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Leif & Edwight & Levi & Chase
Location: Casa de Levi
Tags: Out Of Words Out Of Words Thropian Thropian
(Via Discord)


When Chase answered, his answer was an obvious one. But in essence, it was also a wonderful one, and Leif just couldn't feel frustrated at it. Chase could breathe again. How could he ask for anything else? He was very, very glad to just sit and observe Chase as he breathed in and out, something that just a minute ago was turning into a serious struggle. And he gave Chase's hand a light squeeze when the man was done tap tapping his palm. Yes, he understood, and he was just as glad as Chase himself that he was breathing well again.

The tension in Levi's voice, however, made Leif's gaze divert from Chase for a moment as eyes sought the smaller man. "If the risk's manageable, we could let him sit here a few more minutes...." Only Levi knew just how manageable the risk was, of course. But Leif didn't plan to sit outside too long, just enough for Chase to relax a bit. They still had a lot to talk about.

And they were probably going to have yet another subject to talk about, as Levi was soon the first of them to notice the elf had split.

"Shit..." Leif repeated right after Levi, eyes following him as he headed inside after looking around for any signs of the woman and finding nothing but a faded scent. So she bolted. Right. She did seem like she didn't want to get involved in their mess, so hopefully that was her goal.

"She looked like some outsider... worst she could do would be calling the cops, I guess." He shrugged, trying to convince himself as much as Levi when the man came back outside. Shs hadn't touched Chase, and apparently hadn't touched Chase's stuff, so that was good enough for Leif at the moment. "But Tucker... how worried should we be about him?" He added.


"He's... I dunno." His tone said the man was not good news. Levi turned to look toward the woods with a hand on the back of his neck. He pondered for just a few seconds before muttering, "Prolly bests to get inside sooner than later. Less knows, the better." Meaning the less Tucker knew, the better, but he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.


Levi's tone said it all, and Leif nodded, turning to look at Chase again as he reached for his hand and started writing.

M-U-S-T. Squeeze. G-O. Squeeze. I-N-S-I-D-E. Longer squeeze. S-A-F-E-R. Squeeze. F-R-O-M. Squeeze. T-U-C-K-E-R.


Chase wuffled, with a hint of a whine, but he nodded his head. There was a scrunching up of his expression when Tucker was mentioned. He moved to stand, one hand using the wall behind him to steady himself, the other not letting go of Leif.

Levi kept a look out as they worked their way back inside, though when Leif drew close, he did take a step back, still a bit wary of the blood drinker. With a glance toward Chase, Levi scowled in conflict between self-preservation and his concern for the dark haired man's well being. A grumble or two might have escaped, but he didn't say anything.


Edwight stayed kneeling where he was as Chase was guided away. He'd listened halfway about the two strangers, the Harper woman and Tucker, but most of his attention was on the strange spectral plants laying near his feet. His hand drifted nearer with each passing second.

Part of him thought to simply try to pick it up, to see what it was, part of him thought it wouldn't be there and he'd look strange to any on lookers. A final part feared it, like some snake coiled to strike. He wasn't sure what it was he feared, but he was aware that the fear was losing the arguments.

Finally, his hand touched the ground around the strange leaves, and his palm came to rest where the plant glistened. He attempted to look as though he was merely balancing himself to stand up, but probably wasn't moving to rise fast enough to fool anyone.


It was a strange sensation, for it wasn't tangible in the physical world, but in the spirit plane of existence, it was there. This meant Edwight needed to balance and maintain both sides. It would require him moving in both realms if he wanted to grasp it and pick it up. The strand was wet, slick, and the leaves were rather large and limp.


The mass felt strange, primarily because he wasn't truly touching it. Rather, it seemed like he expected to touch it, and was simply imagining the sensation. A part of him knew that was the wrong way to think about it, the same part of him that knew how to move to pick it up.

The movement was inherent, like he'd done it his whole life but had never thought about doing. Like controlling his own breathing, it took more focus to actively do than expected. Standing with the clump dangling from his fist, he moved inside with the others, trying not to clench his hand too tightly.

"So, neighborhood watch. Is he normally a problem? He didn't care for us walking in the rain earlier." Edwin would ask, once everyone was in and the door was closed. "And would you happen to have anything to draw with. I'm not sure how else to explain some things.


Levi turned toward Edwight with the question once he had closed the door and locked it. "He's .. an asshole. Likes to stir up trouble." As for the something to draw with, it made him remember Leif's request for something to write with. "Yeah, one sec."

He rummaged around in the kitchen drawers, trying to find which one held all the junk stuff. Eventually, he did find a couple of small notepads, and some pencils. As he handed one set to Edwight, and one to Leif, he couldn't help but ask, "Where's you staying at?"

He still had to put the boxes out of Chase's way, so the man could maybe get some rest soon.


Leif led Chase inside when he indicated he was ready by standing up. He waited a moment to see whether Chase had anything to say about Tucker, but it seemed like his expression said all for now.

On the way, Leif only stopped briefly to glance at Edwin, who still hadn't gotten up. He seemed to be aware of something the others weren't, as usual, but the vampire decided it'd be better to ask later. First would be getting Chase inside.

It wasn't hard to notice Levi's reservations about them, about him more specifically, and Leif didn't really blame him. He was actually glad Levi hadn't kicked them out after the little blood spectacle, so he really didn't mind if Levi gave a cautious step back whenever he got too close. That was a modest reaction compared to what Leif had already seen.

Once inside, he led Chase to the same recliner, and soon enough Edwin joined them in the house and the door was close. When the man spoke, Leif was glad to see he wasn't wrong in his guessings. Edwin really saw, or sensed something outside.

When Levi moved to get something they could write with, Leif again sat on the armrest of the recliner and started writing the question he'd just remembered ro ask Chase.

H-O-W. Squeeze. D-I-D. Squeeze. Y-O-U. Squeeze. K-N-O-W. Squeeze. T-O. Squeeze. G-O. Squeeze. O-U-T-S-I-D-E?


"Notepad." Edwin responded snarkily as he sat down. He held up the other hand, inspecting the ghost herb to try to draw it as best he could. The general shape at least, along with the idea of a rabbit pulling at it. It only took him a moment to get the the drawing done enough to communicate with

He held up the drawing to show the others, dangling the spectral plant for un-needed emphasis. "So this, these breathing issues, you said his chest felt hot. Have you ever noticed that before Levi?"


Levi's expression reflected his growing irritation at not knowing what was really going on. But he wasn't going to just abandon Chase because of his annoyances that were wholly his own. "No, everything's on the hot side to me."

And while they were communicating in a way Chase simply couldn't, he was able to 'write' back against Leif's palm. W-O-L-F pat-pat W-A-N-T-E-D pat-pat O-U-T pat-pat-pat. He wuffled a few times, melting back into the chair, fairly exhausted as it had been a much more eventful day than he's had in a while. Exciting, but exhausting.

And Levi had been studying the drawing, commenting when he recognized some of it. "Are those rabbits? And kelp?"


"Is that was kelp looks like?" Edwin asked, turning the sketch around to double check his accuracy. "That's an ocean plant right? But yeah, the bunnies pulled it from Chase's chest." Finally satisfied about it, he dropped the spirit kelp, shaking his hand of the ecto slime feeling.

"Everything is hot? Are you, like, cold blooded or something, or just from colder climate?" Edwin asked as he pulled his drawing from the pad and folded it up into his pocket. Might as well keep some form of memento. "And if so, why come here in the first place?"


Now Levi started looking decidedly uncomfortable with the topic at hand. "I jus' did, kays?" He sniffed and started to be busy. "Looks, he's gots to get some rest. And I gots to get those boxes out o' his ways so he don't goes and trips an' all. So.. if'n yous going to the inn, yous should gets there afore it gets much more darker an' stuff." His not quite right manner of speaking came out stronger when he was riled up, or otherwise feeling strongly one way or another.


Leif had only half of his attention on what Levi and Edwin were saying, for the other half was on the letters Chase was writing on his palm. And he nodded vehemently at Chase's answer, which made perfect sense, only then remembering Chase couldn't see him, and switching to giving his hand a light pat with his own free hand to tell him he understood.

But all the while he did listen to the others, and he did look at Edwin's drawing, which made him frown a little as he tried to make sense out of it all the new informatiom both Levi and Edwin were dropping. The bunny swarm pulled kelp out of Chase's chest?

"Chase has a strong scent of kelp." Leif added in his own bit of information. "That's what you were holding?" He glanced at Edwin's hand, then down at the floor where the invisible kelp probably was. He then remembered the others didn't know any of the things Chase said, but before Leif could say anything else, Edwin went on to ask Levi some personal questions.

Questions which weren't taken too well, given the man's immediate reaction. His tone changed, his blood flowing faster and he was just overall uncomfortable and ready to call it a day. But Leif wasn't. Not before he'd drawn up a plan for the night.

"Chase said his wolf wanted out. That's why he requested to be brought outside." Leif quickly chimed in, before Edwin could push Levi any further. Eyes remained on Edwin for a few seconds, both because he wanted to know if the information rang any bells for the druid, and also to make sure the man's focus would be directed away from Levi.

Sure, Leif was curious as well as to why Levi ended up in Marasong, but figuring that out was not a priority. They needed Levi to cooperate, and testing his limits wouldn't be a good idea.

He then let go of Chase, not without guiding one of the man's hands to hold onto his arm so he'd know he hadn't just left. He started scribbling something on the small notepad, and seconds later turned it around to show the others.

'Chase said we need to find a doll to free him. What do you know about this?'

And below:

'How did he end up like this?'

Eyes were on Levi the whole time. Earlier he'd said he couldn't say it, but he probably could write his answer.

