The Man With No Words (IC)

[Komodo]

It had been an unusually foggy morning.

In spite of that, the bazaar was still expecting to go according to plan. Perhaps there would be less vendors, and definitely fewer buyers, but it was still a very profitable venture for the local farms, and there would still be many disappointed citizens if the market day was canceled.

And, to be sure, it started out promising enough. Steven Black was overseeing some of his fellow workers setting up stalls of produce and their famous fresh milk, aided (perhaps reluctantly) by his daughter, Allison. The dim scene was given a bit of extra brightness by another young girl, one with a young face whose eyes had seen hardships, as she began strumming on a guitar and singing softly. The guitar case in front of her would hopefully have enough of other people’s generosity in it to get her through the week.

Also entering the scene were two others. One was a strikingly pretty young lady to whom fortune had been kind, coming today, as many did, to take her mind of other worries, although hers were heavier than others might guess. Also present was a worker, a foreign-looking man by the name of Marek Kowalski.

Aside from these, however, there were few other guests, all of them shopping, talking, browsing, eating, or going to walk on the beach. Even in the fog, the sun still shone nicely, and the wind and water were quite peaceful.

But the peace would not last.

Some heard it before others. However, it was very audible before it was visible.

Coming out of the trees from the north, making a great rustling sound, was an enormous black cloud, the width of the entire parking lot, moving with formidable speed. It was moving quickly toward the lot across the street, where all of the shoppers and vendors had parked their cars, and once it overtook that, it would quickly be upon the bazaar.

Some people fled to the beach. Some ran toward the cloud, thinking they might reach their cars before the cloud hit them. Some people ran to the one structure on this side of the street: the Manitee café and gift shop. And some just stood there, dumbfounded.

Roll Initiative (1d10 + initiative mod), and also wits+composure. Decide your course of action

[sun_tzu]

Dex+Composure: [roll0]
Wits+Composure: [roll1]

Peggy had been hoping to take her mind off her worries by hitting the beach. Oh, in most respects, she had always led a charmed life...but the recent events surrounding her best friend still laid heavily on her mind. What on Earth could drive Stephanie into hiding like that? And what could frighten that private eye so much he just fled? Good Lord, Steph, what have you gotten yourself into?
OK, no. No worrying right now. If I don't take some time to relax, I'm just going to worry myself sick. I should just HOLY HELL WHAT IS THAT?!

Looking for the nearest cover, Peggy ran toward the café.

[Odentin]

Damn. Starting quick...

Also, isn't init 1d10+mod?

Init: [roll0]
Wits+composure: [roll1]

"Dad!"

Allison moves to get Steve moving towards cover, following to make sure they both reach safety...

[Komodo]

Odentin: Crap, you're right. Lemme fix that...

[sun_tzu]

OK, so I guess my initiative roll is [roll0]

[LyingTicktock]

Kat knew it was going to be a long day. The fog had driven a lot of listeners away, and to top it all, she didn't even have any seed money for the case. All the same, she played the guitar and sang as though she didn't have a care in the world. As a small concession to her mood, she began playing "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?". Though she's no Fogerty, the old classic always seemed to do well.

By the time the second chorus starts, Kat has begun to relax and get into the flow.

"I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain?
I wanna know..."

Shocked for a moment by the sudden appearance of the strange cloud, Kat drops the guitar into the case as gently as possible, and begins running towards the café, hoping to find shelter inside.

Initiative:[roll0]
Wits+Composure:[roll1]
10s:[roll2]

[Komodo]

The dark cloud quickly advanced. From it came a strange sound: rumblingly loud, but strange, quick, repeating, and rather high-pitched. It soon overtook the cars, as well as the poor sod who had tried running toward his own vehicle. The cloud covered him, obscuring his fate.

Some of the patrons of the market began running toward the café. Between them and their hope of safety stood a row of tables, baskets, and buckets that held goods for sale, and behind them, the trucks that had been used to carry the goods. And was it just the panicked imagination of the runners, or was the fog getting thicker?

Roll Dexterity+Athletics to climb over the obstacles. Wits+Survival to quickly find the fastest path through them, or Strength+Brawl to force your way through. You could go around, but that might cost you some time...

If there's something else you might want to try, go ahead and roll it. I will just lay out the first options that come to my mind, to save time.

[sun_tzu]

Oh crap oh crap oh crap...
Running for dear life, Peggy decided to save time by leaping over the nearest table, jumping from there to the table after that, and so on until she had gotten past the obstacles.

Dexterity + Athletics: [roll0]

[Morty]

Marek had been loitering around the bazaar, having come there to buy fresh food. This sort of thing was one of the few things he misses about his grandmother's home.

Of course, all that went to hell when the... cloud appeared. Marek didn't run like all the others, though. It would have been a coward's way out, and he'd had enough of that in his life. Instead of running, he backed away slowly, trying to pierce the fog.

[Odentin]

Allison doesn't even flinch, running straight up a parked truck's bumper and hood to the roof, where she pauses a moment to make sure her father and his companions make it through the crowd alright before continuing off the truck and towards the cafe.

