[Burnout] [Fortune favours the bold!!!]
[Unnatural Selection] [The Gauntlet in this area is Diff 8, FYI! A post coming!]
[Simon] Simon was not an investigator. He could sneak, he could exercise caution, he could make use of surprise, and yes he could even hold his tongue when he needed to but he wasn't here for those reasons. He was here just in case... Insurance. Largely his purpose here was support for the others who would hopefully use their own talents to get to the bottom of the matter.
He was dressed in his usual dark attire, his bandanna pulled down for the moment and his hoodie pulled back. He had brought his car with him, and offered to drive anyone who needed a ride over. Soon enough he got out and began to look around. His attention shifting from face to face before pausing to walk around to the back of his car. He opens it up and pulls out flashlights which he begins to hand out to everyone who is there."Keep these on hand."He says once everyone has a Flashlight on hand. With the hatch on his car slammed shut his attention moves around to the others.
"I don't think we should be splitting across the gauntlet but I'm gonna let Killswitch make that call..."He says before looking to Hunter."Maybe you should back her up over there? And take either Stefan or Adara with you? I don't like leaving her alone like that."He says before looking at Kieran."You stay on this side and, pretty much just tell me what you need me to do. I'm mostly here in case the shit hits the fan."He says with a little nod of his head before looking at the entrance.
"I think we should go in through the back... Or the side... I hate the front door it's where the traps are always set."
[Unnatural Selection] It's like submerging yourself into a pool of freezing water; reaching into the Gauntlet. Even peering across it, like dipping your face into icy water and holding your breath a moment until the surge passes and you're suddenly freed once more; wading toward a surface like yet apart from reality.
The Theurge stares into the reflection of his blade and --
Killswitch, on the other side sees it before he does. The ghostly silver landscape; writhing and vital with signs of the Weaver, of the Wyld. Trees do not simply exist here, they dance and shiver and react. They watch; they grow and morph, there is no color that is not amplified; not changeable. Nothing in the Umbral world is fixed.
The work of Spiders is everywhere; their webs hanging from buildings; cords of twisting knot-work extending out toward the inner nexus of Chicago. Light, darting here and there; a playful spirit; like tiny pixies of otherworldly energy wink in and out as the No Moon runs through the limits of the area. The further she ventures into territory she already knows so well however, the fewer signs there are of plainly Weaver.
Still webs; but fewer; weaker here as if something fought against her charms. More Wyld energy; plant spirits; swaying; flame-like grass vibrating with its own energy and yet again -- as Stefan can glimpse in his blade -- something darker; the house pulses with it; surrounded with a duller glow; muted yellow flickering in and out to brown; to muddish red; then to black.
The ivy creeping along the windowpane is forked with barbs; it is turning black. Rotting as it throttles the energy of the residence.
All was not well here.
--
Realm-side; the others stand before the front of the property; like its Umbral reflection, it seems so utterly -- plain. Unobtrusive in its disrepair. The front door is half broken off; the top hinges long broken so it sags across it like a poor man's barrier against the night.
[Unnatural Selection] [Ahem, that should be unlike its Umbral reflection.]
[Unnatural Selection] Twisting Winds tries to draw on the energy of his gift to obscure himself from sight -- he flickers; he fades and grows muggy like thick fog; but in the end -- he re-appears; unlucky, this time.
[Adara Mires] She had noticed the look Joey had given Stefan and when Simon suggested to Hunter that he takes her or Stefan, she stpped forward "I can go with Hunter"
She wasn't trying to brown nose to the Alpha, in fact she was doing it for Stefan and Hunter. If Hunter didn't trust Stefan enough, then he didn't have to make the choice and jsut tell her to come. If he did trust Stefan enough or wanted to keep an eye on him, then he could still say so. She felt liek voluntering might be the most diplomatic way to settle was might or might not be there.
[Kieran Mondblume] *He doesn't speak, doesn't bark, just moves his paws closer to the house, sneaking as best he can. He is not going for that front door, not at all. There might be another entrance, however, if he looks around back, maybe. He keeps his allies within sight, however, making it clear to them where he is going, before moving quietly around the back end.*
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 1, 1, 6, 7, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Stefan Knezevic] "I would venture to say," he muses to those he stands with as he looks into the blade. "That this is indeed the place."
A pause, and he speaks a little bit louder. "The house is being choked and smothered by the plant life on the Umbral side. This place is unlikely to be particularly welcome to us."
A master of the understatement, this one.
[Killswitch] Joey runs swiftly through the Umbral landscape toward their destination with little suggestion from any Ahroun. The first part of this mission, such as it is, is scouting and that's her realm.
She makes note of the surroundings as she goes, giving Hunter a running commentary on the interesting things she sees this side, in their backyard. When the house looms closer, the superfluous leaves her reports. She herself slows her pace, keeps her small grey body low, keeps her footsteps soft.
Hunter finds out about the Weaver's influence here, and the Wyld's. Concentrating, he even gets a shimmering thought-image of what Joey sees of the house, the darkness, the barb-spiked vines.
"How 'bout your side? See anything good?"
[Burnout] "She's just scoutin'. None'a us can help her get in'n out without bein' seen." A slight frown on Hunter's lips. He isn't as strong in Will as he usually is right now, it makes him edgy, it makes him easily irritated.
Stefan is peeking. Hunter on the other-hand gets a first hand account of what Joey sees. Probably together, they fill in the other two on what is going on in the Umbra.
"Nobody is crossin' till we know more. Just sit tight. Stefan, summonin' somethin' up would be good. Get some info from the spirits, maybe not one'a them plant spirits but somethin' that'd be in the area anywho. Might know stuff that we ain't seen."
[Simon] Simon looks to Ki as Ki movea head of the group like a good New Moon should. He would be right behind, but he didn't wanna give the New Moon's position away with his clumsiness so he opted to let Kieran run ahead of him. He smiled to Adara and nodded his head, and then to Stefan. Stefan was already peeking across the gauntlet so that would make things easier for those on this side.
"It's Bronzeville and every single one of us is white..."He says with a little smile to Stefan."There ain't nowhere in Bronzeville that's gonna be too keen on seein' us."He says with a little grin and a nod of his head.
He then looks at Hunter."Seems like if the plant spirits are attacking whatever is in the house that's exactly what we would wanna talk to right?"He then looks at Stefan."Or are these plants all together hostile?"He asks the Shadow Lord curiously."I dunno not my call but Hunter's right. Spirits will know a little better about what's goin' on on that side."He confirms.
His attention then turns to where Kieran ran off."I should circle around and see if Kieran found a way in. I'll be back in a sec... If I'm not back in a minute come check it out."He says. Before moving to slip around the house.
[Homid Stealth!]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Stefan Knezevic] He nods and sets himself to the ritual, stepping far enough away from the others to give him room to work. He takes care to perform the ritual to its utmost care, to not get anything wrong, but neither does he move slowly. This is not a time when he can work at his own leisure; others are depending on him. One thing he knows that neighborhoods like this should have a fair amount of--scavengers. And thus he sets to work attempting to summon a crow-spirit.
What, you thought a guy with the name "Eyes of Crow" was going to summon a carrion crawler? Wrong game, d20-boy.
[[Summoning roll, I know it takes a couple turns so just rolling now]]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 4, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 (Success x 2 at target 7)
[Adara Mires] She listened to Hunter, Stefan and Simon. Spirits not being her thing, she wait for now, letting Simon go after Kieran. Her eyes scan everywhere and well it look quiet and empty but one could never be too careful. For now she waited to get the order to go in form Joey or Hunter. She didn't speak, as she had nothing to say and talknig too much would be a good way to let peopel know they were here.
[Killswitch] [percept + alert, diff -2 (lupus)]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 4, 4, 7, 7, 10 (Success x 5 at target 4)
[Kieran Mondblume]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 5, 6, 7, 8 (Success x 3 at target 4)
[Simon] [Per+Alertness]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 2, 3, 5, 7 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Burnout] Hunter tells them all to sit tight while the No Moons scout it out and Simon goes running off in his human skin as if he never even heard him. There's an audible sigh from the Gnawer, a hand that threatens to raise and squish against his face.
That leaves Hunter, Adara and Stefan, standing outside the House and waiting, watching. Well, mostly waiting and watching. Stefan is apparently trying to talk to a crow as per Hunter's orders.
Joey gets told about the wayward Ahroun charging around the side of the house, when Ivan shows up he'll get sent after them.
[Kieran Mondblume] *He looks back to Simon, his eyes widening. He raises his chin, and he doesn't say anything, but he motions with his nose to the shoe. His nostrils flare, and he looks back to the house. Pointing, almost, trying to make everything he's seeing clearer to the homid.*
[Unnatural Selection] Stefan begins to summon a Crow spirit; his focus leaving the present moment and turning inward. The Shadow Lord channels his energy, offering of himself in order to draw in the attention -- and hopefully -- the charity of an overpowered, or simply curious spirit. So far, so good.
He can feel the stirrings in the air around him as he works his Crescent Moon charms.
[gonna say another round before our spirit crow pops up!]
Meanwhile, the others stand and, for several moments likely feel quite silly. Was there even anything slightly spooky about the house before them? Every so often, while they wait, the Garou feel as if they are being observed by the house itself. Those empty, black holes where glass had been almost like eyes; staring out at them.
Daring them.
Beseeching them?