"I need a lead, now." His tone wasn't an order, but it wasn't a plea either. It showed Leif didn't want to waste any time. "Then we'll be out of your way and report back in the daytime."

And before he was done speaking, he was already writing on Chase's palm again.

W-H-E-R-E-S. Squeeze. T-U-R-I-D? Long squeeze.


Levi's response was more aggressive than expected, but the meaning was likely as Edwin had thought. Levi likely didn't know why he was here, and that confusion was frustrating.

Before he could apologize, or explain why he'd even asked, Leif stepped in with his questions. Whether ignorant of or ignoring the hostility, Leif explained what he knew. A doll, a wolf, a rabbit swarm, and kelp. A riddle with half the pieces missing most likely.

Leif had looked at Edwin for part of the explanation, so he'd shaken his head to show his own confusion and lack of answers. They would be returning later, Leif's statement was almost unnecessary, though he did specify during the day. Strange choice for a "nightwalker" but who was he to question.
 
Riley Adler/Boy & Augie
Location: Trying to explore the inn
Tags: Out Of Words Out Of Words
(Via Discord)


Boy resisted a bit when Augie started trying to guide him down, but a few cautious glances toward the fox and the strange man later, and the dog was ready to go, getting off Augie's lap and sticking close to his side the whole time as they made their way to the exit, so close Augie could even trample on him on accident if he wasn't careful.

Once outside he'd clearly relax more, and even move to sniff the bags Tilly handed Augie, trying to guess what was inside each of them. Yes, seeing the cafe and everyone inside was fun, but it was also too much. Boy was ready to go back to some quiet for the time being.


Augie laughed when the dog started nosing the bags. "You have to wait, just a little. Gotta make a stop first, but I bet we're gonna eat very well tonight." It really wasn't too far to the inn, but maybe he walked just a wee bit faster after smelling the food and knowing it was better hot.

"You're going to have to wait outside, Sera isn't fond of animals in her lobby, much less the hotel. Though I hear they do allow pets, maybe it's an out of sight, out of mind thing. Dunno, but let's not test it. Won't be long anyway."

He talked as if the dog could understand, maybe it helped him feel more comfortable pretending Boy did understand. Sometimes, the dog would tilt its head just so, never could say just what Boy did or did not actually grasp.


Yeah, yeah, make a stop first, he'd heard it. Why couldn't Augie just leave everything in the lobby? Why did he have to deliver one of the bags himself? Well, the inn couldn't be too much crazier than the cafe, right? With the amount of strange things he saw in the cafe, they had to be all concentrated there. All of Marasong's weirdos and freaks and magic inclined things must have decided today was a good day to be at the cafe, because that just had to be almost all of them for such a small town. How come Boy never ran into so many supernaturals when he was by himself before? It had to be the cafe.

He was starting to get excited to visit the inn when Augie broke out the news dogs weren't allowed. Really? He was allowed in a restaurant, and no one had even complained when he climbed onto Augie's lap, but he wasn't allowed in a hotel lobby? He sure wasn't the right size for an out of sight, out of mind approach anyway.

The dog let out a low grumbling rumble as he trotted alonside Augie, sometimes circling around him. Sometimes he forgot he shouldn't react to everything Augie said, but then again it could be just a coincidence. Augie talked to him so much, sometimes he even forgot he was a dog.

Maybe waiting outside would be a good idea, after all. He was used to being on the streets of Marasong, and while he usually stayed in the outskirts when by himself, he was more comfortable outside on the street than inside some strange building. But at the same time, the idea of having to be alone while waiting wasn't appealing at all, not after all the little surprises Marasong has been throwing at him later. Well, not like it was up to him to choose, anyway.


They reached the inn, and Augie guided Boy to a spot just out of the way beside the front door. "Okay, Boy.. She's already giving me a stink eye and watching closely. Sit here, and show what a good boy you are. I'll be a couple minutes, okay? Sit. Stay. Wait!" Augie gave Boy some good head rubs for good measure, before heading inside and going to the front desk to talk with Seraphim and hand over one of the food items.


Boy tried to peek inside, but he'd have to stand on his hind legs if he wanted to reach the windows. How he wanted to see whoever was giving Augie a stink eye because of a dog!

He sat where Augue directed him, but he wasn't just going to sit there. Tail wagged when Augie gave the commands as if he was a fully trained dog, and wagged more when he received the head rubs.

When Augie turned around to head inside, he followed right after so he wouldn't lose the timing to get through the door before it closed on him. He couldn't obey all of Augie's commands so easily, as that might give away he understood far more than an actual dog would!


Seraphim had been watching like a hawk, and immediately cleared her throat with a widening of her eyes, and a finger pointing gesture. Augie looked and gave a bit of a chuckling sigh when he saw Boy there. "Sorry, Sera, one moment."

He moved back to the door, clicking his tongue, and waiting for Boy to follow, then he'd do the rinse repeat, to try and get Boy to stay. Maybe this time he'd make sure the door closed behind him before taking his eyes off the dog. "Come on, Boy.. you gotta wait outside."


Tail was wagging the whole time, even when he instantly realized he was not welcome in the inn. Truth was, he was used to that at this point, knowing he probably didn't look like anyone's well cared for pet. But hey, at least he'd taken a good look inside!

He was about to trot up to Seraphim to see what she smelled like, with all that anti dog bitterness reeking off her. Perhaps he could change her mind, he bet she'd seem nicer if he wasn't there! But Augie's tongue clicking somewhat forced Boy to follow him instead.

This time he sat outside until the door was closed. But then he'd walk up to the windows and stand as tall as he could, sometimes scratching at them. He'd circle around the building doing the very same thing, trying to get a good look inside from all the available angles.
 
Bill
Location: Home
With: silverwhere silverwhere , Alyce ( Out Of Words Out Of Words )

"You don't seem like a cat person," he'd said, and Bill had laughed a little at that. Maybe if he knew what an awful feral thing Mary was, he'd change his tune.

"I'd like to know exactly what you need help with," he'd said. Bill tried to think of a convincing answer.

"Aye, right, well-" she opened the door and was met with a few discomforting sights. The smudged containment ring. The insect leg. Then Mary running out of the door, and the scrabbling, and the growling.

Bill’s heart stopped dead in her chest. She glanced over her shoulder at Alyce and meaningfully nodded her head towards the bed.

“I found a safe in the woods. Like you’re one. A lot like yer one. I thought it was yours so I opened it,” she said, and turned back towards the bed. “I thought you’d left it. I figured bringing whatever was inside it back was going tae be easier than hauling the whole safe that whole way.”

How had Mary gotten out of the carrier? It was sturdy. Mary didn’t have any thumbs.

“There was a box inside. Wrapped in a scarf. And it was full of…I don’t even know. Bugs. Shrimp. Something. Didn’t like the look of them. Panicked, I guess. So I drew a wee circle around them and went tae get Wiri. Someone who knew the first thing about this part of the fuckin’ country.”

She pulled her wand from her pocket, part of her feeling a little self conscious around the non-magical fella.

It occurred to her briefly Hatsu might soon experience his first bout of magic. Maybe she should do something to prime him for the experience. What were they always saying in shows? Sometimes things happen and you can’t always explain? The world is a lot bigger than you know? Men in Black said something to that effect, didn’t it?

“Odd,” she said, and cleared her throat. “The things you don’t know. You never know what you don’t know until you know you don’t know it.”

That didn’t make a lick of sense, did it. Oh well. What was him thinking she was a little strange against being caught off guard? It was a risk she was willing to take. She started towards the bed, doing her best to move slowly and carefully, as measured and smooth as was possible.

“Shut the door, Hatsu,” she said, and then added on, as an afterthought, “please. Looks like they got out. Or something got in.”

Maybe it wouldn’t do anything. It couldn’t hurt though, could it?

Every muscle in her was pulled tight enough to snap, as she reached the side of the bed, as she knelt down, as she lifted up the comforter, as she shone the flash from her phone into the shadows, nervous to see what awaited her.
 
Hatsu Black
A bug ridden room
Tags: BillieRoss BillieRoss Out Of Words Out Of Words

Hatsu wasn't sure what to think. It all just felt weird. He looked around the room and nothing really felt off. It felt like a normal room. But something was off. The cat was growling and hissing and the state that Bill had left the room showed that she was worried. Not only that but the scrabbling under the bed was off putting. And the way that everyone else was reacting made it tense. And frankly a bit spooky. So, he couldn't help but be a bit more tense as he stared at the bed daring whatever was under it to try something. Before he knew it the cat rushed out grazing his leg and he felt like he was going to sneeze, but now wasn't the time for that. He used his shoulder to itch his nose- hopefully that'll trick his body into thinking he didn't have allergies.

“I found a safe in the woods. Like you’re one. A lot like yer one. I thought it was yours so I opened it. I thought you’d left it. I figured bringing whatever was inside it back was going tae be easier than hauling the whole safe that whole way.”

"Wait- so you thought you found my shi-" Hatsu began before realizing that it wasn't a good time to go over the ethics of opening a safe that didn't belong to her, "nevermind keep going."

He nodded a few times as Bill explained. And to be honestly most of it went over his head. She talked about how in the safe was a box wrapped in a scarf. And in it was a bunch of bugs that scared her. So the problem is a bug? A lot of bugs?

"So, why didn't we get pesticides?" Hatsu asked with a raised eyebrow. It was odd that it was wrapped in a scarf and tucked away in a safe. Maybe the bugs were an invasive species, but that wouldn't make sense. If that were the case then who ever put those bugs in there would have killed them. Whoever did that wanted to keep them in the box- maybe they even wanted someone to find it and open it like Pandora's box. All of this was confusing and he was even more confused when Bill pulled out what looked like a stick from her pocket. Great! Now she could poke whatever was under the bed.