I love you, Komodo.
Dex/Athletics: [roll0]

[Komodo]

As the group of runners reached the stalls, the noise coming from the cloud became louder, and clearer. Could it be...?

Everyone's character may know what is written within except for sun_tsu's, who failed his wits+composure roll. I won't demand secrecy, just note that for roleplaying purposes.Caws. The air around the advancing cloud was reverberating with the sound of a massive flock of crows or ravens, as well as the beating sound of their wings. It had not been clear before because of the sheer magnitude of the sound. There must have been thousands of them, and indeed, the runners began to see outlier blackbirds out of the corner of their eyes.

Peggy quickly hopped onto a table, trying to bound over it. However, as she went, her foot caught on the handle of a basket of fresh fruit. As she tried to correct her balance, her other foot left the table, and she fell on the round flat on her face. Take one point of bashing damage.

Kat began moving through the stalls, carefully stepping around tables and over buckets while still going as fast as possible. Her steps moved with a surprising grace, and she bypassed the obstacles quickly. (Four successes on wits+survival roll) On the other side, she was joined in her running by a man no older than herself.
He seemed to be taking the whole event much more jovially than others were. As they ran, he whistled loudly. It took her a second, but then Kat realized: he was whistling the tune to "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" The lad winked at Kat, then ran on ahead.

Marek moved forward more easily, less concerned with speed and more with discovery. As he moved past a truck, he turned his head and gazed into the depths of the raven-cloud...
One Success on a wits+investigation roll. Feel free to look, but only Morty's character knows this...Marek looked at the cloud, large enough to hold hundreds of thousands of ravens. He noticed that it was not just birds within: the cloud of ravens was intermixed with a dark mist like smoke, that from a greater distance could conceal the avians within. His eye was then caught by motion: close to the ground, there was a space where the ravens were much more thickly concentrated than elsewhere. The birds were flying a bit more erratically there. It seemed as though those birds were fighting over something, although it was impossible to say what. The thick area is moving slower than the rest of the cloud, and isn't currently close to anyone.

The raven-cloud continued to advance, and the slower of those in the lot began to feel its effects. A woman in heels began to become obscured from view. A young man in truly impractical clothing began furiously swatting the air around him. A father with his daughter ducked under a table. And crows began flying around the heads of Peggy and Marek. They began to find that the birds were decently aggressive, and had no qualms about personal space.


Kat and Alison have a clear shot at the Manatee Café. If you wish to aid another, that will be a strength+athletics roll as you pull them forward.
To Marek and Peggy, make a dexterity+brawl to keep the crows away from you, or dex+athletics to sprint your way out. Peggy is prone. She can get up and run, but the brawl option is unavailable to her.

[Destrude]

To anyone else, the voice had been lost in the screams and cries of a dozen others, swallowed up by the chaos. But to Steven Black, the panicked call of his daughter pierced through the noise and directly into his chest, freezing his blood in a heartbeat.

Oh god, that's Ally! He was up and out of the cafe in a flash, straining to look everywhere at once. A distant part of his mind noted the on rushing cloud of black, but the rest of his mind fairly vibrated in panic for several heart-rending seconds before he saw her. Bounding up and onto a series of cars, the nimble form of his raven-haired daughter sent a shot of relief through him. She looked afraid, but alive, and that was the most important thing.

Cupping his hands over his mouth, Steven shouted out. Allison! Over here! Come on, get inside! He waved his arms overhead, even as panicked citizens shoved past him in their blind, animal panic.

[Odentin]

Allison grins as she sees her father at the cafe, already safe. For the rest of the way to the door was just for fun. The arch of her foot finds the edge of the truck's roof, and without conscious thought, her knees bend and straighten, launching her into a flying leap over the bed of the truck and onto the ground behind it, where she rolls with the momentum and back up to her feet, never slowing in her charge towards the safety of the cafe and her father's arms.

[sun_tzu]

Ugh...That smarts...
Peggy looked up from her prone position. The cloud was still advancing, and...
She gritted her teeth. Oh like Hell I'm dying here or whatever! Getting up, she ran as fast as she could.

Spending a Dot of Willpower. Dex+Athletics: [roll0]

[LyingTicktock]

Surprised by the guy's flippant attitude towards the crazed murder of crows, Kat stares at his retreating back, until she almost collides with a table. She shakes her head slightly. The kid was obviously either crazy, or just stupid.

Reaching the door of the café, Kat turns and looks back for a moment - just a moment. It was a pity; those people probably didn't deserve to get torn to shreds by crows. But there was no way for Kat to save them, unless she wanted to get herself killed along with them.

Tearing the door of the café open, Kat stumbles inside, slamming the door behind her. Panting for breath for a moment, she then turns to check if the windows needed closing as well.

Yeah. She'd find a way to save or replace the guitar somehow. It was best to look out for your friends.

[Morty]

Marek really, really had no idea what was going on, but a greater concentration of those weird-ass birds seemed like a target to him. It wasn't like he had a better option. So he grabbed the first thing he could get his hands on and threw it.