In the distance, a car horn sounds. Wind whips the trees; the over-grown grass is tickled by the same breeze.
[Resplendent Dusk] [blur of the milky eye!]
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 9 (Success x 1 at target 8)
to Unnatural Selection
[Resplendent Dusk] SILVER FANGS DO NOT SUCK.
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 2 at target 9) Re-rolls: 1
to Unnatural Selection
[Resplendent Dusk] [also activating:
-1WP Resist Pain
-1Gn Eye of the Falcon (-1 to visual percep/ranged attacks)
Scent of Running Water - at will, no cost to activate.]
to Unnatural Selection
[Adara Mires]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 5, 6, 6 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Killswitch] Joey moves slowly, silently, keeping communication open with Hunter on the other side while she explores this one. She trails a little closer, closing the circle, but finds herself wanting to push back out again. Something about this place turns the stomach, makes her feel ill. This gets transmitted to Hunter, until she gets around to the back.
There she stops, and if she could frown in lupus, Joey would frown at what she sees through the door.
"What the fuck? There's a fuckin' shoe." A pause. "I'm comin' back across. I think whatever we're lookin' for's downstairs. It's where all the vines're goin'."
Her steps carry her away from the house, out across the street to where she no longer feels that sickening tug against her senses. There she shifts to her homid skin, and pulls a compact mirror from her pocket. With a last look over her shoulder at the house, she shudders where no one can see her, then she focuses her attention on her mirror.
[crossing! diff 7 -1 (mirror)]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 2, 2, 6, 8 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Burnout] [whatevs! Rollin. Per+alert]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 3, 3, 6, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Simon] Simon pauses and sighs at the sight of the building's contents. It doesn't look as if they'll be getting inside this way. He does, however, catch sight of the Shoe that Kieran notes and a little smile forms under his bandana. He draws a little closer and snatches the shoe up."What's that lassie old girl? You found a clue?"He asks as he draws the shoe closer to investigate it for a second or two.
"Hmm we should get this back to the lab for investigation."He says back to the New Moon with a little smile before looking into the building."I bet this is who we are looking for, ya think?"He asks Kieran softly."Let's get this shit to Joey or someone and see if she can do something with it."He says with a little nod.
The Full moon was here to back others up. That was why he did not like Joey going anywhere alone. That was also why he didn't want anyone sneaking around without knowing there was a full moon within earshot. The Full Moons were here as Support and that's exactly what he would do. Sit back and lay in wait just in case he was needed. With the shoe in hand he started heading back around the house.
[Resplendent Dusk] [dex+stealth roll: sneeeakin'! in homid for now.]
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 5, 5, 5, 6, 8, 9, 9, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 6 at target 6) Re-rolls: 3
[Stefan Knezevic] Whatever is going on around them, Stefan is heedless to it. He is trusting implicitly in those Garou around him to have his back or warn him if an imminent threat approached. For now, he was focused entirely on the steps and motions of the ritual, which are both precise and fluid. The Theurge is in his element here, calling upon the power of his inherent spiritual potency to summon the bird-spirit to him.
[Kieran Mondblume] *His tongue hangs out in amusement, and he nods at Simon. Though he looks back to the house. The vines are all but calling him. But in a different way. To rip and tear. He looks back over his shoulder to Simon.* ws~ We should burn.
[Adara Mires] She waswaiting patiently, not even fidgeting beside Hunter. She was calm, still, alert. She didn't know about the shoe, or Joey coming back to them. All she knew is the house was bad news, Stefan was calling a spirit and they were wating for some.
She didn't put her hands in her pockets or crossed her arms. She kept them along her body, so if something bad happen, htye'd be ready to strike any foe. She might not be a full moon, but she was Garou and born a warrior. She knew the basicsand some more at least.
[Resplendent Dusk] Ivan's not there. Not a big surprise. He's a fuckin entitled silver fang playboy with a garage full of million-dollar cars and a penthouse full of million-dollar babes. Probably forgot about the whole thing. Is probably banging some supermodel right now, or possibly smoking the finest weed you'll never ever catch a whiff of.
Ivan's not there, except
then he is. There was no warning, no sound, no flicker of movement, not even a scent. He's just there, leaning against a tree, yawning, looking laconic and lazy. He's wearing a black jacket, short but downstuffed, warm for hours. And dark-wash jeans. His haircut cost more than most people's weekly salaries. He's even smoking, for fuck's sake, letting a last, bewilderingly scentless puff into the cold air before turning to his compatriots. Simon and Kieran, as it were.
"A shoe. Lovely. I hope you don't expect me to put my nose in it."
And he lifts his own shoe, stubbing the cigarette out against the sole before dropping the butt on the ground. The instant the cigarette leaves his fingers, they can smell it again -- faint, acrid, potent, there and then gone.
[Kieran Mondblume] WP
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 3, 5, 7 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Kieran Mondblume] *He gnashes his teeth at the sudden appearance of the Garou, and there is a low growl in his throat at the sudden appearance. Of course, it is merely defensive, as it seems he is rather expecting an attack. His hackles raise. A very odd reaction from the usually rather silly New Moon.*
[Simon] He looks back at Kieran."Burn the house or the shoes? Don't worry about the house I got plenty for that in the car."He says with a nod of his head."But if there's someone in there I guess we gotta get 'em out right? Cause that's what garou are we're super heroes like fuckin' superman or some shit right?"He asks with the tiniest hint of a smirk under that Bandana.
He then turns his attention back to Ivan. A slight grin."Well... A little backup is nice. Umm... I tell you what you two keep sneakin' and doin' what you do... I am gonna circle back around and get this shoe to the others. Don't start anything. You two see trouble you get the hell out of there unless it's something you know
you got 100%"He says.
No one should ever go in without backup and since Kieran now had backup that meant he could return to the others.
[Resplendent Dusk] "Daw, I'm sorry little buddy, did I scare you?" Ivan reaches down with a lean-fingered hand and scuffs Kieran rather forcefully between the ears.
Then -- as Simon starts to turn away -- Ivan holds out that same hand. "Wait a second," he says. "Let me sniff that. Just in case." And affecting a look of extreme disgust, he does just that.
[Kieran Mondblume] *He grumbles slightly at the scuff, and he just looks back to the house. It seems he doesn't like the Fang, but he likes the house less.*
[Simon] Simon will wait for a second to let Ivan do just that! Before heading back around.
[Resplendent Dusk] [slowshifting to lupus ... ... ... and then sniffing the shoe. percep+alert -2diff!]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 4, 5, 7, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 6 at target 4)
[Resplendent Dusk] [and now, looking at the house! add'l -1 diff from Eye of the Falcon]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 (Success x 5 at target 3)
[Resplendent Dusk] [and more generally listening/sniffing/being aware of house and stuff. (nonvisual percep, no add'l bonus)]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 4, 6, 7, 8, 8, 10 (Success x 6 at target 4)
[Kieran Mondblume] ws~ Blood? *he offers to Ivan. As he's already smelled the faint smell. He shakes his head slightly.* ws~ Think owner of this is alive? I do not.
[Adara Mires] She raised a brow and looked at Hunter "Did you notice it? The vines. I think they moved since we arrived. NowI wonder if the more we wait the worst they'll get. Maybe we should head in, slowly but quickly before it gets worst?"
She wasn't a strategist but more vines didn't sound like a good thing to her. She tried listen to the sounds around, wondering if Simon wascoming back. He had been gone for a while
"Should we check on Simon? And have you heard anything new from Joey?"
[Killswitch] As Joey suspected, crossing on this side of town is difficult. Still, she steps forward, pushing her way through the Gauntlet, tearing at it like crawling through spiderwebs until, quiet suddenly
she pops out on the other side. On the other side of the street from the others, in fact. Checking both ways before she crosses back over, she adjusts the fall of her cabbie hat, puts her hands into her pockets, and jogs to the others.
"Hey," she says, looking at Stefan performing his summoning, nodding to Adara, then turning her attention to Hunter. "Yeah, this place needs cleansed like fuckin' whoa."
Simon comes around, holding that shoe, and Joey's brows lift. "Are you fucking serious?" and holds out her hand for it. "This thing's got a reflection, I saw it on the other side, too. You find this back behind the house?"
[Adara Mires] (scratch Adara asking about Joey and insert she nod back to the young woman )
[Unnatural Selection] The shoe smells like, well -- a shoe. There's little imagination involved in describing it. But it's beneath the regular scents that the Silver Fang smells more interesting, and, let's face, off-putting aromas. For one thing, there's blood in the material of it; soaked deep and stale.
It's been there for a few days, then, at least. But that's not the only scent mingled in there; there's the faintest whiff of taint. Only his heightened senses and a keenly sensitive nose make that known. It is not suggestive of the tainting of the individual who had worn it; but rather than it had been handled by someone not altogether clean.
If it has been in exposure for days; it seems highly possible much of the potency has faded.
to Resplendent Dusk
[Burnout] Hunter doesn't really learn anything more from the outside than he already learnt from Joey's expedition into the umbra. Still, it creeps him out to see it first hand, the vines moving - shifting - strangling the house and most likely anything that is -- or will be -- inside it. "Yeah, saw it." He mumbles to Adara.
Then Joey shows up and Hunter turns to speak to her.
"Whose shoe is it? Someone inside? They dead? I fuckin' don't like the idea'a goin' in there at all. Look at that thing, place is gonna come crashin' down I reckon', else those vines'll choke anybody in there before long.