“Odd. The things you don’t know. You never know what you don’t know until you know you don’t know it.”

Why wasn't anything making any sense. It was obvious Bill knew something that he didn't or even had something planned that he didn't know about. And frankly, it looked like she was arming herself. Maybe he should've brought his bat instead. He had his toolbox but that wasn't really something that you could use repeatedly. But his hammer in his toolbox would do. Quietly, he set it on the floor and opened it to grab it. Listen, maybe he was overreacting- but so was everyone else. Not only that, but Bill was going to make a move to go see whatever it was and he wasn't about to just standby and watch her get her face chewed off. Might as well join in on the fun.

“Shut the door, Hatsu, please. Looks like they got out. Or something got in.”

"Ah, sure." He said as he used his foot to close the door behind them before moving after Bill to also look under the bed. "This is a stupid plan." He grumbled as he held tight to the hammer.
 
Silver Blackwood
Tags:
Out Of Words Out Of Words Rhyme Rhyme Britt-21 Britt-21 Location: Marasong Inn Mentions: Thropian Thropian


Silver tilted her head at Roje’s words about how her father and someone she’d endearingly named had disappeared on a flight. It sounded familiar—like when they’d been in the years past timeline where the bodies of the people they’d apparently replaced had just.. vanished. At least in soul they did. Perhaps another timeline shift had swallowed up this Polynesian Roje’s loved ones? Not including her mother though. “I guess if there’d been some kind of accident, Beth would know then or at least she would’ve mentioned it, I’d think too.” Silver murmured aloud, a low scoff leaving her out of amusement in seeing how annoyed Roje was in even mentioning Beth sarcastically. She really does dislike her, huh? Albeit, not that Silver should be offering the strawberry blonde woman any thanks considering everything that had been stirred up by her in the beginning.

Silver scoffed again, although she grinned a little this time and nodded in agreement. "I think that would be good. Maybe it would help with Indy too, to listen to us talk." She wondered if maybe it would help stir something that would help anchor the woman to her humanity. It may help in trying to coax her out of the feline form she was maintaining. Roje had moved over to the window beside her and Indy, Silver looking up at the woman as she peered out of the window pane into the darkening view of the town. People still walked through the streets, likely reveling in the coming of night before the street lamps lit up the way for any strays. "I feel like.. they're closer than we think." Silver glanced back up at the vampire, "That Edwin guy, he's kinda like me I think. He has a bear that follows him around and I can sense him a bit. I have to focus though." Opening up would be the only way to get through all this, she decided to herself, letting her shoulders ease. "You're.. a vampire, right? You don't have to consume anything but blood to survive?"
 
IF DECEMBER FREEZES
IC Thread - GM Post
Dinner & A Show?

The window from room 202 gave them a good view of the woods to the side with a bit of the clinic. There were some houses keeping it from being a spectacular view, but still decent enough for the size of the town. Lights were coming to life, whether from inside houses, or the fireglass pits around outside. The sun was setting fast, and finally an end to their first terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Indy seemed to grow quiet, or maybe contemplative. Or maybe, she was just watching the reflections starting to show on the window as the light outside grew darker than the light inside. Occasionally, a paw batted at something seen on the glass, but overall, the cat seemed pretty relaxed and mellow.

Shortly after Silver asked Roje about being a vampire, there was a knock on the door. Three knocks, not too hard, but just enough to be heard, followed by a male voice. "Loving Spoon delivery!" Once the door was opened, they'd see the paper bag with lots of good smells coming out of it. On the front was a hand drawn heart and spoon, and lots of smaller little hearts all around. The delivery person had a big smile, and the beaded and shell bangles and dangles around the neck clinked softly as he moved.

"Hi! I'm Augie. Tilly sent me over with your food?" And he hoisted the bag up a little bit, to show off the drawings in case they missed it the first time. "Still hot!"




OOC Information

Roje & Silver Britt-21 Britt-21 Silver- Silver- : Both of you can smell the food first, and Augie second. The food is much more appetizing than the wet sea dog scent you get from the man behind the delivery bag.

Indy Rhyme Rhyme : The name tickles your mind, and when you look, the face might be slightly different but there's something there. Something you recognize, and the image of a wet sea 'dog' matches the scent you remember.

Boy KodakWolf KodakWolf : Seraphim keeps a close eye on you as you peer through the windows, catching a glimpse of Augie handing off the one container meant for Bernard, before disappearing up the steps to the second floor. However, when you start scratching, she moves to approach, waving an arm and actually saying, "Shoo! Shoo! Stop that! No! Bad dog!" She stops when you move away, thinking she successfully shooed you off.

In your exploration, you're not able to go fully around the inn, with the buildings lined up on the dock, but you get a good three quarters of it. There are lots of windows, and the lighthouse is pretty impressive, even if it isn't lit up each night. There is a back door, but it has no windows and seems pretty securely locked.

Bernard Worthlessplebian Worthlessplebian : By the time you get closer to the inn, you can spot the canine from the cafe scratching at the windows briefly. Then it starts sniffing around and trailing along the wall in an obvious exploration of sorts. It even goes around the far corner disappearing out of your line of sight. Should you go inside, Seraphim will smile and call your name before holding up a take out box from the cafe with your name scrawled along the top.

IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words
Season One: A Night Bleeds
 
IF DECEMBER FREEZES
IC Thread - GM Post
Lead Schmede

Levi scowled as he worked on reading the note, one could tell just by his expression, he wasn't one to do a lot of reading. He held out his hand for the notepad and pen rather than say something out loud. While doing so, Chase had an even more obvious reaction to what Leif wrote on his palm.

Blue eyes grew wide, and he suddenly gripped Leif with excitement, or agitation. It was difficult to tell the two apart when one was grabbed. There was a wuffling snort, and then eager hands sought to find Leif's palm and write back. it took a moment, as fingers were shaking slightly. Chase had to shake it out before he could write.

T-U-R-I-D-H-E-R-E-S-O-M-E-W-H-E-R-E-N-O-T-S-U-R-E-W-H-E-R-E pat-pat. He had forgotten in his spike of excitement to separate between the words.

As for Levi's response, he wasn't very quick at the writing either apparently. Even had the classic tongue sticking out the side of his mouth, brows furrowed, as he was so very focused on writing. It'd be a good couple of minutes before he handed the notepad back. His writing was crude and small, not to mention his spelling was rather atrocious.

alice maks dolls - donot now how butt now ben a month or so - donot say impotint thengs if u c cglas or fire pitts = ears





OOC Information

Edwight Thropian Thropian : The kelp strand you picked up remains on the floor where you dropped it, but you can't so easily shake the slight slimy residue it left behind on your hand in the spiritual realm. It feels wrong, like it shouldn't even exist, but was forced into the realm from the physical world.

Leif KodakWolf KodakWolf : Levi looks proud of having accomplished what he did write down, very nearly beaming with a sense of pride. He even made a childlike drawing of an ear at the end of his writing.


IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words
Season One: A Night Bleeds
 
IF DECEMBER FREEZES
IC Thread - GM Post
RAID

Alyce remained next to the door, though she was crouched down, and trying to peer around, mirroring Bill's actions, just from a distance. At first, there was nothing immediately apparent underneath Bill's bed. Plenty of shadows, as the light from the outside was swiftly waning, and most light didn't quite reach underneath anyone's bed, much less Bill's.

Using the phone as a flashlight was very smart, though even as the shadows were pushed back, she still couldn't see any sign of whatever made the sound previously. Now, there wasn't a sound of scrabbling, there was very simply put, nothing, no sound, no movement. Even swinging the phone's light this way and that didn't reveal anything more than the underside of Bill's bed, and a couple of dust bunnies.

When Bill did finally sit back, or Hatsu's eyes lifted, perched on the very edge of the bed was a rather large sized insect. About an inch and a half in length, with a head displaying six small projections, matching the front legs. It was pitch black, and obviously missing one leg on the right side of its body. Wings sprouted from the back, just barely a second before it took flight toward the nearest face.





OOC Information

Bill & Hatsu BillieRoss BillieRoss silverwhere silverwhere : If you've ever seen The Mummy, you recognize this thing as a scarab. And it's flying for your faces! Both of you roll a d20, and include it in your next post, or in one of the Discord encounters channel.


IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words
Season One: A Night Bleeds
 
IF DECEMBER FREEZES
IC Thread - GM Post
The Loving Spoon

Tilly clicks her tongue and smiles wide at Aódh with a nod of her head. Then she's off to fetch some of the cheesecake, likely a plate for both Aódh and Jay. A few more folks have come in, having heard rumors of there being roast beef tonight for dinner. Nothing out of the ordinary, until about the time the cheesecake is placed in front of the two. Then Aódh gets a good whiff of the newest visitor to the cafe, and it's something he can't ignore without a lot of effort.

The newest visitor to the cafe stood about 5'10", looking around Aódh's age, with dark hair tied back in a messy bun. He has a hint of what could grow into jawline beard with a little bit extra on the sideburns. He's currently wearing black jeans, and a buttoned jacket with some pretty worn in combat boots. He gives a wave to Miranda who identifies him for Aódh conveniently enough. "Hi, Rhevens! I figured the roast beef would draw you here. How's your dad?" The name sounds very nearly like 'ravens' but with a heavier 'wheh' instead.

"Hey, you know it!" He grinned briefly as he found a seat at one of the tables away from the windows and walls. "Dad's okay. Still working too hard, but.. not sure I can stop that. Can you set aside an order to go for me to take to him later? I appreciate it."





OOC Information

Aódh & Jay Larry Larry xAlter xAlter : Wolf. That's the scent that wafts in with Rhevens' entrance. Only it bears an 'old' scent. Jay, your spirit companions can see an older, black werewolf form large enough to 'swallow' the smaller human form. The werewolf is grizzled, and has been in existence much longer than the human side, based on what they can see.


IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words
Season One: A Night Bleeds
 
Aódh's FC.png Aódh McFaol
Location: The Loving Spoon.
Mood: Recalling bad memories...
Interactions: Out Of Words Out Of Words | xAlter xAlter
Mentions: n/A.
Why do I do this to myself...Aódh thought to himself, nursing his stomach as though it were turgidly expanded, very much like the cartoon stereotype. Seeing as how Tilly had already made her way into the back of the café to retrieve the cheesecake, the young man steeled himself, closing his eyes to dab up that feeling externally. To scupper those attempts at greater concentration, Tilly emerged once again from the back of the establishment, bearing a cheesecake with a bottom layer made of a crust of some kind. Piquant, perhaps in a way only perceptive to himself, it overawed whatever misgivings he might have felt a few moments prior about eating any further. With an alacritous "Thank you!", the youth, having slowly retrieved a slice from the already pieced dessert, took a greedy bite.

The clinking sound of the door opening, and the onrushing scent that accompanied the one who entered, shut down any further chewing.

Stop...
...go away...

...don't come near me!!!

Memories, never promptly recalled, flooded the youth's mind and cast him back to the worst day of his life, one from which he never thought he'd walk away alive. Even at that time, in the throes of fear, the smell, that rancid, overpowering smell, was apparent: now, thanks to his sensual enhancements, the pungency was nauseating. Miranda, greeting the person as someone called Rhevens, drew the Irishman's attention, peering intently over his shoulder at the figure, as the two of them talked about more personal matters. From a brief glance, it appeared that this 'Rhevens', wasn't much older than him, by the tone of his voice, though everything about him was quite a measure apart from Aódh; hair-wise, choice and colour of clothing, he was a much different beast to the tourist. Yet, the more he gazed at him, this nascent sense of irritation began to well up in the young man, forcing him to turn back to the counter, his appetite now thoroughly gone, whilst the sound of eating went on all around him.

Aódh knew that this Rhevens was not the werewolf who attacked him that fateful night.

He knew that...

...but it didn't seem to ease the restlessness now coursing through his body.

The young man ground his teeth together, loud enough that those immediately around him could hear, but no further than that; the feeling of them shifting into a canid variation worried the youth. As his right hand balled into a fist, Aódh was surprised, through the sudden excitation of pain, that his nails had, unbeknownst to him, elongated into talons. If previous experience had taught him anything, it was that his emotional state needed to be quietened down, or another bout of the dysregulation he felt in the forest, might come to afflict him again.

Time to go back to the Inn.

"It seems...my stomach has bested me Tilly," Aódh panted, rather than said, "Oh yeah, I almost forgot."

Reaching into his pocket, the young man retrieved a crumpled, rain-stained voucher given to him by Seraphim the day before, and laid it down on the counter in front of Tilly, with his good hand.

"It was nice talkin' to you Jay, and hopefully I'll see ya around the town sometime," Aódh smiled, clasping a friendly hand on the tanned man's shoulder, before turning to walk out the door, not even bothering to look Rhevens in the eye.

Once he was out the door, Aódh dashed to the Marasong Inn at breakneck speed, the buildings seeming to bend, such was the pace he was going at.

Foregoing all interaction, after entering the hostel, he blitzed up to his room, rustling the key out of his pocket and, once inside, collapsed on the bed.

"Let's hope tomorrow is a calmer day," he muttered, before the cumulative exhaustion of the day seemed to wrap over him, and the young man fell into sleep.
 
Last edited:
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Bernard GreveLocation: Marasong Inn => Careless Shark Pub.
With: N/A
Interactions: KodakWolf KodakWolf Out Of Words Out Of Words Only mentions: Kai (indirectly.)
Art by leevolt on DeviantArt
Mood: Devious and Scrupulous

Over the past two weeks, Bernard had come to know the Inn intimately. Thus it was no surprise that he knew that finding a knife would be easy there. Though as he approached, the thought that he should slip out of these clothes occurred to him. Well, there will be time for that. The Dane thought as he suddenly spotted the black dog from the Lovin' Spoon. Bernard thought carefully about what to do. He could attempt to momentarily... Restrain the dog to read his nervous system better... But that might result in him getting bit by an overly weary pooch. He is going to let sleeping dogs lie, however, he will do a small test. Bernard procured a small stone from the pavement. He juggled the stone in one hand while walking to turn the corner. His goal was to see just how observant is this canine. He leaned over the corner and let his left hand shag towards the ground. It began to sway back and forth, gaining momentum over time. Once Bernard was satisfied with the speed, he sent the stone bouncing off the walkway towards the dog. A dog would look at the stone a bit longer than a human before seeing what caused that, while a human would glance at the stone then immediately look.

Once Boy reacted, Bernard was satisfied and left the canine to its' own devices. He thought about letting Boy in the Inn but Seraphim would have Bernard's head like a French revolutionary. Once inside, Bernard flashed a smile towards Seraphim before picking up his package from the Lovin' Spoon. "Thank you, Seraphim." He nodded before heading up the stairs.


Bernard went straight towards his room in 102 to rest momentarily. Rather in the physicist's vocabulary, rest meant pacing around in a room until a circular trench was made. This served to aid him in his concentration. Occasionally, he would mumble. "What to ask him..." And other such questions. During one cycle of his rotational motion, Bernard spotted and even smelled the brisket that he requested from the Inn. This caused him to spontaneously cackle. "Heahehehe, I'm such a genius!" He exclaimed loudly, stretching out his arms to the side, perhaps one could hear him through the door. He then placed a palm on his forehead. "Is what I would be proclaiming if I actually plotted this out." The Dane sat on his bed, granting his legs a reprieve. "That locked door proved more difficult than anticipated. I should have continued my lockpicking enthusiasm as a child alas," Lifting up his hand briefly. "This spark captivated my eye." A brief surge of electricity travelled betwixt Bernard's fingers. He decided to wait. Just enough for him to appear to be eating while also changing his attire in the meantime. He did not change too much, mostly his turtleneck into a long-sleeved shirt with a darkish blue colour, followed by a blacker cloth jacket, loose denim jeans, and a pair of black running shoes—in case he found himself running all night.

Before Bernard departed, he heard a slamming sound coming from his next-door neighbour. Odd? But Bernard opted not to investigate. Ah, he almost forgot. He rummaged quickly through the room's drawers to find a suitable knife. And he did, a silver one too. "Ah, silver..." The electric vampire recalled his knowledge on electricity, silver is THE most conductive metal on the planet. This piece shall help him too. He wrapped the knife with several napkins that were provided by the delivery from the cafe and pocketed the tool.

He speed-walked down, meeting Seraphim on the way out once again. "Going for a walk, my dear. This night seems very lovely today." He remarked before leaving the Inn once again.

This time, Bernard took some precautions to avoid being followed. Mainly cutting corners, moving through some different paths, and checking his six.

Reaching the Careless Shark Pub, Bernard set to work with his idea. The "tool" which will help him is pulled out then unwrapped from the napkins. Wedging the blade in between the door and frame, a blitzing trail of electricity slithered down Bernard's hand and into the silver knife. Magnetising the silver, the blade bit down onto the bolt and Bernard began the process of sliding it back to the door. He hopes that he'll succeed but this bolt might prove him wrong, some bolts are too strictly fastened.
 
Indy

Location: Meow
Tags: Silver- Silver- Britt-21 Britt-21 Out Of Words Out Of Words (honorary KodakWolf KodakWolf reference)

Silver and Roje continued to talk but Indy was entranced by the window. Every bit of motion caught her gaze, claws flexing as a bird fluttered too close to the window. She hadn't hunted in so long and she could feel that instinct flooding back as the discussion happening around her was drowned out. Until the new arrival appeared, at least.

She smelt him before he even reached the door. Initially, she thought the soggy canine scent may be from the beast traipsing outside the inn, nose leaving prints on the windows. But the dog disappeared and the smell grew stronger, drawing her away from the window finally as she turned to watch the door.

When a male voice called out from the other side, a shiver spread down her spine. Her tail twitched, ears flicking. He looked familiar in a loose sense, like someone she had seen at a store or on the street a few times. The name wasn't altogether unfamiliar either, though maybe she had heard it before in reference to someone else.

That smell though. Indy lept from her perch, weaving between Roje's legs as she took a small whiff of the man's scent, jumping back as his various decorations rattled with every one of his moves. She knew that scent, but she just...she couldn't place how.





coded by: @s e v e n


 

Roje.png
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Out Of Words Out Of Words Silver- Silver- Rhyme Rhyme

Roje turned her head to look toward Silver who looked up at her "Ah..I never got a good smell off of him due to the starvation. Gonna have to remember that scent then." those hazel eyes shifted back to outside while Silver asked a question she hasn't answered in a long time. In all honesty, she couldn't help but release a small laugh and replied to her "I am a Vampire. I can eat human food, but its not enough to sustain me. But I'm thankful that I can eat hu-" before the answer could be finished, the door had been knocked on and someone called from the other side. Causing the vampire to straighten up and move to the door, taking a few seconds to bring a scent to her nose. At first she was hit with food, but then started to pick up the smells of a wet animal. Scrunching her nose, she went on and removed the locks from the door and opened it. A male with long hair was holding a bag with what she assumed was the food. After all, it was the strongest smell in front of her aside from the wet animal and obviously he called out the restaurant name on top of it all. Who could forget that logo on the bag either?