Athletics + Deterity -1:

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]

[Komodo]

As the world around her became immersed in darkness, Peggy jumped up to her feet and summoned all her will power. Bolting with all her might, she rushed out of the cloud and bolted into the café. Perhaps not the most graceful entrance, but she was safe. For the moment, at least. She stood just inside the door to catch her breath.

Marek became more aware of the danger coming upon him, and unsteadily reached for whatever he could find to throw. This happened to be a small, wooden crate of milk, freshly bottled from the local farms. He heaved it toward the birds closest to him and hoped for the best. The crate smacked at least one right in the face, and a few pained caws told a story of a few more being hit by stray bottles. A couple more flew up to Marek and began pecking at him, but he ducked his head and brushed them off as he entered the café.

Allison, having cleanly cleared the seller’s stands, moved with ease into the Manatee Café. There, her loving father, Steven, was waiting for her. Kat reservedly slipped passed them as she entered. As the dark and steadily noisier cloud approached, Steven pulled his daughter inside and pulled the door shut.

Within, the café smelled of breakfast. Aromas of eggs, pancakes, sausages and other morning foods wafted in the air, and various works by local artists hung on the walls, most of them colorful scenes of a beach or underwater. These, along with smooth instrumental music playing low over speakers along the walls, created an atmosphere that starkly contrasted with the rising chaos just outside.

Within a few moments after the door shutting, the cloud reached the restaurant, and the room was shrouded in darkness. Only the electric lights within kept the room from becoming pitch black. Scrapes of claws and beaks could be heard along the glass doors to the front and back of the restaurant, which faced parallel to the flight of the crows.

Any other Saturday, the café would have been stuffed with people, however, it seemed that the early morning fog had kept away the usual crowd, although there were still a few customers. A family of four sat in the corner to the left of the door, huddled together. The daughter was crying, and the son was staring out in sheer awe. To the right of the door, the waitress and kitchen staff stood , not sure what to make of the whole scene. Next to the front door stood a boy in his early twenties, dressed in an odd, old-fashioned robe with strange symbols embroidered into it. He had come in just behind Kat, but had been less lucky with the crows, and had a few nasty scratches along his face and arms. Dusting himself off, he moved to the left wall and stood on a booth to look out a mirror facing north, directly into the incoming ravens. He appeared visibly worried.

In the back sat a crowd of young men and women, ranging from late teens to early thirties. They sat next to a set of sliding-glass doors to the east. These were usually shuttered to block out the light of the rising sun, but they were currently lifting these shutters to deliberately get a better look while talking excitedly to one another. They seemed to be the only ones there who weren’t in some way frightened or even disturbed by the sudden appearance of the ravens.

As the people inside huddled together, the lights began to flicker. The chef cautiously reached under the cash register and pulled out a small bottle, and began to nervously sip from it.

[sun_tzu]

Within the relative safety of the café, Peggy was finally able to get a good look at the black cloud. "What the Hell?!" Crows? A murder of crows was trying to murder us all?! "Are those birds pulling a hitchcock?" I thought crows only attacked people in Japan, and even then not on this kind of scale!

[LyingTicktock]

Animals were just something you had to contend with, living on the streets. Dogs were the worst, since they'd happily give you a few bites before taking off with your food. Kat had been attacked by birds a few times, though. Yet she'd never seen any group of animals so crazed by god knows what. Shaking her head, she tried to put the mystery out of her mind, before it became too much for her.

Snorting at the guy dressed up like some sort of wizard, Kat looks around for the source of the smell. It reminded her that she'd not eaten since yesterday afternoon, and in the chaos, hopefully nobody would notice her taking one or two little bits of food, or at least care about it.

[Morty]

"Right, looks like not everyone here is as confused as we are. Those young fellas in the corner over there... they behave as though this was fun."
Marek sits down and looks at the crowd of young people suspiciously. Hopefully, if something goes down, others here will back him up.

[Komodo]

For escaping the swarm, everyone may be awarded one experience point.

The lights flickered again, then shut off for a few seconds. An electrical buzz could be heard above the ruckus outside. In the cover of darkness, Katherine moved toward the kitchen's counter and carefully lifted a plate containing a sausage and cheddar omelette garnished with orange slices. In the next few moments, the lights returned. If any of the kitchen staff noticed that the food had been taken, they didn’t mention it.

After Peggy’s outburst, the man in the robe dismounted the booth and moved toward the door, keeping his eyes fixed on the storm of birds outside. “Hitchcock?” He said, speaking loudly to be heard over the commotion. “I don’t think so. They aren’t attacking us in here. It’s almost like they’re going somewhere, and we were in the way. “ He reaches into his gown and pulled out a note pad and pen and began furiously scribbling notes.

In the back, the group was gathered together, their gaze fixed outside, and excitedly talking amongst themselves, loud enough so that they could be clearly heard, even over the commotion outside. Marek leaned in to hear what they were saying.

During the whole of their conversation, one lad merely stood to the side facing the others, whistling a solemn tune loudly, to be heard over the birds and the conversation. The others seemed to pay him no heed.