Stefan!
Spirit!"
He calls out to the lord, and that's about all he has to say. Hurry up. He doesn't have the patience for this shit tonight, his Rage is wearing thin on his senses.
[Stefan Knezevic] [[GNosis]]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 2, 7, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Stefan Knezevic] [[Wits+Rituals]]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 3, 3, 5, 8, 10 (Success x 2 at target 7)
[Unnatural Selection] The shoe he's sniffing; or has sniffed before its taken back to the others; is not the only thing containing the barest whiff of taint. And old blood; the others could smell the tinge of it on the shoe itself; but not the lingering aroma of it -- and something else, something rotting and over-ripe, like decaying fruit -- coming from the inner reaches of the house.
Ahead of him is the collapsed back passageway and staircase; or what remains of it. The same vines choking the front of the house are inside, too; crawling down the wall from the second story.
That seems to be where the smell is coming from, too.
to Resplendent Dusk
[Adara Mires] She look at the shoe with a frown. That was the perfect type of bait. It was surely a trap but no one with a shred of consicience should ignore that there's a possibility that someone was there
"If the spirit can't help us, I'm going in, preferably with Hunter or Joey so people outside knows what's happening. Two, three of us tops should scout ahead, inside the house. Too many of us and we'll find outselves without room to manouver if osmething happens"
She look at the two Ahrouns and Joey, to see what they thought about it.
[Killswitch] "Nah," says Joey immediately, shaking her head. "No one's goin' in there 'til we do a little cleansin'. Not with those vines everywhere." She looks at Hunter then. "An' I dunno. I couldn't get close enough on the otherside, but it smelled like blood over there." This is why she doesn't lift it again to sniff, she's gotten quite enough of that old blood smell, thank you very much.
[Simon] Simon smiles a little."Maybe it's been there for like forty years or something? But yeah it was in the back... Or maybe the one who owns it has both a spiritual and a..."He pauses suddenly."It's a clue!"He says as if suddenly hit by a realization."I mean... Someone left this deliberately for us I would think. It's not an accident that it's on both sides."He says with a nod of his head.
He then looks at Joey."Look we were sent here to find shit out. I left Ki and Ivan around back. I think you should join them... And the three of you should move your asses in and out as quickly and quietly as possible. We're here as backup and that's exactly what we should do. Stay back and support you all as you handle this shit... If the shit hits the fan then me and hunter move in. But Seven garou in one house creaky rotten old is not a good idea unless we absolutely need to be."He then stops to drop his pack and he reaches into it to rummage around before pulling out a small insect sculpture."It's called an Invader... Just use it to scout ahead for you. It won't make a big deal if it dies."
He then closes his pack and lifts it to his shoulder."Check the place out... Find out if there's anything in there to uncover. If there is then we go in. If not then I grab the gas can and we burn this place down."
[Resplendent Dusk] Taking the shoe, Ivan drops it on the ground. Then the lean, long-boned Ragabash drops after it. He catches himself on the balls of his fingers, agile, the shock absorbed smoothly from forearm to elbow to shoulder, the line of his back and leg straight -- as though about to show off his ability to go a hundred pushups. Only that's not it at all.
His movement is light and dexterous, consummately graceful as only the no-moons of Falcon can be, but the shift itself is difficult for him. He's not nearly so attuned to the Wolf as some. It takes him a long time when he doesn't burn Rage, and he has so little to burn. It's seconds, nearly a minute, before he's fully in his wolf form, his dark clothing resorbed into a stark white coat.
Whatever his earlier pretense of disgust, the wolf is very thorough, very methodical, in his inspection of the shoe. He pushes his snout inside. He noses it over, sniffs every ridge of the sole. He dwells over the laces, particularly the ends where hands grip to tie. When he's finished, he raises his head, eyes forward, ears up, and tunes his hyperacute awareness to the house.
Once, his ear flicks when Burnout calls out around he side of the house. It might be annoyance at the disruption. He gives his head a shake and keeps listening.
A moment or so after, Ivan abruptly snaps back to his homid shape. This reverse transformation is instantaneous. He picks up the shoe and hands it to Simon to take back around.
"Blood," he confirms, "a lot of it. And taint beneath. Not tainted blood, mind you; the blood was clean, but whoever had his or her hot little hands on the shoe before you wasn't." He nods at the house. "More taint in there. A lot of it. Not ... necessarily the same taint that was on the shoe. It seems like it's coming from upstairs.
"Who's in charge of this operation, anyway?" The change in subject is abrupt.
[Unnatural Selection] The Ahroun is getting testy.
He snaps at the Theurge to hurry and the Shadow Lord, expelling more of his energy has the satisfaction of feeling, and then seeing; the appearance; flapping and slipping into being; of a little Crow. Strikingly black with bright, intelligent eyes the little bird caws loudly and settles itself on top of a rusted letterbox.
It flaps its wings; and turns a rather arrogant eye on the one who had demanded its presence.
[Kieran Mondblume] *He points his nose to Simon at Ivan's question, and he looks back to the house. He is looking for any potential entrances. Whether it be a basement window or an upper level window. Any potential entrances. Weakness around the moulding of the house.*
[Killswitch] Simon gets as far as I think you should join... and Joey tips her head back as she looks at him.
"'Scuse me? I hate to break it to you, Simon, but I follow one Cliath Ahroun." She claps her hand on Hunter's shoulder. "You don't give me orders, 'specially not when it comes to doin' my own fuckin' job." Despite the expletive, her voice doesn't raise, but stays evenly pitched. A point made, not a lecture.
Looking up to Hunter, she says, "So, Gauntlet's thinner farther out from this place. I've got the rite, but Stefan might be able to do somethin' a little more powerful, an' we're gonna need somethin' with oomph."
[Stefan Knezevic] He gives the bird a grateful bow as it arrives, speaking with the gift of tongues toward the ephemeral powering his voice.
"Thank you for coming, wise spirit. Allow me to provide you with a gift for your graciousness in coming." He wills a piece of his Gnosis forward, offered to the spirit.
"I would ask of you, if I may, what you have seen of this place." He indicates the house and the area around it. "What has brought it to this state that it currently rests in, and how we may bring it back to balance."
[Unnatural Selection] Kieran starts sniffing out a way inside other than the doorways. Along the side of the property; there seems to be a weakness where the ground is softening; creating a small incline that looks like it could fit a small animal -- or a Lupus wolf.
[Kieran Mondblume] *He doesn't enter, as much as he really, really just wants to dive into it. Instead, he looks back to Ivan, and starts moving back for the small group. But he DOES wait for his... ahh. Backup. To attend. He moves carefully, watching the ground fairly closely, and sniffing as he moves.*
[Burnout] Hunter crosses his arms over his chest in silence, restrained Rage. Barely. He bristles with it, he isn't
"Someone fuckin' go get Ki, bring em' back here please. We're cleansin'."
[Adara Mires] She nodded to him, her presence the opposite of Hunter's. She calm, collected. "I'll go get him" She start ot walk in the direction KI went ealier and SImon came back moments ago.
[Resplendent Dusk] The Uktena -- recognizeable as such despite his muddled features -- looks like he desperately wants to dive through those unwholesome-looking vines. The Fang, on the other hand, stays right where he is. Shoulder against the tree. Thumb hooked into the corner of his jean pocket.
He doesn't tell Kieran hey, that might be a bad idea, either. He just watches, a sort of jaded amusement gleaming in his eyes, waiting -- surely not hoping -- to see if those vines simply grabbed him and gobbled him up.
Adara comes around the side. Ivan nods to her, his eyes moving curiously over her. "Where's everyone still out front?" he wants to know. "This is the entrance to the dungeon, isn't it?"
[Resplendent Dusk] [er. WHY. why's everyone still out front.]
[Unnatural Selection] The little crow flexes its spiritual claws -- they rat-a-tat-tat -- against the side of the mailbox as the Theurge offers forth some of his Gnosis. The spirit pecks at the air as if feeding on a grub; its throat working and with a flutter; and much flapping of its wings turns a small circle on its perch.
When it speaks; it is the clacking of its beck; the impetuous greed of an avian creature.
Seen much, Creature of Hair. Saw House empty. Many spirits play. Then saw Wyld return, was fine. Like to -- caw, glug -- feed where Wyld grow. Many Creatures of Earth here. Then Creatures of Skin come. Bags of Stink. Too much Stink!
The crow seems to bristle; indignantly puffs its chest.
[Kieran Mondblume] *He looks back to Adara at that. And he nods.* ws~ Need to burn it all. But need to see if some alive. Smells of blood. Don't think so. But do not know. *He looks back to the hole. How easy it would be to slip down.* ws~ Need to tell others.
[Resplendent Dusk] "Wait, burn what?"
[Kieran Mondblume] ws~ House. Needs to be gone. Is terrible. *He doesn't QUITE snap. But he is clearly tense, pawing at the ground.*
[Adara Mires] She tilted her head at Ivan "Oh hi, we havent met. I"m Adara"Proper introductions will have to wait "Hunter want you back up fornt. He wants to do some cleansing before we go in. The shoe is obviously bait. Let's go. And Ki, there will be no burning unless we can burn the vines without touchiong the house"
She smiled to them both and wait for them to move with her before walking back to the group
[Simon] He looks back at Joey and his eyes narrow and his hands ball immediately into fists."My suggestion was just that... Joey. We're here to do a job."He says directly back to her with his own even enough voice. The use of her human name as much intended to insult her as her own use of his.