Examining the delivery boy, she wasn't sure what to actually think. He looked like those people who'd sit near the beach, selling seashell necklaces and stuff. The beard and hair included with that trope. "Hey... Yeah... Nice to meet you." she reached out for the bag to take ahold of it "I'm Jay. Thanks for delivering this for us, rough day." feeling something brush on her ankles, she glanced down and noticed her sister going right between her legs and up to the man who was standing in front of her "Sorry about her, she gets curious about new people. Though it's a little obvious she isnt used to all the shells and such you got there." she turned a little and held the bag out to Silver "Go ahead and eat up. I know you're hungry." offering a small smile, she glanced back at Augie "Do you need a tip or anything like that?" Roje asked. When the bag was removed from her hand, she leaned down and reached to pick Indy up. Resulting in her pspspspsps-ing the cat.​
 
Hatsu Black
why
Tags: BillieRoss BillieRoss Out Of Words Out Of Words
Hatsu had followed Bill's lead and was looking under the bed with her as she shun her phone's flashlight under the bed. There really wasn't much to be seen besides a few dust bunnies and shadows that didn't really hide much. He grunted when he realized that maybe there wasn't really all that much to be seen and whatever it was had left. Maybe the two of them were over reacting. With everything that had happen today it was probably normal to be on edge. Bill was probably just going crazy with all that weird bug stuff she was talking about before...and she was just holding a stick. Wow- they probably looked like idiots to Alyce. He sighed as he sat up and then looked up at the bed to see why they didn't see anything under the bed. There was a large black scarab sitting at the edge of the bed with a leg missing.

What was Hatsu expecting honestly? There was a fucking bug leg and there was literal bug noises coming from under the bed. What was he honestly expecting? He jerked back when he saw the beetle as it too jumped towards the two of them. He wasn't normally scared by bugs as long as they stayed out of his personal space. And this one was invading his personal space. A string of Japanese swears left his mouth as he jerked back and swung the hammer at it without really thinking. Hatsu didn't want to smash the bug. It felt wrong. Like you only smash roaches and then you do a capture and release for everything else...as long as it was a variant of a wasp.
 
Riley Adler/Boy
Location: Exploring
Tags: Out Of Words Out Of Words Worthlessplebian Worthlessplebian Larry Larry


Still standing on his hind legs, the dog let out an indignant bark at Seraphim, who'd approached and in addition to insisting on shooing him off, even called him a bad dog! He then did bump his nose against the glass a few times, trying to unsuccesfully catch a scent of her, then even licked the glass a couple of times just out of spite before getting down and moving away. Whatever. He had enough people who appreciated him in Marasong.

As he went on to walk around the building, he spotted the lighthouse, with a door that absolutely sparked his curiosity. Like most things, really, now that he could see. He wanted to explore everything. So he decided he'd go and sniff around the door, see if he could guess what was on the other side before Augie returned. Before he started making his way down there, however, he heard someone approaching the inn, someone definitely closer than the lighthouse was. And because he was curious about literally everything, he decided he could quench the curiosity a lot faster if he trotted back around the inn than if he had to go all the way to the lighthouse.

The young man he saw approach, almost running, wasn't really inviting to the dog and didn't seem to be in the mood to give away pets. Boy's curiosity was satisfied enough just by watching from afar, thank you. The man didn't seem to have noticed him at all, and headed straight inside, and just as he passed through the front doors, the dog caught a whiff of... dog. Ears pricked forward, he stared at the inn's front door for a moment, a confused expression on his face, a confused dog expression, that was. Could he be another dog, like him? Or something else, something worse? Regardless, Boy was glad he hadn't been noticed, as perhaps the man would have been able to sniff him out as well. It'd be bad enough to be exposed, even worse if he was eaten alive by some werewolf. You never know what's out there... he'd have to keep an eye out for that young man with the canine scent. And perhaps he should stay alert, because Augie was still inside. What if the dog man was angry and Augie accidentally stood in his way? He started going around the inn again, so he could peer through the windows and see where the man was heading.

The sudden noise of a rock hitting the ground interrupted his thoughts, and the dog instantly reacted in the way he'd conditioned himself to react: by running toward the sound, tail tucked, ears pulled back. That wasn't the first time someone hurled objects or rocks at him, but that was the first time (at least in several years) that someone did it and he wasn't blind. So his first reaction was still that of a blind dog, to run toward the spot the object hit the ground, because that would automatically mean he'd be getting further away to whoever threw it in the first place. Usually, not always. Sometimes the object would land between him and his attacker. But it usually worked in his favor.

This time, however, Boy could see. And as he finally looked around to spot the evil doer, he didn't really see anyone, but he heard the front door opening again, meaning whoever it was also headed inside the inn. Dammit, Augie. As he trotted to the front door, he smelled the man who was around just seconds ago, but it wasn't his smell that sent shivers down his spine, no. He couldn't tell much by the scent alone. But it was something else. Some unsettling energy that the dog wasn't able to understand, an energy that confirmed him the man who threw the rock was the same man from the cafe. The one that made the dog really uncomfortable in the first place. Again he went to peer through the windows, this time for longer. Long enough he saw the same man coming down the stairs again, and heading for the front door. Good, one less thing to threaten Augie inside.

Boy stayed near the windows when he heard the man exiting the building, and didn't go around to the front door, so he remained out of sight. There was, however, a new dilemma: should he follow him? Where could he be going? But then again, what really was he? And how risky would it be to follow him? Regarless of the risk, Boy would've followed him, from a great distance of course. But he couldn't leave Augie, not with the angry dog man inside with him. No, he couldn't go too far. But he could follow the strange man, keeping a safe distance of course, just until the first corner. Perhaps he could spot the place he was heading to, and then he'd return straight to the inn and maybe check the place out some other time, and also the lighthouse, of course!

So when the man was a good distance away, the dog trailed silently after him, following his scent, always mindful to never let the distance between them shrink. He'd follow only until the man turned around the first corner, then he'd stop and watch from there until the man dissappeared out of his sight. That way, he could still keep an eye on the inn, and Augie would still be able to see him if he exited the building.

The man was up to no good, it seemed. Boy wasn't new to lockpicking, and it was obvious what the man was doing. He couldn't recall what building the man was trying to lockpick his way into, so he'd have to check that later. He made a mental picture of the scene, hoping he'd be able to find the correct building later, with the references and all, but the man's activity was making him even more nervous. So he watched for about half a minute only. Then quickly and silently turned around, and ran back to the inn.
 
Leif Hjalkarssen
Location: Who am I?
Tags: Out Of Words Out Of Words Thropian Thropian
(Via Discord)


Leif initially thought he somehow wrote in a different language, that his scribbles were unintelligible, or maybe just that what he wrote was too absurd. With that thing about the doll and all.

But no, Levi actually just needed to practice his reading, and that fact would make Leif a lot less impatient, but Chase had just reacted to what Leif had written on his palm. At first, Leif feared he might have triggered another episode of shortness of breath, but when Chase sought his hand and started writing back, patience flew out the window, and he barely registered having passed the notepad on to Levi.

Leif felt his own heartbeat speeding up, breath held as he leaned forward, as if that'd somehow allow him to 'hear' Chase better. Regardless, Chase didn't need to repeat a single letter, even after having forgotten about the spaces. Leif got the message before Chase was done writing, and the smile on his face was wide, fangs and all.

And he wrote back, because Levi was still busy, writing too.

W-H-Y. Squeeze. I-S. Squeeze. S-H-E. Squeeze. H-E-R-E? Longer squeeze. I-S. Squeeze. S-H-E. Squeeze. I-N. Squeeze. D-A-N-G-E-R? Longer squeeze.

And then Levi had his answer ready, which elicited even more questions, but still made Leif nod approvingly, even with a small smile as he requested the notepad to write a bit more.

'Where is Alice? What does she look like?'


Levi took the notepad back with a bit of a huff at the idea of having to write more, but he looked like he was going to try it. Chase took a moment to put all the letters into words, then the words into a sentence. Then it was back to writing, this time he had to go a bit slower, as he was 'saying' a lot.

M-A-Y-B-E pat-pat S-H-E pat T-O-L-D-M-E pat-pat T-O-C-O-M-E-B-U-T pat D-I-D-N-T-M-E-E-T-M-E pat-pat.

He took a moment's pause, sometimes forgetting to separate words, or pat when he was done. Levi was still writing when Chase started up again.

B-E-E-N-L-O-O-K-I-N-G pat-pat S-I-N-C-E-G-O-T-H-E-R-E pat B-U-T-G-O-T-C-A-U-G-H-T Then he held onto Leif's hand with a worried expression before adding one last tidbit. N-O-T-S-U-R-E-H-O-W-L-O-N-G-B-E-F-O-R-E-T-H-E-Y-C-O-M-E-F-O-R-M-E pat and hold.


This time Chase was saying a lot, but Leif's focus was such that he had no problem understanding the message on the first try. He just barely registered that Levi was writing again, which was a good sign. What Chase was saying though, didn't sound good.

Leif tightened his grip on Chase's hand reassuringly, but that was all he could do for now. He wanted to say more, say that Chase was safe now, but that was something he couldn't claim, not yet. And he couldn't lie to Chase, no matter how good his intentions might be.

W-H-O. Squeeze. A-R-E. Squeeze. T-H-E-Y?


Chase wuffled, an anxious sound, before he replied. His hands were feeling a little cold, so he rubbed them together for a bit before writing again.

N-O-T-S-U-R-E pat-pat I-F-F-I-N-D-O-U-T-C-A-N-C-O-M

There was a pause, then he swiped at the palm before continuining.

T-A-L-K pat-pat M-A-Y-B-E-S-O-O-N


Leif frowned, confused by the last message, and worried. He wasn't sure he understood what Chase meant, so he wrote back as he remembered Chase's notes.