“He’s not here!”
“He has to be! Why else would…”
“Would you two shut up?”
“No need to shout. Everything will be all right soon.”
“Why is it dark?”
“Because of…oh…you mean…”
“There’s no doubt that the shadows we’re looking for are here. But we aren’t the ones to remove it. He will make that known when he comes.”
“And will he come? Is he here?”
“Of course he’s here, because the murder is here, and the murder…”
“ZIP IT!!!” (Three of them shouted in unison).

“Excuse me!” This comment came from the father of the family of four in the corner, directed at the group in the back. “Would you mind quieting a bit? You’re starting to scare my family, and things are bad enough as it is!”

With that remark, the group turned toward the father, their faces set in dark stares. Even the one lad stopped whistling to glare at him. The lights flickered again.

[LyingTicktock]

Within a minute or two, the plate is completely empty of everything except orange rinds. It was amazing how fast you could eat when you were at risk of losing every meal to animals or other people.

Having eaten her fill, Kat turns her attention to the people arguing in the back of the room. She pays particular attention to the guy whistling, wondering if it was the guy who whistled to her as she ran earlier. Tensely, she watches to see how the altercation with the father will turn out. Though it's never a tragedy when some middle-class idiot gets a punch in the face, the kids at least deserve better.

[sun_tzu]

Peggy approached the group in the back. "Excuse me, but what were you talking about? It sounded like you know something about...this," she said, pointing at the murder of crows outside.

[Odentin]

Once inside, Allison give Steve a quick hug, "Didn't know where you were. I'm glad you're safe."

She calms herself, practicing her breathing exercises and bringing her heart rate back down to normal level. Once she notices the people in the corner, she watches them intently, until they decide to glare at the family.

Allison marches towards them, her own face set in a dark scowl, "Hey! Where do you get off being so rude? You know what's going on? Share it with the group instead of just freaking people out."

[Morty]

Mark got up and approached the two people who had confronted the group, standing behind them menacingly. They obviously knew something about what was going on, or at least more than the rest of them. And they were behaving like jackasses, to boot.

[Komodo]

The talkative group shifted their gaze from the father to the group gathering in front of them. Peggy and Allison were asking them for information of the raven-cloud, with the latter being a touch more assertive. Behind them, they were silently backed up by two tough-looking gentlemen with stern looks on their faces. Behind them, Katherine observed the scene from over her licked-clean plate. Scanning the group, she saw that the lad who had been whistling earlier, a thin and starkly blonde lad no older than twenty, was indeed the same one who had whistled her song back at her earlier. He had not opened his mouth except to whistle since the events of the day started, and he did not become any more talkative as the tension in the room began to rise.

A boy and a girl from the group, of whom there were seven (counting the whistler), rose from their seats and stood before Allison and Peggy, staring them eye to eye. They stood there a few moments, staring, and the lights flickering. Irritatingly, when they finally did speak, they addressed their companions, and spoke as though the young athlete and socialite were not even there. In spite of this, they did not break eye contact with the girls.

For the sake of clarity and brevity, a dash in front of a line of spoken dialogue will represent a line spoken by one of the two standing up front.

-“What do you think?”
-“You mean, touched?”
-“Yeah”
“Could be”
“No way, he’s not here yet”
“But it’s the right place.”
*”Uh, excuse me?” This line came from the man in the robe, at the other end of the café, where he was currently being ignored.
-“They want to know what’s going on”
“Where is the light?”
“Precisely. Someone needs to light the candle.”
*”Hey, guys?”
-“But them? I don’t know. That one looks funny.” The boy looked at Marek as he spoke.
“That isn’t safe to say”
“In this world what is?”
*”HEY! They’re turning!”

At this line the group ended their cryptic chatter to look out the window again. The man in the strange clothes was telling the truth: The massive murder of ravens was doubling back on itself, effectively making a complete 180° turn.

The group still seems slightly on edge, but don’t appear to be ready to snap. If you want a more straightforward conversation, a roll of Presence + Persuasion may be in order (Presence, not manipulation, because their minds are clearly elsewhere and they need to be convinced you’re important). Intelligence + Socialize may be used to try and gain some clues from their chatter. As usual, if there is another action you think would be worthwhile, by all means, pick and roll it.

[sun_tzu]

Ignore us, will you? Then I guess I need to keep your attention for a couple minutes!
Peggy stepped in the middle of the group this time, loudly clapping her hands to gather their attention. "Listen, ladies and gentlemen - I'm sure your little conversation is deeply fascinating, but right now, the rest of us here are scared, upset, and a pair of torches and pitchforks away from doing something stupid. So how about you try actually explaining what's going on here instead of acting all cryptic?"

Presence+Persuasion: [roll0]

[sun_tzu]

Re-rolling 10s:
[roll0]

[Destrude]

As soon as his daughter was safe, Steven's eyes were riveted to the nightmarish flock whirling by outside. The chatter of the cafe's patrons was just noise to him, until his daughter stepped forward.

Oh Jesus, Ally. Does it always have to be feet-first into everything? You were footling breach (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breech_birth#Categories) too, I should have known from the start.

Shaking his head in part worry, part amusement, Steven steps forward to position himself between the two parties.