"If you have a problem with suggestions then you can go to fucking hell... Because your inability to take them is the kinda thing that gets people killed and I came here to make sure that doesn't happen."He says sternly and sharply now before taking the invader and palming it gently.
[Stefan Knezevic] He translates mentally as the bird speaks. "The House was empty," he intones to Hunter, Joey and Simon. "Only the spirits inhabiting. And then the Wyld came back to the place and brought animals with it. Then men came, smelling of the Wyrm."
He nods to the spirit, speaking to it again. "And they twisted things to this, I imagine?" He has no idea that there is a shoe to ask about, having spent the last couple of turns focused on his summoning, or what has been going on. He did catch Joey's mention that Stefan might be able to do something more powerful. He looks to Joey with a furrowed brow.
"I may be able to what?"
[Resplendent Dusk] Ivan's eyebrow just goes up. He lets the expression speak for itself; Kieran gets no further response.
Adara does, though. "Ivan," replies the Ragabash; he doesn't even bother to give the name its proper Russian pronunciation. He makes a faintly annoyed sound - tsk! - as Adara relays what sound rather like orders. For a moment the Ragabash's eyes glimmer in the dark, eyeing the house. Then, all in one motion, he straightens up off the tree and turns, preceding the others back around the house.
When streetlight hits him directly, he's visible -- blurred at the edges, smeared like an unfocused image, but there. In the shadows, in the dark of moon, Ivan is very nearly invisible.
Not inaudible, though. "Who's actually in charge here?" he wants to know.
[Adara Mires] She grinned at Ivan "Definatly not me. It's Joey who is actually leading, because she was asked to be in this expedition, though she mgiht defer to Hunter, he's her Alpha usually. So since thye share a link nad can talk to each other at anytime, I would assume that anything Hunter tells peopel to do is approved by Joey, until she say something against it."
She walked beside Ivan, her eyes glancing at the house and ahead at the group they are coming back to
[Stefan Knezevic] "If we are going to argue," he asks calmly, before looking over, "Please do it outside of the realm of what I am trying to do. I would rather my new friend not be offended or scattered off and make my efforts and payment be in vain."
"Killswitch was established as the scouting lead for this mission; I am the advising Theurge. I believe, by proxy, that would put leadership duties on Killswitch's Alpha and my prospective Alpha. That is my interpretation of the matter."
There. That's settled. And then he turns back to the crow-spirit.
[Burnout] A spike of Rage, a twitch in his jawline and the Gnawer steps towards Simon. He tries to speak calmly, so there's that at least. It doesn't sound too calm though, how could it when he's so out of sync with himself?
"Your suggestions were taken, considered. An option has been chosen. You either fuckin' play ball or go home. I don't fuckin' care which right now."
There's silence then, while he considers the Theurge's words.
"We're cleansin' seein' how that goes before anybody goes in there. Get over the other side'a the road. Joey say's it's thinner over there, easier to cross. Can't all be fuckin' howlin on the street."
A pause.
"Unless any'a you got any more info to fuckin' share? Like about this god damn shoe? If not then let's get to it."
[Resplendent Dusk] Ivan's eyebrow is doing a lot of talking tonight.
"So the reconnaissance mission that the Sept Elders has entrusted to the Fostern Ragabash Elder is being led now by a Cliath Ahroun?" A beat. A long one. Then the eyebrow comes down and he smiles, all superficial charm. "Yeah, that makes perfect sense to me. Why not.
"Want my assessment of the situation, Cliath Ahroun?"
[Burnout] "A decision was made based on Joey's advice. N'if you've got somethin' to share then share it. That's why you're here no?"
[Kieran Mondblume] *He merely watches now, taking his turn, as is usual. He looks back to Ivan at that. A canine eyebrow of his own cocked. He looks back to Joey. Now rather uncertain. His clawed feet paw at the ground. A sign of impatience, and annoyance of his own.*
[Killswitch] Her name being used as an insult is lost on Joey, but the insulting tone is not. Simon says he was just giving suggestions, still after the fact of suggestions and orders being given by said Fostern Ragabash Elder, carried to Ivan and Kieran by Adara.
"It never wasn't," she says to Ivan. "But in terms've scouting, I'm in charge. Finding out the info, passing it on to the leader, yeah? What I know is, no one's goin' in that place 'til at least some've the corruption's cleared. An' we're gonna need as many voices to get it cleared as we can. Or," she looks to Stefan, "I've seen Theurges summon Water t'cleanse. If you're not spent, I highly recommend seein' if you can conjure somethin' up to help us out."
And now to Simon. "Unless you've got more suggestions for people t'go in to a place that's waitin' for us, I say we all get our crossin' shoes on and step on over to the other side."
[Unnatural Selection] The Crow bristles further.
Creatures of Hair chatter like starving Birds of Water! Bags of Stench came with Things of Rot. Both come together. Wyld get sick. Start to become Rot. Others inside stuck. Not feeding. Being Changed.
The Crow squawks; glugs, begins to chant impatiently.
Bags of Stench, Stench, Stench. Creatures of Hair remove Bags of Stench. Clean nest.
[Stefan Knezevic] He looks at the shoe, brow raising. "Well. That is interesting." He pauses and nods to Joey when she suggests summoning a spirit of Water. "In a moment, perhaps."
He looks back to the crow, translating again. "It says we talk too much. Things that smelled of the Wyrm came through with some kind of rotting that corrupted the Wyld. There are people inside who are stuck and...being changed."
He gives a nod to the Crow, addressing it again. "We will clean the nest. Do you know how that shoe exists both here and on the other side? Or perhaps who's it is?"
[Resplendent Dusk] Both Hunter and Joey speak up. Ivan turns a cynical eye on them; the corners of his mouth curl up, and he simply gives a slight, dismissive shrug before moving on.
"You all know about the shoe. The Uktena and Simon found it. It smells of old blood, and lots of it. Innocent blood. It also smells of taint, like someone deeply wyrmtouched handled it. The blood and the taint are not from the same source, did you catch that? It's important. Anyway. There's more taint inside. Not ... the same taint that was on the shoe either. Different entity. It's coming from upstairs.
"Those are the facts. Now for my opinions.
"If you cleanse this place before going in, at best you'll do nothing. At worst you destroy the evidence. We're here to get to the bottom of this. What the taint is, where it's coming from. If it's shallow and you wipe it away, we'll never be able to track it down to its original source. If it's deep, you might as well hose down a hemorrhage to stop the bleeding. It'll just come back.
"So my suggestion is, do what you're here to do. Go inside. Dig. Figure things out. Destroy or track the taint; whatever's appropriate. Then cleanse, burn, do whatever the hell you want."
A loose, gallic shrug. "That's my assessment. Make of it what you will."
[Simon] "Killswitch is in charge..."He says back to her."She is the Alpha of the New Moons and you do as she says."He says back to Ivan while facing Hunter, his attention meeting the Full Moon's own directly."Last I checked though... I was still Wyrmfoe! Given that Burnout and I are the same rank, if it comes to a battle you take orders from me."He says sternly.
He had come here working with the others, alongside them, letting the New Moons handle the situation. He hadn't really even thought that the matter would become a battle of dominance. However here they stood, and Simon was not about to back down before the other Full Moon. Sometimes a line had to be drawn and here Simon drew it. There was more to being a leader than simply being there, and backing your team up. Sometimes you had to be ready to stand your ground.
[Kieran Mondblume] *He shakes his head slightly at that, and he looks back and forth. Ivan's words draw his eyes, though an ear shifts towards the crow as well. He cants his head to the creature, nodding his head in respect. And then back to Joey.* ws~ I am agreeing with this Fang. Can go in. We go in quietly enough, or just one of us. Possibly with rope to pull out. Shoe is definitely meant to lure. Can't be anything but trap. Do wish to know how views of Umbra and house here match up. But again, is just advice. Have little choice.
[Unnatural Selection] The Crow flaps its wings brutally; they beat with supernatural precision. It's beady eye turns on the shoe and it glugs several times as if struggling to swallow a big worm.
Do not know about Skin Cover. Not here then. Came with Rot.
Behind them; there's a abrupt crack; a sliver has appeared in one of the upstairs windows; a tentril of vine is pushing itself against the glass.
[Unnatural Selection] [er, tendril!]
[Killswitch] "Well," says Joey, exasperated. "That all would've been nice to know five minutes ago. And while you're the same rank, I'll be deferring to an Ahroun who's the Alpha of a pack. As it so happens, this one's Alpha of my pack."
She looks from one Ragabash to the other, gaze resting on Kieran. And she looks at the shoe. "The lightest should go down, an' maybe another after that. From what I saw on the otherside, whatever we're lookin' for's in the basement. Unless either've you have any more juicy tidbits to share with the class, Cinderella's missin' her shoe."
[Burnout] Me!, no me! ME! YOU FOLLOW ME! Hunter actually laughs when Simon brings up the fact that he is Wyrmfoe, it's obvious what the Gnawer thinks of that position. Another bark and his eyes swivel on Ivan.
"Useful info. Would'a been more useful if ya' brought it back soon as ya' found out. For all we knew the whole place was fucked'n'anybody who went in'd be fucked too."
A pause. Thoughtful after Ki speaks - or wags, yips.