F-O-U-N-D. Squeeze. Y-O-U-R. Squeeze. N-O-T-E-S. Longer squeeze. D-O. Squeeze. Y-O-U. Squeeze. K-N-O-W. Squeeze. M-O-R-E?


Chase whined before answering.

N-E-E-D-D-O-L-L pat-pat L-I-K-E pat-pat M-A-R-I-U-S

Meanwhile Levi managed to scrawl his own answers.

She's wharever she wants to b - long hair like my coler - donot mak mad - kep happy


Leif nodded as if Chase was able to see it, and was spelling again when Levi showed his answer. He looked at the notepad while still writing for Chase, and nodded again. He didn't suddenly understand it all, no. But he was much further than he was just an hour ago.

M-A-R-I-U-S. Squeeze. T-A-K-E-N. Squeeze. T-O-O? Longer squeeze.

I. Squeeze. W-I-L-L. Squeeze. S-E-A-R-C-H. Squeeze. F-O-R. Squeeze. A-L-I-C-E.

And he asked for the notepad, and scribbled one last question, this time a 'yes or no' one.

'Is Alice an enemy?'

'Yes' 'No'


And there was a little box for Levi to check the answer.


Levi scoffed and made a circle in between the two, muttering, "Depends on if'n ya piss her or th' wrong people off."


"But did she cause this?" He muttered back, and nodded toward Chase.


"Ain't sure. Don't think so. Chase.. he's good. She seemed to like him. Most folks do."


The corners of his mouth tilted upward in a small, sad smile at Levi's words. It was involuntary, automatic. Because of course, someone who didn't like Chase was an anomaly.

"Of course..." He nodded, eyes looking at Chase as he reminisced for a second. He waited some more, to see if Chase had an anwer, and meanwhile looked at Levi again.

I'll help you put the boxes away in a sec. Gotta take a quick look at that fourth box."


Chase wuffled, sinking slightly into a more sullen mood bit by bit.

I-C-A-N-T-S-E-E pat-pat I-S-H-E-S-T-I-L-L-A-R-O-U-N-D pat-pat Y-E-S-M-E-A-N-S-N-O-T-Y-E-T


When Chase started writing again, he gradually gained Leif's full attention back, and the vampire noticed his change of mood, one that'd already been gradually happening. However, his message wasn't very clear.

Leif wondered whether there was some sort of hidden meaning to his message, whether it'd be safe to answer. But if someone was intercepting their spelled communication somehow, then they'd have also intercepted Chase's last message. So it had to be safe to reply.

I. Squeeze. D-O-N-T. Squeeze. U-N-D-E-R-S-T-A-N-D. Longer squeeze.

He made sure to space out the words and phrases, and write clear, full sentences, even if it took longer than necessary. He absolutely didn't blame Chase for not being too clear all the time, but at least on his end, he'd try to make communication as clear as possible.

Y-O-U. Squeeze. A-R-E. Squeeze. I-N. Squeeze. L-E-V-I'S. Squeeze. H-O-U-S-E. Squeeze. W-I-T-H. Squeeze. L-E-V-I. Squeeze. E-D-W-I-N. Squeeze. A-N-D. Squeeze. I.


Chase wuffled and held on for a good moment, before he wrote. And honestly, what he wrote made sense, given the state of his hearing, something Leif experienced himself. He just likely didn't hear the introductions earlier.

W-H-O pat A-R-E pat-pat Y-O-U


Leif held his breath while he waited for Chase's next answer. He was getting pretty anxious with all those bits of scattered and incomplete information, even if he was making some progress. But when Chase finally answered, it really threw him off, and he was no longer able to keep his heart rate under control.

Yes, all this time they've been at Levi's house, Leif wasn't really sure what this timeline was all about, and he was well aware of the possibility that maybe Chase didn't even know him, a possibility that became more distant when he learned Chase had been in contact with Turid. But still, with all that alternative communication going, Leif hadn't really stopped to think whether Chase knew who he was talking to. He was too focused in getting enough information to bring him back, and somehow he'd probably assumed Chase did know who he was talking to, maybe because he hadn't asked yet. Really, he had no idea what he was thinking. Only with Chase's last question did it strike Leif that the man had obvious not heard any of their introductions. Leif'd been there, where Chase was, and he really couldn't have heard their names, nor picked up their scents, he was trapped in almost every possible sense.

Leif held tight onto Chase's hands, possibly tight enough Chase'd be able to feel the accelerated rhythm of his heartbeats, and it was a good moment before he finally answered.

L-E-I-F
 
IF DECEMBER FREEZES
IC Thread - GM Post
You Gotta Pick A Lock Or Two

It was a basic lock, nothing fancy or electronic, but it was still made of metal. As such, it was easily manipulated by the magnetic trick Bernard used. There was a soft thunk as the bolt slid into the unlocked position, but Kai was busy behind the bar, and bottles clinking masked the sound. There were no more barriers to entering The Careless Shark Pub, but just going in might not be seen in the most favorable of lights.

Bernard did the courtesy of knocking on the door before turning the knob and letting himself in. The man behind the bar turned, expression taking on the smallest hint of a frown upon seeing the door open. Regardless, he put on a customer service smile, and lifted a hand to wave before he picked up a tablet perched at the end of the bar counter. It wasn't an iPad or anything that fancy, but he wrote something on it with a stylus before turning it around and holding it so the unexpected visitor could see.

Sorry, we're not open yet. Can I help you with something?





OOC Information

Bernard Worthlessplebian Worthlessplebian : Now that you're inside, you can see it's going to be a pretty nice, comfortable spot for people to relax. There are different signs about, from 'No Smoking', to 'No Pants, No Service', which could lead the non local to speculate a number of things to require such a sign. There was also a sign which helped explained the tablet, should one be able to connect the dots.

'No Yelling, Not Deaf'


IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words
Season One: A Night Bleeds
 
IF DECEMBER FREEZES
IC Thread - GM Post
Food Glorious Food

Augie grinned and handed the bag over about the time the cat came closer to check him out. "No worries. Most animals seem to like me, or at least pretend to." He grinned wide, watching the small feline. "Oh, no tip. Just doing a favor for Tilly. Have my own order and was heading past the inn." He held up his own bag, picking it up from next to his leg where he had set it down to make sure he didn't confuse the two.

When the cat was picked up, Augie did a little dip of his head, to try and get to eye level with the feline. "Aww, cute little thing. Hey kitty." He kept his voice quiet, and steady, something one accustomed to animals tend to do when not trying to startle them further. He held up a hand, lower than the cat's head, fingers slightly stretched so the feline could sniff them.

"What's her name?"




OOC Information

Roje & Silver Britt-21 Britt-21 Silver- Silver- : Tilly packed a container of roast beef as a special bonus along with very generous helpings of the food you did order. It all smells heavenly, and does have napkins and some disposable utensils.

Indy Rhyme Rhyme : The more you smell of the delivery guy, the more you just know you knew him from somewhere, or the scent in the very least. It gives a warm, fuzzy feeling, and a sense of safety. Though the slight jangling of his necklaces are fairly distractive. Those eyes seem to be some you've looked into before.


IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words
Season One: A Night Bleeds
 
IF DECEMBER FREEZES
IC Thread - GM Post
Docks O' The Bay

Boy headed back toward the inn, after doing some doggy sleuthing. It wasn't very far, the docks were a straight line from East to West, so he had been able to follow pretty much all the way to the other end. The dog could easily see Augie had not yet emerged from the inn, as there wasn't a sign of the man looking around for Boy, which he most definitely would be doing if Boy wasn't there when he exited the building.

What Boy did see however, was Jay and the fox exiting the cafe and heading East, the same direction Boy was. Only the dog was back just enough, they'd have to look behind them to notice the dog trailing behind. Based on their very casual gait, it was a real possibility. They seemed to be just meandering, checking out the other shops between the cafe and the inn, just enjoying the evening.

The sun was soon to be completely set for the day, only the last traces of it's light remained. Most of the other light came from firepits and lamps spread out here and there. The stores were all closed, but if someone was inside, they usually didn't turn away someone knocking on the door. That was the benefit of a small town.

However, it also provided less hiding spots for the dog should Jay or the fox turn to look behind them.




OOC Information

Boy & Jay KodakWolf KodakWolf xAlter xAlter : You are all walking East on the docks. If Boy isn't paying attention, the dog's steps might get picked up if not in sync with each step the fox takes. There's also the sense of being watched from the water, but there isn't anyone or anything you can see. With the darkening sky, it should bring about aa stronger feeling of unease.


IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words
Season One: A Night Bleeds
 
IF DECEMBER FREEZES
IC Thread - GM Post
Game Of Leif

Chase sat up a little straighter, and looked like he had a small renewed sense of energy. He patted both the back of Leif's hand as well as the palm several times in rapid succession before he drew more letters in a response.

T-U-R-I-D pat T-A-L-K-E-D pat A-B-O-U-T-Y-O-U followed by several little small pats, as if chuckling. W-A-N-T-E-D-T-O pat H-A-V-E pat U-S-M-E-E-T pat-pat.

Levi was less agitated, but still looking like he just wanted to relax in his house and put the last bit of the day out of his mind. However, seeing the small bursts of some semblance of joy cross Chase's face kept his impatience mostly in check. It didn't look like he'd get rid of the new guests sooner rather than later, so he moved into the kitchen and fixed himself a glass of water. That was were he just watched and tried to find more patience for Chase's sake.

"He needs his rest soon." Which was his way of also saying he wanted his rest soon. It wasn't being impatient, it was just... a reminder. A reminder they were in his home and he was tired.





OOC Information

Edwight Thropian Thropian : The kelp still lays on the floor, though it appears darker than it did a couple of minutes ago. There's something else you remember seeing, but it wasn't kelp. Like a faint recollection of what could be another piece of the puzzle Marasong seems to becoming.