"Hey, I'm sure everyone is confused and scared here, but demanding answers from strangers or being rude isn't going to help. Now I know everyone wants to know what's going on, but the first thing we need to do is make sure we're safe here."

Pointing at the cafe staff, he continues. "You guys know this place the best, go and make sure any vents or doors are sealed off. Check any screens or plates to make sure they won't come off." Turning back to face the group of kids, "And we all need to check the glass and doors, make sure they're not breaking through or anything."

Without waiting for a response, Steven turns and heads for the door he came in.

Presence + Persuasion + Cooler head speciality:
[roll0]

Also, looking to see if anyone is near the door outside, or if there are any signs of breakage in the glass. Wits + Composure:
[roll1]

OR:

Wits + Crafts:
[roll2]

Re-rolls for 10s, left to right:
[roll3]

[Komodo]

The group suddenly appeared at a loss. First, Peggy had brought them all to attention for the first time, and then Steven had spoken up with a surprising amount of authority. For the first time they stopped their cryptic chatter and eased up a bit. Some seemed like they were genuinely guilty with how they had been acting. Some appeared to be sizing up Peggy with an approving eye. The young man who had approached the girls, however, grunted, and moved over to the taciturn lad who had whistled earlier. The former whispered something inaudible to the latter.

Steven's speech brought the kitchen staff (of whom there were three; two cooks and a waitress)to attention for the first time. Up to that point, they had been dumbfounded by the chaos outside, and too frightened to act. Spurred to action, they began checking around the small kitchen for any weak or open points. And as it turned out, not a moment too soon: after the swarm had turned, some had begun to fly into and crawl down the steam vent above the grill, which had no grating. The kitchen crew began to try and build a makeshift plug for the vent shaft out of two rolls of paper towels and some rubber spatulas. However, a few slipped through: three blackbirds slipped through the cracks as the cooks sealed it up. The birds began to harass the waitress for a bit, but quickly proceeded to join with their flock, moving in the direction the rest of the birds outside were. When they found a wall in their way and the window unyielding, they proceeded to perch on the ceiling rafters in the middle of the dining room. The little girl sitting in the corner with her family began to hold her mother tightly and began crying harder, eyes fixed on the cruel ravens. The man in the robe found them fascinating, however. He pulled out a small book from his interior pocket and tried to read from it, scribbling notes, and look back at the birds in on the rafters, all simultaneously, even as the lights flickered off again.

Back at the table of the Cryptic-Speakers, the girl who had gotten up to confront Allison and Peggy for the first time actually addressed them by pulling up chairs for them, and sitting in one herself. She also waved her fingers to summon over Marek.

"We might have underestimated you earlier," she began, talking gracefully despite having to rase her voice to be heard over the swarm outside. "But you're not as ignorant as we thought. A pitchfork away from something stupid, indeed." She turned her face toward the window. "You see this? This thing you leapt over cars to run from?" She said, looking at Allison. "This thing that made you bump your head out of fear?" She looked at Peggy, who suddenly became aware of a bit of dried blood that had run down to the bridge of her nose. She hadn't noticed in the rush. "You're demanding to know about it, because you're refusing to believe that this is just something that could happen. You won't believe that this just bad luck, on par with a dog nipping your leg, or a deer wrecking your car."

"That may seem obvious to you, but you see them?" She pointed to the mother and father, trying to calm their children. "Right now, they're trying to convince themselves that this will all be over in an hour, and then nothing like this will ever happen again. Them?" She nodded toward the kitchen crew. "They're not convinced this is even real. And him?" She began to point at the guy in the robe, who was eagerly pulling out his book and trying to flip through it as the lights went out, but changed her mind. "Actually, nevermind him."

"I can't tell you everything, because I honestly don't know all the details. But I'll let you in on a little clue:" Here, she turned to her companions, as though expecting confirmation. Most of them just turned away uneasily. Undaunted, she turned back to Peggy, Allison, and Marek. "You mentioned lacking only a pitchfork and torch before going insane. Well, this is the pitchfork. A literal riot against the strange and unwelcome." The girl took a sip of iced tea. "You know that someone's holding the pitchfork, but you might find it more immediately relevant to ask where the torch is." The lights slowly flickered back on.

Meanwhile, the young man who had talked to the whistler moved to the opposite side of the restaurant. Ignoring the conversation between the girls, he went and sat next to Kat. Leaning in, he whispered to her, soft enough so she could just hear: "I saw you take that food. The idiots working the kitchen haven't even realized it's gone. It was going to that kid, by the way," he said, motioning to the son in the family, "not that it matters to me. I need you to do me a favor. That fool in the robes? He has something in his pocket: a small obsidian trinket. You can sneak, so lift it. He's not paying much attention anyways, and you can wait 'til the lights go back out. I promise, it'll be worth your while." Without waiting for a response, the young man returned to his seat.

