Rawiri's phone to be exact. A quick check showed the caller to be the town's lawyer, Angelo. There wasn't any greetings exchanged here, just to the point in a tone that spoke of immediate importance. "House fire! The old Miller place, Southwestern end of town. Smoke's still light but not for much longer!" He didn't wait for any answering words, just hung up the phone showing his trust in the ranger of Marasong.

Giving the horizon toward town a quick glance would show a rising plume of smoke. The size of it indicated it started very recently, and wasn't beyond saving yet. Marasong had fires before, but they were few and far between. Folks were likely to try and keep it from spreading further with garden hoses, but depending on the nature of the flames, it might make it worse. Time was of the essence if anything was going to be saved of the old Miller place.




OOC Information

Rawiri Collidias Rex : The old Miller place had been checked out several times recently in preparation for its sale. There wasn't too much left inside, but what was, would have been old and more easily set aflame.

Clementine AsherMasher : The melody in your head is a little stronger, floating side to side as if you were hearing it through headphones.

Indigo Rhyme : The amulet is warm enough to turn your skin a strong shade of pink. The song it sings makes it more difficult to hear what anyone else is saying, and sometimes you can see their mouth moving, but you can't make out what they just said.

Edwight Thropian : It's unsettling now. There is a distinct sense of urgency within, but it's unclear what the urgency is about. Everything sounds like it's something you need to do. Go to town. Get water. Find a quiet place. Get food. Find a cave. Stay in the woods. A little bit of everything, all of the time.

Roje Britt-21 : The hunger is roaring at you, pounding in your head, cramping your stomach. The pain will be at screaming level agony within thirty minutes.

Leif KodakWolf : The sunlight, or maybe just the thought of going back into the bright light, is making you nearly break out in a sweat. The short reprieve you had from the station has cooled yourself somewhat, but you know once you go back into the light, it'll pick up right where it left off.

Silver Silver- : Something is howling in the back of your mind, but it's not clear what kind of a howl it is yet. It's quiet, but audible, and you have brief moments of your mind telling you to run, followed by a sensation of a warm blanket being wrapped around your shoulders with hands gently but firmly patting, and a voice whispering in warm, honeyed tones, that it's going to be okay. You'll be okay.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words​

Season One: A Night Bleeds​

 

[Larry]

Aódh McFaol
Location: The Loving Spoon.
Mood: Relaxed...somewhat.
Mentions: Out Of Words | OrganicUFO | KodakWolf .​

It took Aódh a moment to realise that Tilly had refused his offer of help in cleaning up the shards of the bulbs. It was only as she nodded her head, her bun-wrapped hair swaying from side-to-side, that her response was made apparent to the young man. Even though he felt a bit disheartened, given that he didn't want all the work to be passed on to them, Aódh relented and sat back down into his seat. Aódh glanced back at Augie, who had sent over the dog to Marius by the window, whom, perhaps surprisingly to the young man, went about skilfully scratching the dog in all the right places; it seems he wasn't as moody or impassable as the Irishman had originally thought. Nestling himself into the table once again, scrupulosity had prevailed on the Irishman, causing him to sift a finger across the table to see if there were perhaps any minute bits of glass lying about; he did the same for his own plate and thence looked across at Beatrice's, without using his finger of course. Having confirmed that there was no leftover pieces, the young man went back to eating his breakfast, whilst the measured sounds of brushes and the clinking of glass went on behind him.

In this capacity, Aódh was appreciative of the more passive aspects of being a werewolf, that being the increased perceptiveness of his senses. Being a werewolf for eight years allowed the tourist to engage in a number of what he liked to call 'experiments', but it was more like the scrambling about a child does when receiving a new toy: namely, that he tried to figure out what else his traumatically-acquired form was capable of. Whether it was knowing of what was being cooked for dinner from over two kilometres away (owing to weather!), being aware of the impish movements of squirrels and rabbits in the fields around where he lived, his increased sensory reception, while exciting, was, in the early days, a source of acute pain for the young man, as he struggled to deal with the excess amount of information that he was constantly being bombarded with. Over time however, much like the strain of lifting weights, this sensitivity eventually became established practice as Aódh became inured to the sheer regularity and intensity of the information.