"It's upstairs, Joey said the staircase is broke in the umbra, don't know how good it is on this side but I'd not want to risk it. Have to go in the windows."
A crack. Hunter looks.
"Yeeeep."
[Adara Mires] She look at them all "Ok, that's it. Killswitch, what do we do? Have a small group go in quickly whiel the others do a cleansing or cleansing hten go in? Theres a woman in there and I want to be patient but we need to be now" She look at the other woman.
[Killswitch] [whoops, that was upstairs!]
[Adara Mires] (scatch my post..i missed Joey's)
[Stefan Knezevic] His lips quirk upward as the arguing and suggesting and protocol-spouting and debating and on and on and on continues. The Theurge is adept and listening when he needs to, and this is one of those times when his single-minded focus serves him well. He listens to the crow and then nods, before holding up a finger.
"One more moment, Honored Crow, and you may go upon your way with my gratitude."
He turns around and looks over at the others. "The shoe came with the Rot. That's all he knows. Do we have any other questions about the house or the history of what is going on here?"
[Adara Mires] She look at Joey "I'm the lightest, unless you absolutly want a no moon to go, then I will" She say with a nod I'll be caruful. I know you don't know me much, but you can trust me"
[Kieran Mondblume] *He nods to Joey.* ws~ I can climb good. Quick. There is hole in the basement too. Can wriggle through as well. *He looks back to the Crow, and again, he bows his head, but he looks back to Stefan at that.* ws~ Want to know so many things. How fast it grows. How fast it spread. How long ago it came. Anyone specific with. But no time. Not sure what to narrow down to.
[Killswitch] Joey nods to Adara, then to Kieran. "Was it by where you found the shoe? 'Cause if so, I'm gonna ignore anything it's pointin' to. As for climbin'," she says with a grin to both lupus wolf and Fury, tipping her head indicating they follow her around to a spot beneath the closest window. There she shifts, flowing up through near-woman and into Crinos.
Holding out her hands to them, the grey wolf beast cants her head to them. "I can boost you."
[Resplendent Dusk] Ivan's expression doesn't really change. He looks mildly, levelly at Joey, then at Hunter, then at the snapping window. The others crowd up, eager to explore. Ivan doesn't.
[Simon] His eyes were stern and he stood tall as he watched Hunter. Though Joey's words did ring in his ear. He heard the laugh, and he heard Joey's denial of his authority as a full moon. It was an active concerted effort on the part of the pack to undermine his authority... What little was given with the position in this sept.
Simon's eyes shifted between the two and he remained in his position as Hunter pulled away. Anger showed through but he returned his attention to the matter at hand. They were here to find something, or someone, or... Figure something out and right now they needed the full moons to be ready.
"We'll discuss this matter another time..."He notes to Hunter before turning his attention to the others. Letting Joey make the call. After all it was she who he had deferred to from the beginning.
[Stefan Knezevic] "Those are questions the Crow is unlikely to give a proper answer anyway," he says to Ki. "He does not follow clocks and days and weeks. And he may say a long time or a short time, but that is all relative to a spirit."
[Adara Mires] She looked at Joey "All right, I"m ready" She took off her warm jacket, it made her bulkier and she might need to fit through the window without it getting caught on anything. She let if fall on the ground unless someone offered to hold it.She was standing there, in jeans and tank top. Once the Elder Ragabash was ready, she would put a foot on the woman's hands and let Joey give her a boots.
[Kieran Mondblume] *His tongue lolls out at Stefan's answer.* ws~ Know that much. But was wishful thinking. Had a week- would be easier to find out. Maybe just like to know odds of surviving this. *He looks up, his eyes bright.*
[Resplendent Dusk] [crap -- i shoulda rolled this earlier. manip+subt, mask of neutrality!]
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6) Re-rolls: 2
[Resplendent Dusk] [counterrolls, if anyone wants to do one, would be at +2 diff due to Blur]
[Burnout] A huff from Hunter, that's it. If Simon wants to seek him out later he can do as he wills.
"Let's go. You got Adara, Joey? Ki, c'mon, I'll throw yo' ass up there if I have to."
He begins to shift, begins to lumber over towards the house to help Joey boost some peeps.
[Killswitch] [NO GUTS NO GLORY: percept + emp]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 3, 6, 7, 9, 10 (Success x 2 at target 8)
[Burnout] [oooooo I got emp dice!!! DAMON YOU SHALL REGRET GIVING ME IT!!]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 2, 4, 5, 6, 6 (Failure at target 8)
[Stefan Knezevic] [[Per+Emp]]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 4, 7, 8, 8 (Success x 2 at target 8)
[Adara Mires] (perc + emp)
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 7, 7, 8, 9 (Success x 2 at target 8)
[Kieran Mondblume] *His tongue lolls out. He looks VERY excited. Insane little Uktena that he is. He doesn't seem to want to shift out of lupus, however.*
[Stefan Knezevic] A little sigh and smile as everyone just walks off; he assumes that to mean 'No more questions.' He turns to the Crow Spirit, bowing respectfully. Even reverently.
"Thank you, Honored Crow, for your time. Good hunting and good eating."
[Kieran Mondblume] ((No empathy here! I know, you're ALL SHOCKED.))
[Unnatural Selection] The Crow flaps its wings; rises into the air; crests an unseen breeze.
Not become Bag of Rot, Creature of Hair. Do not enjoy eating.
That, apparently suffices for farewell.
[Unnatural Selection] [Wyld Vines]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 8, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Unnatural Selection] Climbing up the side of the House -- though venturing close returns the nasty, queasy roll of stomachs for one and all -- is not as hard as it perhaps at first seems. While decaying; paint peeling off the weatherboard sides; there is still handholds; and what remains of the small bay window ridge to stand upon.
However; it is not without its perils.
The Wyld; as the Crow had told them; was indeed sickly looking. While not barbed on this side of the Gauntlet; the closer inspection of them shows they are a black-green tinge, and slime is slick over their length. The residue is where the stench is rolling from; as thicker tendrils begin to roll from the window; and the spidering in the pane grows more pronounced.
There is a shudder, as the first of their party gains the second story; as if the House itself recoiled at their closeness.
The window shatters; and a heavy vine tumbles out; threatening to dislodge any standing before it; with it -- an overpowering wave of smell -- they can pinpoint it now.
It's rotting flesh.
[Everyone roll me Dex + Ath to stay upright who are on or beside the house!
Also roll me a Dodge to avoid pieces of glass.]
[Burnout] dex+ath!]
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6) Re-rolls: 2
[Kieran Mondblume] Dex+Ath
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 7, 9 (Success x 3 at target 4)
[Burnout] [dodgein' (just dex )]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6) Re-rolls: 1
[Resplendent Dusk] [you no take balance! Perfect Balance -2.]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 2, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 6 at target 4) Re-rolls: 1
[Killswitch] [dex + ath! diff -2 (ability apt)]
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 3, 5, 6, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9 (Success x 7 at target 4)
[Killswitch] [dodgitty!]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Resplendent Dusk] [dodge! just dex.]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 2, 2, 6, 7 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Kieran Mondblume] Dex+Dodge
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 5, 5, 5, 6, 9, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Adara Mires] ((dex+ ath -2 diff perfect balance)
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 5, 5, 7, 7, 8, 8 (Success x 6 at target 4)
[Simon] [Dex+Dodge?]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6) Re-rolls: 1
[Adara Mires] (dodge + dex)
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 3, 3, 4, 5, 5, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Simon] [Sorry Dex+Athletics too!]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 3, 3, 4, 4, 6, 9, 9 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Resplendent Dusk] A shudder rocks the house, and the ground immediately outside. Ivan doesn't even unfold his arms from across his lean chest. He just sways a little, like a seasoned new yorker on the S-train.
He does raise an arm, though, to avoid the falling glass. Oh, no, not the face!
When that's over and done with, Ivan straightens up, brushes a speck of glass off the shoulder of his coat, and turns to Simon. He murmurs, "I'm going to go out to the street, keep an eye out for nosy neighbors."
And that's what he does.
[Resplendent Dusk] [bend the truth!]
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 1, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 9, 10 (Success x 1 at target 6) Re-rolls: 1
to Simon
[Simon] [Per!]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 7, 8 (Success x 1 at target 8)
to Resplendent Dusk
[Resplendent Dusk] [refreshing blur as he walks away!]
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 1, 4, 6, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 8) Re-rolls: 1
to Unnatural Selection
[Adara Mires] She was on the house when it rocked, but somehow it didn't seem ot bother her. Maybe se knew how ot sur, or snowboard or was just that good. It was the glass she had move trouble avoiding when the closest window blew out in her direction.
She was hit by some shrapnels but nothing to cause too much damage. At least nothing she could handle. She start to move to one of the windows so she could get inside.
[Resplendent Dusk] [that wasn't the truth. simon can't really read ivan well enough to see what he's really up to, but he can tell ivan's "on his side" and would rather follow him than joey/hunter.]
to Simon
[Resplendent Dusk] [going lupus very very slowly ....
... and then sneaking around back again! dex+stealth]
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6) Re-rolls: 1
to Unnatural Selection
[Resplendent Dusk] [SILVER FANGS DON'T SUCK. HAIL MIGHTY KAHSEENO.]