Standing by the front door, Steven did not notice anyone outside, nor did he see any structural fault in the glass. Only problem was, there didn't need to be: the glass was designed primarily to let in light. It was not strong: the only reason it was undamaged was because the birds were flying parallel to it, first one way, then the other. The door wouldn't withstand a direct assault. However, it was not without precautions: the door was equipped with a folding storm shutter... on the outside. If only...ah ha! There was a mechanism to shut it from the inside above the door! He reached up to test it. It was jammed. He could feel the chain stuck in two different places, and couldn't reach both of them at once. Even if he did try to fix it on his own, it was too high to see. He would have to rely on touch...or else go out and risk the swarm...

[sun_tzu]

"Well, thank you for explaining...absolutely nothing," said Peggy. "Cryptic explanations make for great fairy tales. In real life, their only purpose is to make the riddler feel smarter than whoever they're talking to.
She pointed at the black cloud. "Right now, there's the world's largest murder of crows trying to peck its way up our position in the food chain. I can come up with theories on the cause, but if you know something, say it. The world won't end because you give a straight answer."

Presence+Persuade, if necessary. Striking Looks may or may not apply.
[roll0]

[sun_tzu]

reroll: [roll0]

[LyingTicktock]

Kat gives the guy a sidelong glance. Was he trying to blackmail her over a plate of food? Even if he wasn't, his behaviour and demeanour to this point was definitely offputting. She wasn't about to put herself at risk for some piece of glass, in return for some vague promise from a guy that threatened kids. Obsidian wasn't worth anything, anyway.

Still, there had to be something interesting about Harry Potter for him to want the item. First she checks the building for something in particular: a broom cupboard, a food pantry, anywhere better to hide that isn't exposed to the outside, in case the birds decide they really want breakfast themselves.

That done, she sidles up to Harry. Observing his writing for a moment, she gives him a friendly but worried smile. "Hey. Pretty crazy morning we're having, right? Are you a scientist or something? You seem to be studying those crows."

[Odentin]

Allison refuses to sit, but listens. Her eyes follow the man over to the other girl, and rests on the family for a long moment. She allows the more made-up girl to respond first, but sighs and resigns herself to what she's about to do. Stressful day, and all that, "Yeah, look. You've caused the others some undue stress, and I'm sure they'd rather see you thrown out to the crows than not, at this point." She watches her father a moment before turning her gaze on the woman, "So what do you say you start talking sense, before I do just that."

Gonna blow a willpower on this roll.

Presence+Intimidation+3=[roll0]

[Odentin]

Huh. Ok. [roll0]

[Morty]

"Yeah, do we look like people who enjoy riddles?" Marek asked angrily. "If there's any confusion, I'll help: I don't. So stop talking in circles."

[Komodo]

As Allison, Peggy, and Marek pressured the woman, she became silent and blinked for a few seconds. Were those...tears forming in her eyes? Throughout her talk, the woman had held an air of composure and grace, which she still tried to hold on to, but her grip was now clearly feeble. On the verge of breakdown, she got up and moved to the other side of her table, where she stood and stared out at the birds.

As Kat approached the man in the robe, she looked around the room, hopeful that she might find some shelter in the event their situation somehow got worse. Unfortunately, the place had been given a minimalistic design to look like a tropical seaside shanty. The only two rooms were the kitchen in one corner and the dining room, which wrapped around it. The only full wall stood between the kitchen and the east end, with the north end of the kitchen containing a counter where the waitresses would pick up food, as well as the cash register. Even the bathrooms were accessed from the outside, so that patrons coming in from the beach could use them without bringing sand or water into the restaurant. If things were to go poorly, she figured her best bet would be under a table, or possibly under the sink in the kitchen, which was home to a mop bucket and other supplies but had a surprising amount of room if these were removed.

Kat addressed the man, a thin-faced messy-haired clean-shaven boy in his mid-to-late twenties, and was answered with a “One second…” One second passed, and the lights went out again. Foiled in his attempts to write or read, he took one last look at the birds in the roof (whose eyes eerily reflected the not-quite-light that manaded to break through the cloud outside), and turned to Katherine. “Um, hello” he awkwardly begins. “A scientist? No, nono…” he gave a weak chuckle at the thought. “It’s not really the birds themselves, you see, I just try to understand, things that…you know, things we can’t really explain. I’m a…” The lights returned. “Well, here.” The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card, and handed it to the young vagarant.



Zilos Fortune Studio
~where one world touches the next~
Let Søren Zilos guide you as you approach the mysteries of the beyond!

fortunes told – speak with lost loved ones – meditation classes
protections from misfortune – interpretations of dreams
and more!

Mysteries are unlocked to those
brave enough to look for the keys…

147 Ferrier Ave. Alma Delta, NC, 28144
Søren seemed quite out of his element talking about it here. "This thing, ah...it's not quite what i'm used to. I'm just doing what they're doing," He pointed at the group interrogating the Cryptic Talkers. "Trying to understand what's going on. In my own way."