And yet, for all his training in learning to switch these enhanced senses on-and-off, it seemed there were some things that he was still to become aware off. The last time Aódh would have smelt it was back when he was eight and the family had been on holiday in Majorca. In Palma, where they were staying, and the surrounding area, it hadn't rained for a few weeks and the heat was enervating. Himself and his father had decided to go out trekking in the hills outside the city and, it was as they made their way atop the crest of the hill, that dark clouds started to form above. The memory was a vivid one for Aódh, and with perfect recall, he remembered the smell that was brought about as a delicate droplet struck parched earth. Petrichor. That its scent was present in the Loving Spoon, so soon after the lightbulb explosion only served to give credence to the young man's fledgling 'magic theory'. Yet, that was not the only thing to alert Aódh to even more evidence; out of the corner of his eye, and it disappeared as soon as he glimpsed its shape, the Irishman saw an iridescent, almost indiscriminately small particle float in the air, like a rainbow-coloured fleck of dust. It was as it disappeared from view that, at the same time, the trace of petrichor that he had detected almost vanished, or rather, it might have been overpowered by the smell of his breakfast.

Was I the only one able to smell it? Aódh thought to himself, a pensive thumb stroking his chin as he sought to understand the phenomenon just experienced. Even if he wasn't, the young man felt it best to wait for the others to bring up why such a smell had suddenly appeared in the aftermath of the bulbs shattering, if they had recognised it, of course. For now, Aódh felt that it would be best to archive this episode, if only that it be used to build on his own speculations later on. The young man went about eating his dinner a bit more mutedly, his mind still wracked with swirling thoughts on what had occurred.

 

[Thropian]

Edwight
Location: Where there's smoke, there's smokers.
Tags: AsherMasher , Silver- , Rhyme , Collidias Rex Nearby: KodakWolf , Britt-21 ​

Walking would normally have been something that Edwin and Dwight could do without thinking, the three-legged-race nature of control required their full attention to move in a normal looking fashion. They had nearly gotten it down before they nearly ran over the girls he had been walking with. He hadn't noticed that they'd stopped, or even had a full conversation with some newcomer.

Senses returned to the world around them, they noticed a myriad of things. First was the posture and position of Nahla and the Spirit Speaker. Both looked tense, ready to flee or fight. Was this stranger a threat? Should he try to fight? Could he organize his movements enough to even look threatening?

Then came the smells. Smoke primarily. Cleansing fire, readying the world for new growth. But this was a town, people handled infernos terribly. The first sense to help was crushed by the reminder of his awkward motions. At best he'd be a hinderance, and worst he'd be an extra casualty.

Last was what wasn't. The Bear. It was nowhere to be seen. Edwight spun frantically. It'd been years since he'd been without the Bear for even a moment. It felt like he'd lost a limb. Something was horribly wrong if the spirits themselves fled from this place. The need to run, to search, was intense. But the world was too big, the Bear could find him somehow, but he had no means to track it. Would it return if he fled from the town? Was it hiding from something in the woods?

They were truly lost. Despite looking over everyone else's heads, he felt small, helpless. In the confusion he clung to the only thing he knew, despite how little he knew of them. He shuffled closer to the others. If not for his wild searching eyes, he might have looked like an intimidating body guard moving behind his charge. They had a plan, they knew the area. It was something to cling to. Some bit of hope.

 

[KodakWolf]

Riley Adler / Boy
Location: The Loving Spoon
Tags: Out Of Words Larry OrganicUFO
​

Boy was hesitant to step over to Marius, especially after the man seemed to get so easily agitaded just by Augie talking to him. Perhaps he was so old he wasn't quite himself anymore, and it made the dog a little nervous, as since Augie seemed to destabilize him, and Augie was technically a familiar person, a strange dog could do potentially worse. A little encouragement from Augie was needed, but it was enough to get the dog to move to sit by Marius' feet. He trusted Augie, after all.

Boy was still enjoying Augie's half pats, half rubs, when he felt another hand reach down to scratch behind his head. The dog froze for a brief second, but Marius' apparently friendly intentions were quickly conveyed by his skilled scratching, and it didn't take long for the dog to relax, ears stopping the constant back and forth movement they did whenever Boy was anxious, and he went from an anxious to a more relaxed stance, the stressful panting becoming lighter. Then Marius spoke, and the dog turned its head up toward the man, tilting it to one side a little bit, tail starting to wag, indicating the pleasant surprise at his words.