Leif KodakWolf KodakWolf : You can tell the sun is nearly completely set by now, and Levi is very nearly out of hospitality. There's still your broken phone to deal with, and charging up Chase's phone, not to mention processing all the information you've garnered so far.


IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words
Season One: A Night Bleeds
 
IF DECEMBER FREEZES
IC Thread - GM Post
No More Face Huggers

There was a moment where time seemed to slow. Hatsu could see the scarab's mandibles click clacking wider and wider, as the little beastie made a beeline toward Hatsu's face. Someone was screaming, and it could have been Hatsu while Bill swore, "What the fuck?!"

Whether it was luck, skill, or maybe a bit of both, Hatsu's hammer swing did come into contact with the black beetle. The momentum pushed the bug toward the wall rather than Hatsu's face, where it landed and clung for a brief moment. The hammer swing follow through landed a second behind, and there was a definitive squelching crunch. Bug goo splattered out, a small bit landing on Hatsu's face, Bill's rug, and she now had a nice circular dent in the wall with the bug's remains smashed like a pancake.

Bill could see the translucent rabbit paused in it's self cleaning to look, before it disregarded the scene as anything it wanted or needed to be a part of. There was a thud against the closed door from the other side, followed by Bill's cat letting out a demonic sounding growl. A second later, the lid of the box in the middle of the room jostled despite the book on top, and new scrabbling noises could clearly be heard from inside. It was difficult to tell how many, considering the legs the insects had, but definitely more than one.





OOC Information

Bill & Hatsu BillieRoss BillieRoss silverwhere silverwhere : If nothing is done, the box lid will likely be pushed open at least enough for another insect to escape. The cat outside the room grows more frantic to be let in, and Alyce just seems to be watching it all, with a somewhat startled expression. She might have been the one who screamed, but it's hard to tell.


IF DECEMBER FREEZES
A story by Out Of Words
Season One: A Night Bleeds
 
r2Z3yg9.png
Bernard GreveLocation: Careless Shark Pub.
With: Kai;
Interactions: Out Of Words Out Of Words Only mentions: N/A;
Art by leevolt on DeviantArt
Mood: Stand-offish, Curious;

With a degree of strength, Bernard slid the bolt into its' unlocked position. His lungs exhaled the effort that he created while preciously taking in that coastal breeze. The electrical charge that bounced in and around his arm became silent upon the relaxation of his will. The musculature which supported his arm became limp while the hand gripped onto the silver knife. Bernard dislikes it when he has to carefully manipulate the nature of the current, it takes a degree of knowledge and subtlety to accurately shift it like that. And great focus. Luckily, the aftereffects of such actions fade in seconds as Bernard lifted his arm again and rotated his shoulder blade. Then came the rush of dopamine, the brain's method of rewarding itself for a job well done. For a vampire like Bernard, it also takes him under its' spell when he siphons the bioelectricity from a living creature.

Speaking of sustenance, he'll have to feed once he returns to the Inn.

Bernard spins the knife between his fingers before pocketing it, his intention is not to threaten the man so its' purpose has been fulfilled. The Dane shows the door, the back of his hand before using the joints on his index and middle finger to knock on the door. A knock or two later and the Dane finds himself inside the Shark Pub, spotting Mr. Kai still behind the counter. Though Bernard was present in the doorway, he suspected that Kai would not be thrilled to see him. He did not show it, of course. Running a business usually leads to the owner/worker becoming good at false presentations. His eyes briefly scanned the interior, finding the many rules plastered around the area humorous. Kai drew on a tablet, asking Bernard a question. Is he mute? Bernard thought. Regardless, now is the time to ask. First, introductions: "Hallo, Mister Kai. My name is Bernard Greve! I am a physicist, specialising in electromagnetics and microelectronics. I also possess a bachelor's degree in History. That is actually why I came here." He says while pointing a finger down at the floor. "I'm writing an academic paper on Marasong and have been collecting accounts of the various families here, its' inception, and etc, etc." That last part is a half-truth, as he hasn't collected any other family's past, only Tangaroa has been in his sight since the letter today. "Can I preoccupy of your time?"
 
Hatsu Black
A bug ridden room
Tags: BillieRoss BillieRoss Out Of Words Out Of Words

"Sorry about the wall." Hatsu said as he used the back of his hand to clean the bug guts off his face. Gross. He used his pants to clean it off his hand. Hopefully this was going to be all over, but with the way that Bill was acting he doubt that was going to be the case...and of course he was right. He turned to hear a few things. Firstly, Bill's cat wanted back in. Maybe it'll help with the weird bug infestation or there was something worse outside that door. Or maybe the cat had found a spark of heroism and decided to save its owner...he doubted that with how quickly it fleed. Second, there was more in the box in the center. Again, the whole situation confused him. Why were there so many bugs in a box? Much less so many bugs in the middle of the woods in a random safe that just so happened to look like the safe that he currently owns? Nothing made any sense. All he knew is that he really didn't want to crush any more beetles. He still felt bad about the first one, even if it was the one to first try to attack him. Maybe the beetles in the box wanted to seek revenge and avenged their fallen brother- but he doubt that they'd be able to take down three people...Speaking of which, what is Alyce doing?

Hatsu got up and speed walked over the circle that surrounded the box. When reaching the box he put his foot on it to prevent the beetles from being able to escape. Maybe they can duct tape the box shut and put it back into the safe. There was a reason it was in there in the first place. "Can you let the cat in?" Hatsu asked Alyce not really liking all the growling the cat was doing, "And do you have any tape?" Hopefully nothing too bad was outside with the cat. Maybe it was the cat just freaking the fuck out. Either way Alyce seemed to be able to hold herself together, if something even worse was outside then she can just close the door really fast.
 
Boy & Jay
Location: The docks
Tags: xAlter xAlter

Boy was almost able to hear tires squealing when he instantly hit the brakes the moment he spotted someone exiting the cafe right in front of him. And when he saw the fox, the fire spitting fox, he'd have straight away turned around and run in the opposite direction, hadn't the opposite direction been just where the suspicious man was. That meant he briefly considered running to the other available direction, which was... the ocean. Yeah, nope.

Nightfall made the sea seem even more terrifying, and he even stared at it for a few seconds, half expecting to catch sight of a pair of black horns, almost certain they'd be there, so unsetteld he was feeling. The lights coming from the town were barely enough to light up the breaking of waves, and the setting sun created a complex dynamic of shadow and light over the surface of the water, one that made it impossible to tell what could be lurking behind. He looked away before he lost what little control he still had over his anxiety, and instead turned to the only other direction he hadn't checked yet - the windows of the stores lining up the docks, hoping to see something of an interest, or even better, an escape route.


Jay had left the café as soon as most of the occupants had all gone their separate ways. His conversation with Aodh having been cut short when another 'wet dog' as Yun put it, entered the building. He had been there long enough to be fair.

Waving goodbye to Tilly and Miranda, Jay and his wayward spirits made his way to the docks. The familiar scent of salt in the air, as well as the roaring sound of the waves, was a comforting sound. It brought peace to his mind, a calming sensation washing over him.

Making his way by the store fronts, Jay noticed a lone dog along the docks as well. Motioning for Yun to curl up in his hoodie, lest an incident between dog and kumiho happens, he stopped and motioned for the dog to come over. "Aren't you all by yourself?" he said, taking a knee.


The dog was a bit startled and pushed away from the window when he heard the man's voice, getting back on all his four paws and attentively staring at him. The man didn't seem to mean any harm, but the fox' presence was unsettling and made Boy hesitate. A man with a fox as a pet most likely didn't mean another animal any harm, but Boy was still afraid of the fox. Or whatever it was. Because it spit fire back in the cafe.

He stood frozen for a good minute or so, observing as the man knelt down. He then gave a single step forward, because he didn't have anywhere else to go, but still unsure, he stopped and barked, hoping to get some sort of reaction out of the fox before he made up his mind.


Yun rustled in Jay's hood. The fox simply peeked over his shoulder and eyed the weary canine. "Just make sure not to bring in another stray." she muttered as she went back to not caring, and snoozing away in the warm clothing.

"Easy now..." he said, holding out an open palm, hoping to seem harmless to the dog, and maybe have it get used to his scent. "Sorry about Yun..." he said. "She's not really a dog lover." he laughed, rummaging around in his pocket, with his other hand. "I got something for ya."

Holding out in his other hand, Jay offered Boy a treat from the Loving Spoon, one of many he had been given for Yun. The fox wouldn't need all of them, surely. Giving one or two to the nervous dog was an ideal trade, or so he thinks.


Boy noticed when the fox seemed to move a little bit, apparently not paying him too much mind. That was good. He cautiously observed every move the man made, and listened to every word he spoke.

He really didn't seem to have any ill-intent, and as the dog started giving a few cautious steps closer so he could check what it was the man had in his hand, the scent of the treats reached him, and the tail wagged a little bit, nervously.

The steps forward were more decided, and he got close enough to give the treat a good sniff, before attempting to snatch it and quickly give a few steps back, so he was still out of reach, just in case. And the eyes were mostly on the fox, trying to catch any sudden move it might make while hidden by all that clothing.


Jay felt the treat leave his hand faster then he could blink. Blinking, he noticed his palm was empty and the dog was once more a few steps away. "Huh... you're a anxious little fella aren't ya?" he said, taking a seat on the dock.

Jay simply observed the dog, his eyes, every once in a while, looking away towards the water or the horizon. The simple silence was nice. "Whatcha gonna do now?" he asked aloud, not really expecting a verbal response. "You gonna run off into the wild after mooching off me, or you got an owner, or something?"