Back with the interrogators, before they could pursue the matter any further with the girl, they were approached by another boy, who they recognized as the one who was constantly being shut down by his companions when they had first entered the restaurant.. This kid could not have been older than fifteen. Looking over his shoulder, as if afraid of being told to shut up again, he began speaking to the interrogators quickly, and in hushed tones, to the point they had to strain to hear what he was saying:

"Don't be too hard on Anna. This isn't easy for her. She's been through something awful before this. And she doesn't know that much. But you should know. We're waiting for someone. We don't know his name. No one does. But he'll be here. Because the crows are here. The crows, you see? They're one thing. You're three things. They're one thing. And they're here because he's coming. They're a part of him, you know? They come to clear the way. He doesn't like being seen. Or heard. And he's coming, you know, so he can OUF..."

The boy's rapid-fire explanation was cut short as the tip of a broom handle made contact with his temple. Holding it was the man who had first approached the interrogators, and had demanded something from Katherine. His face was firm, and angry.

[sun_tzu]

As Allison, Peggy, and Marek pressured the woman, she became silent and blinked for a few seconds. Were those...tears forming in her eyes? Throughout her talk, the woman had held an air of composure and grace, which she still tried to hold on to, but her grip was now clearly feeble. On the verge of breakdown, she got up and moved to the other side of her table, where she stood and stared out at the birds.
Peggy put a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. The evasive answers are aggravating, but she's stuck here with the rest of us, and this is probably just as ****ty a situation for her.


Back with the interrogators, before they could pursue the matter any further with the girl, they were approached by another boy, who they recognized as the one who was constantly being shut down by his companions when they had first entered the restaurant.. This kid could not have been older than fifteen. Looking over his shoulder, as if afraid of being told to shut up again, he began speaking to the interrogators quickly, and in hushed tones, to the point they had to strain to hear what he was saying:

"Don't be too hard on Anna. This isn't easy for her. She's been through something awful before this. And she doesn't know that much. But you should know. We're waiting for someone. We don't know his name. No one does. But he'll be here. Because the crows are here. The crows, you see? They're one thing. You're three things. They're one thing. And they're here because he's coming. They're a part of him, you know? They come to clear the way. He doesn't like being seen. Or heard. And he's coming, you know, so he can OUF..."

The boy's rapid-fire explanation was cut short as the tip of a broom handle made contact with his temple. Holding it was the man who had first approached the interrogators, and had demanded something from Katherine. His face was firm, and angry.

Peggy quickly moved between the boy and his aggressor, glaring at the later. "Sir, we've got enough problems with the crazy birds, without human-on-human violence. If you must hit something, then you are perfectly free to step outside and thin the crows' numbers."
What she wanted to say involved a lot more screaming and swearing, but she could tell the already-tense social situation required a bit more tact than that.

Presence+Persuade: [roll0]

[Komodo]

As Peggy put her hand on the girl's shoulder, she replied by reaching up and gave her fingers a gentle squeeze, albeit without turning around.


The man with the broom didn't respond to Peggy's attempt to talk him down. He didn't seem to be looking to fight, nor did he prepare to strike the boy again, but he also did not appear apologetic. The boy appeared dazed, but didn't seem too badly hurt. He had received the message, though, and fell silent.

[LyingTicktock]

Kat smiles at the business card, despite the serious situation.

"Do you do yoga classes as well? I've heard that's a lot of fun. Anyway, what is there to understand? Whenever something like this happens, it always turns out to be some messed up migration because of global warming or swamp gas or something."

[Komodo]

"Yoga classes? Oh no...nowhere near flexible enough." Søren chuckled at the thought of him bending that far. "As for swamp gas, well, all I can say is, good for you that you can believe something like that. It torments me a bit that I can't. I always see something behind nearly everything. Like this, the movements of the birds outside tells me that..." He cracked open his book, but then looked up again, curious. "Hey, are you all right?"

But Kat wasn't alright. She had unconsciously given a start, and the dim room seemed to brighten as her pupils dilated. Her skin broke out in goosebumps and a chill ran down her spine. Something inside of her, which had kept her alive before, was telling her danger, danger.

On the other side of the restaurant, the man holding the broom grinned. "Well, well," he said. "He's here." Behind him, in the southeast corner of the restaurant, was the back door, closed tight. He began slowly backing towards it.

Make a Wits + Composure roll. One success will alert you to danger, two will let you know from where. Kat and Marek will receive a +2 bonus on their rolls, Kat for her danger sense, and Marek for success on an earlier roll. If Destrude posts, I will permit him to say what he spent the last couple of minutes doing, which will equal a few minutes of in-game time.

[Odentin]

Damn it! Was gonna kick that guy in the face...

Oh well.

[roll0]

Allison glares at the man with the broom, as if ready to throw him from the building. Before she can, however, a chill runs down her spine from the new threat. She drops into a defensive stance, facing the direction of the threat...

[sun_tzu]

Wits+Composure: [roll0]

[LyingTicktock]

Kat always knew when things were about to get real bad. Like now. Unconsciously, she bares her teeth like a cornered animal, and turns toward the source of that feeling. Keeping the cupboard under the sink in mind, she makes herself ready to flee towards that dubious haven if it looks like it may be of use.

[Komodo]

Outside, the noise suddenly picks up. The cloud shifts its direction once more, however, this time, it seems...less orderly, if that makes any sense. Along with the omnipresent cawing and flapping, there's another sound, difficult to make out, though.