This up close, Boy could again smell that ocean scent that'd become so familiar to him at this point. It was expected, of course, after so many months in Marasong Harbor, that he'd have gorwn accustomed to the ocean scent that seemed to be permanently in the air. Only it wasn't only in the air. It wasn't until recently that Boy started picking up this ocean scent not only in the general atmosphere, but also on people and objects, which was very strange, and Boy supposed had to have a greater reason he hadn't yet figured out. Sometimes the scent was fresher, as if someone or something had just gotten out of the sea, sometimes it wasn't as fresh, and came mixed up with other scents, as if someone or something had been in the sea, only not in the last few hours, or days.

Near Marius, however, the scent he picked up was old. Even ancient, when compared to some of the similar briny scents he'd picked up around town. These scents always made him nervous, and Marius' version of it should have made the dog even more anxious, but it didn't. Perhaps it was the tone or his voice, combined with all the ear scratching and the man's obviously advanced age, that made the dog feel more at ease, and Boy even risked sniffing around the man's legs, feet and hands whenever he got the chance, even nudging his hands a little bit. He was curious, truth be told, curious about a lot of things in Marasong Harbor, and Marius seemed like a safe bet. At the very least, he didn't seem to present any immediate threats, even though his scent was far from what Boy would expect to find on a normal person.

 

[Collidias Rex]

Rawiri Reaves​

Location: The Station, Marasong Outskirts
Tagging: AsherMasher Rhyme Silver- Thropian (present); Britt-21 KodakWolf (nearby)

"Ah, yeah--Indy, Indigo, technically."

Huh. Indigo. Yeah, that sounded right. Rawiri murmured affirmatively, his shoulders relaxing as just a little tension left them. He slowed his pace as he approached the door, watching over his shoulder as he listened to the two women. They seemed to be the more talkative of the lost and dishevelled band of newcomers. Wiri's suspicions had been eased, but that the group of them still had a certain strangeness to them. Then again, he'd be suspicious if Beth's kid wasn't just a little strange.

"Haven't seen these friends of yours," Wiri shrugged, "but I've been in town for a bit, so they might've shown up since. We'll have a poke around. I can start my paperwork and leave it incomplete, then we can- fuck, hold on." With one hand on the doorhandle, Wiri halted mid-sentence as his phone chirped to life. He fished an old Nokia from his pocket. It was one of the old brick-shaped monstrosities from the early 2000s that could live through a nuclear strike, which frankly was everything he needed in a phone. He hadn't even changed the default ringtone. He doubted it was even an option. He thumbed the answer key and brought the phone to his ear.

"Kia Or-."

"House fire!"

"Fuck!" He seized as the words shot through him like lightning. Tension flooded through him and fist tightened on the doorknob involuntarily, and in that split second it crumpled under his enhanced strength. Not again. Not fucking again. Not after the Shark. No no no.

"The old Miller place, Southwestern end of town. Smoke's still light but not for much longer!"

"Fire!" Wiri whirled around, abandoning the door as he shouted at the newcomers. Goddammit, they were about to make this complicated. Wiri fished into his pocket for his keys, making a beeline for the edge of the building instead. "Change of plans, I'm headed to town right now! I'll grab the fire pump, you lot grab your shit, pile on the back of the truck, and bring the truck to meet me around the back!" He tossed his keys toward the women, spun on his heel, and charged around behind the station, yelling over his shoulder. "We're out of here in sixty seconds!"

"Shit shit shit shit!" Wiri's teeth gritted as he ran for the storage shed out back, throwing open the two large doors at the front. "I fuckin hope they can drive stick." At a glance, the shed was a mess of machinery, tools and other debris - but the whole place was meticulously organized by how quickly he'd need to retrieve any given item. Fortunately, that meant the firepump was one of the nearest objects to him. It was a roughly box-shaped contraption about three feet wide and high, and four feet long with a diesel engine, a pump and a pair of large nozzles attached. On any other day, he's just throw the thing over his shoulder and run it back to the truck - but not with people watching. He could explain it away as an a natural surge of strength, as an adrenaline rush ... but there was no gaurantee they'd buy that. Instead he grabbed it by one rail and started dragging out of the shed at a hurried pace. Once that was out, he'd rush back in to grab a pair of large hoses, ready to pile the lot onto the back of his truck if it pulled up. He could only hope the newcomers would understand his haste and cooperate. The precious seconds he could save by having another pair of hands to fetch his truck could make a world of difference.