He'd finally gotten close enough to pick up the man's scent without much effort, and there was something about it Boy couldn't quite place yet. There was magic. But it was hard to tell apart what belonged to the man, and what belonged to the fox. Perhaps the man was just as clueless about his 'pet' as Augie. Perhaps.

Regardless, an odd scent hadn't stopped the dog from approaching Augie. And now that the fox seemed peaceful enough, Boy was relaxing a bit, little by little. And the stranger seemed friendly enough.

His words made the dog's tail wag again, a more relaxed, light kind of wag that was also not too enthusiastic. As the man looked out at the ocean, so did the dog. With so much going on, so many new things, sometimes Boy forgot to appreciate how amazing it was to just be able to see. To watch the ocean and the rolling waves with no other purpose than to appreciate them. For a brief moment, he even forgot the horned monster bound to be lurking just below the surface of the water.

Well, he did have a couple of reasons to be an anxious little fella. But as was the case with Augie, Boy wasn't able to answer. He wasn't able to do much more than offering his company. Except that one time he saved Marius' ass. And as for the man's questions, he didn't really have an answer to them. He didn't know what he was going to do now, and he didn't know if he had an owner. He was just making things up on the way. So he stepped a little bit closer and sat down beside the stranger, still wary but not too much, eyes moving from the ocean, to the man, to where the fox was, to the pub where the other creepy man was, and to the hotel where Augie was bound to emerge from anytime now. Back and forth.


Jay was broken from his reverie when the dog sat down next to him. He smiled softly at the creature at his side, the comfort on the evening just made all that much more. "Yeah... Marasong is just like that..." he whispered as he gently placed a hand on Boy's head.

Following his gaze to the hotel, Jay shrugged to himself, as Yun popped from his hood. Placing herself within Jay's lap, Jay began to pet the fox as well, two furred companions, the ocean, and the sky.

After everything that had happened today, Jay really did appreciate the fact he could just sit down and relax. It really did feel like the calm before the storm, the peace before the chaos. It was an anxious yet exhilarating feeling. Something in the future was going to change, and Jay hoped he was ready for it. but for now, a moment of peace.


The dog tensed up a bit when he felt the man's hand on his head, but didn't recoil. Just as he was relaxing again, he was startled by the fox emerging from the man's hood, and stood up. Boy made a huge effort to stay where he was as the fox moved to the man's lap, a task made a bit easier when he started petting the fox as well. It really didn't feel like the critter was planning anything vile, and the man's relaxed and happy energy sort of transferred to the dog. So Boy relaxed again, and sat back down.

He kept an eye on the fox the whole time. As the instinct to flee slowly subsided, a new one replaced it, an instict to sniff it closer. He initially resisted. Some time later though, he'd cautiously lean forward and try to figure its scent out better, hoping the man would prevent the thing from attacking him if it came to that.
 
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Leif & Edwight
Location: On the docks 2
Tags: Thropian Thropian Out Of Words Out Of Words


While Dwight's literacy skills were questionable, his social graces were better. He could tell they were being asked to leave. He knew that, but the ghost kelp on the floor was distracting. Why hadn't it faded out like the rest had? Was it safe to leave there? Would it affect Chase, or even Levi?

Edwin was also drifting around just outside of their awareness. He'd remembered some detail, some vague notion. Dwight however chose to ignore him for the moment, and not let him interject more into the conversation.

"We'll have to get checked into the inn at some point." Dwight said, mostly to Leif who seemed to still be 'talking' to Chase. "We shouldn't keep them waiting, or the rest of our merry band. You can go through the other boxes another time, save some mystery for another day."


Leif watched Chase's change of mood with a small smile, eyes widening a bit with each new word added to Chase's answer. It wasn't what he expected, but then again what did he expect? It was a relief that they weren't complete strangers to each other, but he'd hoped for a bit more.

Regardless, he was learning more about whatever timeline he'd landed at bit by bit, and that was great. But it also made him extremely eager to learn more. Still, he wasn't oblivious to Levi's underlying message, one Edwin reinforced, not without reason.

"Right... sorry we stayed so long." He gave a light shake of his head and shot Levi a quick, apologetic glance, but his hands still held tightly onto Chase's.

He wanted to add a little irritated remark about how he wasn't a kid opening birthday presents, and 'leaving some mystery for another day' wouldn't help anyone, especially when he was looking for critical information into those boxes, and not simply sating his curiosity, but ultimately decided against it. Edwin didn't mean it like that for certain, and they were on the same side.

"I'll let him know we're leaving." He said, and started writing again. Only he wasn't completely honest, because he just had to ask one last question. Then he'd absolutely let them rest.

H-O-W squeeze D-O squeeze Y-O-U squeeze K-N-O-W squeeze T-U-R-I-D?


Chase wuffled, and yawned, but mostly wuffled as he wrote back.

M-E-T pat-pat I-N pat C-O-L-O-R-A-D-O pat F-E-W-Y-E-A-R-S-A-G-O. There was a pause with a small scrunch of his nose before he added more. H-U-N-T-E-R-T-R-O-U-B-L-E-S pat I-N-W-O-O-D-S pat-pat.

Since he knew Leif via Turid, and based on the items Leif had already found in his boxes, Chase knew what Turid was, and it was very likely Turid had spilled the beans on Leif. Well, and the whole biting of the neck earlier kind of confirmed it. So while he didn't really expand other than talking about hunter troubles, those in the know, would know.


Leif frowned a bit at the answer, and it was a second before he made a silent 'oh', eyes widening a bit when he realized what Chase probably meant, and he nodded. Funny, it hadn't crossed his mind that Chase wouldn't know what he was, maybe because in the past two timelines he did. But now there was a confirmation, probably.

There were enough topics for a much longer conversation, but that'd have to wait. And if all went well, soon they'd be able to properly talk. And all would go well.

M-U-S-T squeeze G-O squeeze N-O-W longer squeeze B-A-C-K squeeze L-A-T-E-R longer squeeze Y-O-U squeeze R-E-S-T longer squeeze.

And Leif moved to stand back up after having given him a moment to reply if he wanted to, placing a hand on Chase's shoulder and giving it a light squeeze, before he turned to Levi.

"Thanks. For everything. If you don't need any help with the boxes, we'll be going."


Chase held tight for a moment, but gave a nod of his head before writing B-E-C-A-R-E-F-U-L. And Levi seemed glad they were finally vacating for the night at least. He did point to the pad where he had written earlier, "Yous be sure to watch outs for that, yeah?"


Dwight gave a small wave as he squatted down to pick up the kelp. "Yeah, it's been a pleasure. We'll let you know if anything comes up." He didn't particularly want to touch the kelp, but he felt bad leaving it in the middle of the floor.

As he knelt to take it, Edwin drew his eyes beneath the couch. That thing. Whatever it was, it stood out as not belonging. Dwight struggled to pull his attention back to the task at hand. Carrying the potential soul hazard outside to discard out of the way.

"And if anything comes up for you, you know where to find us, don't be a stranger." He said as he stepped outside. He settled on tossing the kelp just to the side of the door, where it could only hurt someone if they stood at the window. And other than creeps, who would do that?


"Sure. Thanks." Leif nodded at Levi when he reminded them of what he'd wrote, and he also gave Chase's shoulder one last tap before turning to leave. But he stopped and watched as Edwin moved to apparently pick up the ghost plant he'd apparently brought inside. He followed Edwin's gaze when it moved to briefly observe something beneath the couch, before focusing back on the task at hand. Whatever it was, it wasn't the time to mention it now.

Then he followed Edwin outside, glancing at the surroundings as they stepped out, then watching as Edwin tossed the invisible thing aside. He offered Levi one last wave, gaze avoiding Chase, then started heading toward the docks, waiting for Edwin to come along.

As he looked for a spot away from fire pits and sea glass, he realized he wasn't sure Edwin had read Levi's warning.

"Did you see what he..." He spoke quietly, and 'wrote' in the air so Edwin knew what he meant.


As the vampire stepped out past Dwight, he turned to follow them, assuming they were going towards the inn. His steps seemed to be leading them in a less than straight path, but as the druid was in no rush either, he thought nothing of it.

Leif asked about the writing though, which shouldn't have surprised Dwight as much as it did. "Oh, uh. Some of it. I didn't follow much, I was busy with my own thoughts." He avoided the vampire's look, hoping his thick beard would hide the shame. "I'm sure you can fill me in on the gist later. Perhaps tomorrow, I do need sleep, and time to meditate on what today has given us."


Whatever Edwin's reaction meant, it sure wasn't convincing. Perhaps he hadn't been paying a lot fo attention to the them, with the bunny swarm, and the ghost kelp and everything. Then the idea that perhaps he couldn't read crossed Leif's mind as he remembered the difficulty Levi seemed to have with the writing. A lot of people couldn't read. Less today than a couple centuries ago, but it still happened. The consequences of not being able to read in the circumstances they currently found themselves in, however, could be dire.

"C'mon. " He nodded sharply for Edwin to follow, gaze quickly seeking out a dark spot distant enough from any of the 'ears' scattered around town, and he made a beeline for it, always checking to see if Edwin was following. Unfortunately, waiting for Edwin to sleep and meditate wasn't an option.

"Never..." he turned back toward Edwin, eyes scanning the surroundings. He listened for a second, making sure no one else was around, before he started speaking, whispering really, when Edwin was close enough to hear. "... say anything important near fire pits or fire glass. They listen." Eyebrows raised as he watched Edwin intently in order to make sure he understood.

Leif was well aware spirits could be overhearing them, and he wasn't usually able to sense spirits or magic in the air. But if whatever they were hiding from needed strategically positioned 'ears' to surveil the place, it had to mean it wasn't being aided by spirits or magic capable of picking up words in the air just anywhere.
 
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