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 7 at target 7) [WP] Re-rolls: 1
to Unnatural Selection
[Resplendent Dusk] [OK - going very slowly, ready to leap away if the vines do anything untoward, he's going to creep up the back porch and have a looksee inside!]
to Unnatural Selection
[Unnatural Selection] The vine that flopped onto the window ledge like a proverbial dead fish does not twitch once it has escaped the confines of the house. It simply lays as still as any other regular plant-life might. The smell flooding from inside the second story however, is decidedly less regular.
Garou are creatures accustomed to the smell of death; they see and they smell horrific things on a day to day basis. There had been blood on the shoe downstairs; so they knew that something greater; something worse must await them inside, right?
Adara starts to carefully maneuver herself toward one of the secondary windows to see if she can gain access; but she finds the sills quite sealed. Lack of use, and expanding movement of the wood has bloated and warped the entire frame and it will take some degree of force to get it open. There aren't any curtains in her window; and if she peers inside --
What do they all see; but a convulsing sea of plant-life; twisting and curling over the floor; decay rotting through the walls; ivy winding around the support beams where the plaster has fallen away and amongst the blackening; decaying mess of leaves and vines and suffocating rot -- they see things.
They see horrible things.
Some baffle definition.
There are bodies inside; vines wrapped around a rotting foot; pieces of dried matter stuck to the floor; in one corner what seems a pile of limbs; some attached to other parts; some not. The Wyld is coiling around this seething mass; this then -- this is the source of the descent away from the normal cycle.
They can see -- it is blatant -- horrifically, horrifically blatant -- what is happening.
The Wyld is slowly feasting on the bodies; and poisoning itself.
[Stefan Knezevic] He is just dismissing the crow when he hears the shatter, sees the vine burst out of the window. If this were Sarita, she would be making wisecracks about being in a Hentai film and to KEEP YOUR DAMN MOUTH SHUT AND LEGS CROSSED.
Luckily, this is not Sarita, so you don't have to think about that. I just did think about it, asshole. I'm gonna have nightmares for a week. What are you doing here? Wrong PC, dickhead, this is the Shadow Lord! What, you mean the one who---oh, whoops. My bad, I'm going..
Stefan looks up at the window, frowning, and he makes his way closer now. This...is not a good thing. He looks over Ivan, a brow raising, as they walk past each other.
[Kieran Mondblume] *He groans at that, and he remains on the side of the building, to peek. It's a good thing Sarita isn't there. However, Ki is NOT about to allow the opportunity to go ignored. Even in lupus.* ws~ Am not a schoolgirl from Japan! *Close enough. Wolfspeech is hard for a homid.* ws~ Now can we burn it?
[Unnatural Selection] Meanwhile; down below, the Silver Fang declares his ambition to see to their continued rash of luck in avoiding being seen by any of the areas other (un)lucky inhabitants. He slides off; and as he does, he slides from view, masked beneath his gift of visual obscurity.
So Simon cannot tell one way or another, where the droll Ivan Press truly goes.
[Adara Mires] She put her on her muth and nose "That was one of the most freaking thing she has seen and she had face an underwater with tetacles fulls of mouths who ate msot of her flesh away once. She doesn't close her eyes, but instead look at the bodies, the faces, trying to identify them with people she mgiht have seen in the papers, or that missing kin.
It would be an easy task for her as her momery never forget anything that she see or hears. Anything.
"Killswitch"She calls down "The vines are feeding on the bodies inside, quite a few. Should i get in and trash the vines?"
[Simon] Simon doesn't care much for what in the hell just happened and it shows. He was an appreciable distance away and the shattering glass was easy enough to avoid. He steps off to one side or another and his fury shines through at the sight of the building."Bullshit!"He says shortly after Ivan leaves."Can't just have a quiet fucking night in Bronzeville now we've gotta look out for the Veil."He says as he starts to back away and head out himself."Anyone needs me give a shout out..."
[Stefan Knezevic] "We need to remove the bodies," he says up the side of the house as he approaches, as if in answer to Adara. "The Crow said 'Remove Bags of Stench. Clean nest.'"
A little smile. "That is pretty clear. The Wyrm servants brought the bodies in specifically to poison the Wyld. If we remove the bodies, we can conceivably cleanse the Wyld."
[Unnatural Selection] The No Moon is forced to lever aside one of the sagging, broken doors to steal inside the building from the rear. There is debris littering the ground inside; and the staircase -- or what's left of it -- is nothing but air and regrets where the top most stair ends, and half the handrail remains.
The vines are starting to straddle it, too, but down here its presence seems less obvious; the lingering scent of blood is present; and he can hear the muffled sounds of the others above him; as they reach the windows. Leading away before him are empty rooms; a hallway blessedly spared; he can peer cleanly through to the front room.
Off to his left; there is another opening; there is no door; but the floor is cleaner here, the dust disturbed.
to Resplendent Dusk
[Kieran Mondblume] *He groans.* ws~ Easy to say. Harder to do. Might be able to untangle some. Can break window open? Need to toss out as many as can. If do this. Need to do fast.
[Burnout] [perrceptiooooon]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 5, 5, 8, 10, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Kieran Mondblume] Per+Alert (-2 diff for Lupus)
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 3, 6, 6, 7, 8 (Success x 4 at target 4)
[Adara Mires] (perc + alert)
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 5, 7, 8, 8 (Success x 3 at target 7)
[Killswitch] The shudder of the house, the flying debris, it's nothing for the athletic Rotagar to dodge and avoid and remain standing. Two of their number leave, but her attention is on the house, on the Garou now outside the windows.
There are bodies inside, being feasted upon. These bodies need to be removed. But the Wyld will try and thrash them if they go in there. She nods acknowledgment to Stefan before gripping the edge of the upper level. In a snap, she shifts to Homid, uses her incredible strength and athletic ability to climb up over the ledge. Up there, she wipes her hands off on her thighs and peers in through the window.
"Nah, the vines aren't the problem. Like Stefan an' the crow said, we gotta get the bodies out." She peers in through the window.
[percept diff 7]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 2, 4, 8, 10 (Success x 1 at target 7)
[Resplendent Dusk] He's keenly aware of his deception, and the need to maintain it. His reasons for this are his own. Somewhere between pride and duty and impatience and irritation -- in the end, the reasons aren't heroic. They're just barely short of dastardly, in truth.
Still. He pauses only a moment, sniffing, ears pricked. Then, his stride long and graceful, loping, the indistinct white wolf with the faintly sardonic look to his face veers off toward the left.
to Unnatural Selection
[Adara Mires] She nodded to Joey "All right, I'll get in and shift to keep the vines at bay and hand one of the you the bodies, the other could check for the vines and maybe dig some..see where there really come from, unless you want to do things another way?"
She look atJoey, her tone polite. She was suggesting, Joey was the boss
[Kieran Mondblume] *He looks back to the others. And he looks to the window that was broken by the vine. The best place to enter from. His tongue lolls out slightly, and again. He's going to possibly do one of the dumbest things in the history of dumb, and go in after that corruption. It has to be torn. Get out the root of the problem. Ohh, if only that pun came aloud, and his wolfspeech were better. It seems he's not waiting for orders.*
[Resplendent Dusk] [investigatin'!]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 4, 7, 9 (Success x 2 at target 4)
to Unnatural Selection
[Burnout] Vines grow from corrupted body. Hunter snarls to them then snatches out a huge crinos paw to wrap around the scruff of hte Uktena's neck and haul him back from charging in there.
I go in first, distract vines, you three grab body parts and remove.
And then he launches through the window.
[will snap shift to lupus if he has to, or hispo! don't mind!]
[Killswitch] Joey peers through the window, sees what the others see though in considerably less detail. She opens her mouth, snaps it closed again when Hunter charges through the window.
She shrugs a shoulder. "That's what I was gonna say. I'll go first, we'll make a line, like those old volunteer fire folks. Ready?" Break! In homid, the Rotagar, slips through the window and runs for the closest collection of parts.
[Unnatural Selection] Veering to the left brings the wolf to what looks like the stairs to a basement of some kind. There's no footprints he can see in the dust; but it appears as if something heavy had been dragged through the rubble; the trail ending at the stair case leading downward.
There's the scent of blood down here, too. But it smells older, less fresh.
to Resplendent Dusk
[Stefan Knezevic] He stays down below, shifting up to glabro. Someone will need to catch the bodies after all, and it looks like he gets that particular honor.
[Unnatural Selection] [Okay, at this stage; I'll get Hunter and Joey, and anyone else entering the room to roll inits for me!]
[Kieran Mondblume] *He yipes at the grabbing of his scruff, but it doesn't stop him from scrambling up the building to the vines, to do his duty. He moves in through the broken window. As he removes the body parts, ARE there any spirits about? Or are they all Umbral? He attempts to talk to the vine itself, telling it to stop eating, warning it about the poison. It looks pretty damned silly, all things considered, as he grabs what bits and pieces he can.*
[Kieran Mondblume] *And of course - insta-shifting into Crinos. Something with hands.*
[Killswitch] [+7]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 6
[Unnatural Selection] [Wyld Vines +6]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 5
[Adara Mires] She tilt her head at Hunter and Joey then gets inside following Joey her face a mask of determination. It stinks, it's disgusting but the usually sweet young woman doesn't say a thing (init + 6 still in homid)
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 8 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Resplendent Dusk] A moment's hesitation. Selflessly bold is not the right descriptor for Ivan. There's a sudden thump from upstairs that has him gathering on himself, startled, ready to turn tail and flee. But it's not an attack, only the others leaping in. He supposes they've found something to attack. Or fight. Or something.