Indy wanted to get to town ASAP - well, it looked like she was about to get what she wanted.

The hilux was only a two-door, but that meant it had plenty of deck space on the back for equipment, tools, or in this case people. The seats were slid forward a little to fit Wiri's gear in the cabin, tucked behind the seat. Most obvious from the driver's seat was the rifle. It was tucked behind the passenger's seat with the stock angled forward a little where it would be easy to reach for in a hurry. A small toolbox was tucked just rear of the gearstick with a first-aid kit jammed above it between the two seats, and four water bottles were strewn across the passenger's seat. Otherwise, the majority of the containers and satchels stuffed behind the seats were marked with shorthand labels, typically consisting of four numbers or letters that presumably meant something to the owner alone. Wiri very obviously doesn't expect frequent passengers, considering how cramped the cabin is - particularly the passenger's side.

 

[silverwhere]

Hatsu Black
Location: His House Fire
Tags: Out Of Words
​

Hatsu hadn't notice the flames or the smells, his focus was into the trees that surrounded them- still wondering if something was really out there or if it was just his imagination. Hatsu was snapped out of it when he finally smelt the smoke and looked up to see Angelo rushing around the corner. Hatsu was lucky in the fact that he never had to experience a house fire, however his stomach dropped as he quickly came to the conclusion that this was what a house fire smelt like. He didn't realize it but he rushed up towards his house to see the smoke rushing out. He stood there for a few seconds just trying to process what was going on as he watched others spray the house with their hoses and Angelo making a few phone calls. He didn't really hear Angelo as he told him to stay back and out of danger. How could he did that when this was his house? But how could he help? He knew nothing of putting out fires and he was sure that the locals knew more about the process them himself, but standing and doing nothing made him shake. He wasn't sure if it was due to adrenaline or anxiety, but he pulled a hand through his hair to collect his thoughts. He didn't have the time to think about how much money he had just spent on the property, or how he didn't get house insurance before the purchase since he didn't know how insurance worked in this country, or how he now has large furniture items coming his way and nowhere to put them- right now wasn't the time for that.

The first step was to find a way to put out the fire. He needed water, he doubt this was an oil fire and if it was well- fuck him. Next step, where was the fire? Obviously, the fuel was the house, but where in the house? Since everyone is pointing the hoses up- it must be somewhere upstairs right? Okay water and upstairs, no fire is outside so it must be inside then. It could be in the ceiling or it cause in one of the walls upstairs- either way he could help drown out the flames that way. Okay, water upstairs and inside- that should solve it.

Find water was his first step. It's needless to say that Hatsu was not going to listen to Angelo. He rushed pass the other man and around a side of the house scanning it to see if maybe he was lucky enough to have a hose attached to the house and even luckier to have running water. "Is anyone inside," no one should be but it was always good to check, "Any buckets?" He yelled out to nobody in particular just wanting an answer at this point. As he looked for a hose and hopefully receive an answer he couldn't help but ask himself- what caused the fire? He'd want to get an inspection and an investigation after all of this.

 

[OrganicUFO]

Beatrice Welles​

The commotion of the lightbulbs shattering and Beatrice's own panic were setting in more and more. She felt as though time moved in slow motion as Aódh and Tilly spoke. However, for whatever reason everyone seemed to have taken the event in stride, which was odd to say the least. Usually when things like this happened, Beatrice found most people would make far more of a fuss. Perhaps since this place was so old they simply thought it was a blown out fuse. That was all Beatrice could really hope for. Beatrice soon realizes that Aódh was starting to eat again. She makes a quick check to make sure no shards of glass got into her food, and once she's sure that was the case she joins him again.

Trying to relax, Beatrice looks around to see how everyone else is reacting. It's then that she catches Tilly's eye. She gives Beatrice a wink and a soft smile as she continues to work, catching her off guard. It was the kind of reaction she'd expect from her late aunt when she would practice magic with her and Beatrice would mess something up. The fact that she was receiving this same look from a stranger was making her a little suspicious. There was no way she could know. Or could she? The whole thing was confusing to say the least. Regardless though, Beatrice would be sure to leave a big tip.
"Everyone here is so... calm." Beatrice says, looking back down and grabbing another slice of toast. "It's oddly pleasant."

LOCATION

The Loving Spoon

MOOD

Anxious

WITH

Out Of Words
Larry
KodakWolf