Then he proceeds forward, paws in a line, stepping silently down into the basement. There's taint here, but such things don't come without reason; there must be some beginning, some seed, no matter how small.
to Unnatural Selection
[Burnout] [lupus+10]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 6
[Kieran Mondblume] ((+9))
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 4
[Unnatural Selection] [Hunter 16
Kieran 14
Adara 14
Killswitch 13
Wyld Vines 12
Declare in reverse!
Wyld Vines
1a. Smack Hunter
1b. Smack Adara]
[Killswitch] [1a: Grab some body parts
1b: Throw 'em out the window!]
[Kieran Mondblume] ((An' should be me next, since it's 13, though I appreciate the extra point!))
[1a: Grab body parts
1b: Block any attacks.]
[Adara Mires] (1a dodge
1b
1R get body parts)
[Burnout] [1a - block hit on adara
1b - block hit on Hunter -- CHANGE YO DECLARE ADARA WOOP!]
[Burnout] [Reflexive snarl: GET THE PARTS LEAVE THE VINES TO ME]
[Adara Mires] (well then 1a get body parts
1b throw m out...do i need to spend wp?)
[Resplendent Dusk] [trying to find any sign of 1) girl to whom shoe belongs, or 2) taint of whoever handled the shoe.]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 4, 4, 7, 8 (Success x 4 at target 4)
to Unnatural Selection
[Adara Mires] (dex + ath..throwing bdy parts)
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 3, 4, 7, 8, 8, 9 (Success x 5 at target 7) [WP]
[Kieran Mondblume] [dex+ath]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 6, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Unnatural Selection] [Okay, that's 8 Suxx so far! You've got about another 2 Suxx = 1 Body left and the room is clear.]
[Killswitch] [1a: Toss! dex + ath, diff 7 -2 (ability apt)]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 6, 9 (Failure at target 5)
[Killswitch] [1b: NO SERIOUSLY, -3]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 6, 8, 9 (Success x 2 at target 5)
[Unnatural Selection] [Searching for the particular scent of the shoe's owner takes Ivan downstairs. If he follows the trail; he's going to come down into a basement. It's badly lit; there's very little here but he does find something for his efforts. There's a crudely made operating table set up; and while there's no evidence of the shoe's owner; it is clear something, or someone, has been playing a morbid sort of Doctor.
There's a rusted and blood smeared bone saw on top of the make-shift table; a coil of wire with a needle on its end; and a gruesome bucket situated beneath one end; full, on closer inspection, of what appear to be chunks of human flesh; some sewn together as if one were experimenting.]
to Resplendent Dusk
[Unnatural Selection] [Wyld Vines! 1a. HEY MY DINNER. Smack Hunter!]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 7, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Burnout] [1b - blockin! -3]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 10, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6) Re-rolls: 2
[Unnatural Selection] [Feel my wrath, Hairy Creature.]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 4, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Burnout] [soaketh!]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 2, 2, 2, 5, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Unnatural Selection] [1b. VINE FURY! I is sick :[ Smack Adara]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 1, 6, 6 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Burnout] [1a - block! -2]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 1, 3, 4, 6, 6, 8 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Kieran Mondblume] *He grins at that.* Let's get the heck outta here! *Who says HECK? But it seems he's waiting for everyone else to go, helping to block the vines from hitting any escapees.*
[Killswitch] [crossing! after everyone else to share the -1 diff (reflective) love (diff 8 per earlier from Jacqui)]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 3, 3, 4, 6 (Failure at target 7)
[Resplendent Dusk] Even with Falcon's gift, the wolf's eyes are not keen in the dark, but it's not sight he relies on now. It's smell, and sound -- the tiniest echoes giving him a sense of space and location; the tiniest scents leading him forward. The stench of old blood is very strong now, and when he discovers the operating table,
and the bucket, oh god the bucket,
the white wolf's ears flatten against his head. His stomach roils. Ivan has seen -- done -- some less than wholesome things in his life. He's prey to a certain dark side beneath that shining white coat just as any Silver Fang is, a madness and a perversion that haunts his entire tribe. But this ...
Overhead, there's a tremor, a rumble, a thud. Resplendent Dusk stops reeling and acts. His skin crawls. He wants to run out of here ... but he doesn't. Not yet. Not until his duty is done. Because whatever else Resplendent Dusk is or pretends to be, he is a good Ragabash. A good scout. He stands his ground. He forces himself to open his senses, stretch them out; turns in a slow circle where he stands, taking in every detail, everything he can see or hear or smell or feel. Or taste.
When it's seared into his memory -- fodder for nightmares -- he snaps back to homid form. A risk, but one he must take, because a wolf has no hands: he grabs the bucket, dumps the bone saw in, the wire, whatever tools and notebooks he can see, turns, bounds lightly, silently up the steps. Out of the house of horrors.
[one more percep+alert roll -- just grabbing up whatever other details he may have missed! it's cool if there's nothing more to find]
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 1, 1, 4, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 9, 9 (Success x 7 at target 4) [WP]
to Unnatural Selection
[Kieran Mondblume]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 1, 2 (Failure at target 7) [WP]
[Adara Mires] (crossing)
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 7 (Success x 2 at target 7) [WP]
[Burnout] [Dragging joey GNOSIS!](WP IM SORRY JOEY)
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 3, 4, 8, 10 (Success x 3 at target 7) [WP]
[Burnout] "Cross you sicko!"
[Burnout] Pop.
[Unnatural Selection] Body parts fall out of the house; thudding off the roof like a macabre snow storm. They hit the ground; and roll; some still fully clothed; though none of them, apparently particularly well. These poor souls like as if they might have been squatters; or perhaps merely the homeless.
Standing guard outside; the Wyrmfoe is gifted with this show of required brutality toward the dead.
Inside the house; the Wyld Vines seem to sense they're being stripped of their meal. They lash out; seeking to smack the Gaian Wolves inside its den. The foundations of the house itself seem to groan; particles of dust litter down from above their heads; and the entire building shakes.
[Anyone who is not crossing over, gimmie a Dex + Ath to remain standing!]
[Stefan Knezevic] A little smirk, and he withdraws his knife to use as a Reflection as he moves to Cross.
[[CROSS!]]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 2, 3, 8, 8 (Success x 2 at target 7)
[Kieran Mondblume] *He tries pushing across, but the Umbra will have none of his wily antics. Might be for the best. He does peek out, though, and yells down to Stefan to cross into the Umbra to cleanse it.*
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 4, 6, 7, 7, 7, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Resplendent Dusk] [dex+ath -2 for perfect balance! I'M HIGHTAILIN' IT!]
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 9, 10 (Failure at target 4) Re-rolls: 1
to Unnatural Selection
[Kieran Mondblume] *But he's not stupid - he's going to go for the window to climb out of the house.*
[Resplendent Dusk] [ahem, RIGHT + of dice.]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 2, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7, 8, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 9 at target 5) Re-rolls: 3
to Unnatural Selection
[Resplendent Dusk] Just as suddenly and near-instantaneously as he'd vanished, Ivan is there again, coming up beside Simon
with a bucket in his hand.
He looks just a little worse for the wear. His coat is a little awry, and a little dusty. That five hundred dollar haircut of his -- well, it's so short you can't really tell a different. He beckons the Shadow Lord over. His voice is low when he speaks.
[Simon] Simon had returned to a pile of corpse parts on the ground, and Kieran leaping for his life from the building. He had a snickers bar in hand that he had opened and he took a bite or two before glancing at Ivan and turning in to hear what the New Moon had to say while examining his bucket.
[Kieran Mondblume] *The falling is NEVER bad. The hitting the ground hurts a little bit. He does look over to the two, and he coughs slightly.* Where were you?
[Killswitch] [cleanse! char + rit, diff 7]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 3, 3, 5, 7 (Success x 1 at target 7)
[Resplendent Dusk] "If you ask me, neither of you Ahrouns should be leading this jaunt. The Ragabash Elder should be leading it, only we don't have a Ragabash Elder here tonight. We have a Fostern Ragabash that follows a Cliath Ahroun on a scouting mission. So between you and the other would-be leader, I pick you."
He holds the bucket out. Inside: some dank, rusty, filthy pile of meat. Flesh. Sewn roughly together, as though someone had been experimenting with creating some sort of composite creature. There are tools in there too. An enormous, rusted needle. Wire thread. Bone saws, scalpels. Spreaders and hemostats.
"I thought you might find it useful to have the information the Elders requested on hand when you go back to them. Whatever those jokers were up there fighting -- it's incidental. If you ask me, this is what we need to follow up on."
A pause, a tension in his jaw.
"I'm not ... good enough to track this one down. Don't get me wrong, I'm a damn good Ragabash, or you'd be walking out of here knowing nothing about the shit down in the basement." A faint snorting laugh, "Hosing down the hemorrhage without staunching the wound, just like I said.
"But I can't take one look at this and start tracking who did it. That's not where my skills are. I gather information. I kill things fast and quick. You want a bloodhound, you take this back to the Caern and find a tracking Ragabash."
Kieran hits the ground behind them. Ivan turns -- unhurried, effortlessly regal in that pivot of his neck. "Doing my job," he replies.
to Simon
[Resplendent Dusk] "If you ask me, neither of you Ahrouns should be leading this jaunt. The Ragabash Elder should be leading it, only we don't have a Ragabash Elder here tonight. We have a Fostern Ragabash that follows a Cliath Ahroun on a scouting mission. So between you and the other would-be leader, I pick you."
He holds the bucket out. Inside: some dank, rusty, filthy pile of meat. Flesh. Sewn roughly together, as though someone had been experimenting with creating some sort of composite creature. There are tools in there too. An enormous, rusted needle. Wire thread. Bone saws, scalpels. Spreaders and hemostats.
"I thought you might find it useful to have the information the Elders requested on hand when you go back to them. Whatever those jokers were up there fighting -- it's incidental. If you ask me, this is what we need to follow up on."
A pause, a tension in his jaw.
"I'm not ... good enough to track this one down. Don't get me wrong, I'm a damn good Ragabash, or you'd be walking out of here knowing nothing about the shit down in the basement." A faint snorting laugh, "Hosing down the hemorrhage without staunching the wound, just like I said.
"But I can't take one look at this and start tracking who did it. That's not where my skills are. I gather information. I kill things fast and quick. You want a bloodhound, you take this back to the Caern and find a tracking Ragabash."
Kieran hits the ground behind them. Ivan turns -- unhurried, effortlessly regal in that pivot of his neck. "Doing my job," he replies.
[Kieran Mondblume] *He looks back up at the bucket, and he laughs faintly at that. He pushes himself up, and he grimaces.* That's gonna hurt in the morning. *Though he does look back to the house, and he waits.*
[Unnatural Selection] Outside; there are body parts on the lawn; littering it that need to be disposed of; studied; taken away from plain sight before the sun rises. Perhaps the Wyrmfoe with his car shall stack them and take them back to the Caern for the Warders to see; perhaps the bucket of flesh; muscle and tissue; skin, so crudely stitched together as if someone were practicing how to sew with a human being will also be shown to them.
Inside; the House continues to rumble as if unearthing a great monster from its bowels; the wooden boards snap and creak as the vines housed outside it begin to thrash; and then as minutes wear on, to retreat; many sliding back inside the house as if recoiling on a wound machine. Smaller; more fragile tendrils simply droop; grow listless and as the collected outside and those battling on the other side watch; endure --
dodge flailing vines with barbed tips
-- the green returns; the black seeping from the plant like leeches suck the poison from a wound. It is not defeated, the Wyrm's touch here, but it is dulled. Dulled enough so that the Theurge; exhausted; drained; finds it within himself to draw deep, deep down into his reserves and summon the spirit of Water. To beseech its aid in cleansing the blighted House and surrounding land.
Cool; relieving liquid sighs as it agrees and the Garou are bid to depart; to allow the Elemental to do its work.
Sliding across the Gauntlet, the warriors for Maelstrom find it easier, somehow, to push across. The vines no longer battle their aid; if anything, they seem to bid them farewell; glowing vibrantly green with returning health as one by one; they pop out on the lawn; staggering; weary.
To be confronted by a landmine of human parts.
[Simon] There appears to be an agreement. An alpha should behave as an alpha. He doesn't say anything further in regards to that. Instead he looks into the bucket and gives a little nod of his head."We're not here to kill shit... That's what I understood from the start. We're here to let the scouts do their job."He says with a nod of his head."I had thought that's what we'd do... Though I'm surprised no one ever thought to bind the spirit. Woulda made this all that much easier."He chuckles a little to himself."Either way if this is what we came for we get this shit back to the elders."He nods and looks up at the building and then back to Ivan.
"We'll make sure this shit gets tracked to... Whoever did this..."He says before pausing to stand back and watch the building. He was curious about this little operation and it's relation to the hive or if there was any at all. The problem here was relatively harmless. His muscle wasn't even so much as asked for... And his mind was told to go to hell. So he butted out and let them handle the matter. Still there was a hint of deep seeded resentment in the Full Moon. He was a Shadow Lord and he had not just been crossed he had his bluff called before his peers.
Still he was decent enough to leave it alone until after the fact. These things need to get sorted out outside of battle.
[Unnatural Selection] [Oh! Once the cleansing is done, the House itself is no longer a threat -- but it's still an unstable, collapsing property if any venture back inside.]
[Adara Mires] She stepped out with the others tilting her head at Ivan and Simon "Hello boys, why have you been up to while we were out?"
She is coverd with gore and lbood, having hauled half of the bodies out by herself. She reached down and picked up her coat, signs of being cold clearly showing at the moment. She look at Simon
"I believe you have what we need to collect and dispose of those?" She say pointing ot the parts
[Resplendent Dusk] And someone else asks the same question. Ivan laughs under his breath, and gives the same answer:
"Doing my job."
Then he turns back to Simon. "You'll make sure it's followed up on," Ivan corrects, that sardonic smile resurfacing as he packs down his pockets for his cigarette case, his lighter. Flame blooms briefly, lighting the noble planes of his face -- sharp cheekbones, deep eye orbits, that same long nose of any Fang. "I've done my part, and I'm happy to turn it over to you. Just make sure credit goes where due so when it's time for me to stand before my elders and request a level-up, this'll be a bump in the right direction.
"If you guys want to see for yourselves," he adds, "I found that crap in the basement. Try not to get caught in a cave-in, hm?"
Ivan sucks a drag off the cigarette, puffs it out. Turns to go -- pauses after a step, turns back.
"You're the Wyrmfoe. It's not much of a title so far as such things go, it's true, but it is a title nonetheless. I scarcely believe I have to tell a Shadow Lord this, but wear it like the marking of rank it is."
[Simon] He smiles a little back at Adara."You mean while you were in? I was out here... Like I said... Not gonna pile seven people into an old rickety house about to fall over. You all lived well enough."He says with a nod of his head before looking at Ivan."As for Ivan I believe he was doing his job. Though don't take my word for it."He smiles slightly then turns his attention back on the Fang. The boy acted less like a fang than any fang he had ever met. He couldn't help but smile just a hint at him.
"I will make sure you get the credit you are due..."He says taking the bucket from Ivan before smirking just a hint. Ivan was right and it was becoming a struggle to prove to anyone that the position meant anything when it was being downright ignored like this. Simon's responsibility was to treat the position with the respect it was due even if it meant nothing to anyone else.
His attention shifts back towards Adara."Get the parts loaded up into the back of my car and I will make them disappear. Just umm fold one of the blankets back and cover them up nicely. Don't wanna get stopped by the cops on my way out of town."He says as he reaches into the car and tosses his keys to the Galliard. He took the bucket and started to look around for somewhere to keep it so it wouldn't spill out himself.
[Stefan Knezevic] Stefan...is tired. And he's only been just regaining his strength of will since it was sapped from him just a few days ago. So he makes his war carefully out of the house. Truth to be told, he was planning on checking the rest of the house anyway, but first he heads outside to meet up with everyone. He looks a little twitchy, just from exhaustion. And his night is actually not over yet.
But enough of that for now. He makes his way quietly along, seeing the others and meeting up with them.
[Resplendent Dusk] In some ways, Ivan is the very stereotype of the rich, entitled, arrogant Fang. In others -- well. Word in the tribe has it his family's lineage is failing. That their kin are barely purebred anymore. That they've mated with Glass Walkers, with Shadow Lords, with the nouveau riche and the self-made, the influential, the big money, no-name players on the world stage of the twenty-first century.
So yes. It's also very accurate to say: he's like no Fang Simon's met before because -- word in the tribe has it -- he's barely even a fucking Fang anymore.
Regardless of all that, Ivan's parting remark given, the Ragabash slips the cigarette back in his mouth and turns to go. Back to his parties and his women, one supposes. He glances at Stefan as he passes; he doesn't bother to say goodbye. A few steps later, he's simply another shadow in the darkness.
[Adara Mires] She nodded to Simon "Yes we did. Thank for keeping a look out"She say then nodded to Ivan "Don't worry Ivan, I won't forget that you went your own way while we were fighting the wines and found new evidence. It will be helpful and you'll get the credits for it"She say with a smile. She was being honest, it was smart what he did.
She placed a hand on Stefan's shoulder, he look drained "How are you holding up Stefan?"She ask with concern in her voice. She wait for his answer before heading to Simon's car
"Oh Simon is your trunk popped already, if not throw me the keys" She'll catch them if thrown or head out if the trunk was already open. It seem cleaning up bodies from the lawn wasn't something she minded.
[Stefan Knezevic] "I am fine." It's all that he says to Adara before he heads for his sports bike. "Please let anyone who might be seeking me know that I will be unavailable by phone until tomorrow sometime."
[Adara Mires] She caught the keys and opened the trunk, finding blankets. Five bodies might be hard to fit all in the trunk but with a blanket over the back seat, it should be fine, like SImon said. Once it was ready she head back to the lawn, passing Stefan "I'll call you tomorrow or come visit me at the BroHo ok?"She say looking at him. She had doubts he felt fine.
She start picking up the body parts and bring them to the car, filling the trunk first, then the backseat. She carefully covered the parts so nothing would show. It was long, but she did it well
[Unnatural Selection] [Thanks for being such troopers, guys! You ROCK. :) ]
[Stefan Knezevic] He shrugs at Adara and gets on his bike, revving it and driving off. Someone has an appointment to make.
be like the deer.
6 years ago