Marek recognized it, though. Outside, when he had looked back, he had seen a section in the cloud that had been more chaotic, as though the birds within it were fighting. Now, that same sound was just outside the restaurant, close to the front entrance, where Steven was. And coming closer.

There was a second or two where that scuffle was visible outside the restaurant, just outside the front door. Just before it crashed through, that is.

If you managed a success on the previous wits roll, you may now act. Destrude, while you failed that, you may still roll for anything you may have wanted to do in the previous few rounds that does not involve heavy socializing, such as trying to seal the door, and we'll work things out retroactively. A stealth roll if you wish to hide, but again, feel free to choose an alternate action if you think it's appropriate. Example, Allison could use an athletics roll to jump into the ceiling rafters. Not to say that that's the best or safest idea, but there you have it.

[Odentin]

Allison's eyes widen as she sees her dad still in front of the door. She dashes forward, attempting to grab him and pull him out of the way before whatever is coming through does so...

[LyingTicktock]

Kat tears over to the sink, hurling the mop and other items out on to the floor almost before she stops running. She attempts to place herself under there as inconspicuously as possible, facing outwards so that she can watch what happens in the café. Ready to spring out at any moment, she attempts to quiet her breathing as best she can, so as not to draw attention.

[Morty]

Marek looks around for anything that might be used as a weapon. "Everyone, trouble is coming," he says.

[Komodo]

The dense part of the cloud was visible a few seconds prior, giving the patrons of the restaurant precious moments to act.

Allison grabbed her father, only just becoming aware of the danger, and pulled him away from the glass door. The two of them fell to the floor, and quickly moved under a table, pulling chairs close to themselves as improvised protection.

Katherine bolted past the panicking kitchen staff and ducked under the sink, pulling the large mop bucket in front of her, hoping it'd be enough.

Marek reached over the counter and grabbed a frying pan, hoping it would be enough to swat at the swarm.

Peggy looked at the last possible second, unable to act.

The lights went out, for the final time.

Some say that time slows down during a crisis. But it isn't like that, not really. The disaster is over before anyone even really notices it. Its the moments that follow that seem to slow down.

In such a fashion went this particular sequence of moments, as something hit the front door in a process similar to a child's hand sweeping away the tower of a sandcastle. The dark restaurant became black as the building filled with crows.

Allison and Steven strove to protect each other, but were vulnerable to a number of pecks, claws, and wing-beats. Sustain one point of bashing damage each.

Marek and Peggy had the good sense to pull to the side and braced themselves, but were hit by...something. Something that felt quite a bit more solid than a murder of crows shoved them into the counter and knocked the wind out of them. Sustain three points of bashing damage each.

Kat remained mostly safe in her niche. As she was on the same wall as the beasts were coming through, they filled up most of the rest of the room before coming closer to her. As she remained huddled in the dark, there suddenly came a bright flash of red light. Others could see it as well, but none quite as well as her. She saw it turn the entire kitchen red as it streaked through the air, but it went out as quick as it came. She heard a muffled scream come from the other end of the kitchen.

The swarm hit the table the cryptic talkers had been sitting around, and there its rampage halted. One could hear it knock over the table. There was a human scream from the table's other side, and then a loud screech. The screech was distinctly inhuman, but not from any crow, either, it was far too loud and deep.

Unlike outside, where the crows, while dense, had at least given each other flying space, here, they were densely packed around the toppled table at the east end of the restaurant, so densely that one could not look between them. The rest of the restaurant seemed to clear as the crows continued their frenzy. Oddly, no more seemed to fly in from the outside, only the ones in the dense swarm remained inside, as though stuck on the table.

[Destrude]

So Black Friday managed to turn into a 12+ hour shift of madness, complete with insane customers out the ass. Sorry about that. :(

Next week I'm only working one shift though, so maybe there's a light at the end of the tunnel yet. :)

The bright light of pain cutting through his shock, Steven huddles under the table with Allison and takes off his jacket to try to shield them from the maddened birds onslaught.

At the sound of the inhuman cry, he calls out to the other patrons. "What the hell is that?! Can anyone see whatsoever happening?"

Current health track:
[\] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

[Komodo]

As swiftly as it started, it was over.

A smashing sound could be heard as the...whatever it was surrounded by a dense murder of crows crashed through the glass on the east side of the cafe, and continued on.

A few seconds passed as the people in the restaurant huddled, protecting themselves and their loved ones.

Then, quiet.

It slowly dawned on them that it wasn't their hopeful imagination: the crows were passing. The murder was thinning. Soon, there was calm around the cafe, and not a single wing-flap could be heard.

A path of destruction led through the cafe, coming in through the front door on the west side and going out through the back sliding glass doors on the east. Tables toppled, and glass shards leading from front to back.

Most of the patrons seemed flustered, but not seriously harmed. The family on the northwest corner had their share of scratches, but had huddled under the table and seemed alright at a glance. In the kitchen, one cook had been knocked to the floor, and his fellow staff were just noticing. He didn't seem well.

The group of cryptic-talkers, who had been gathered about the east wall, had taken the worst of it. Most of them were scattered about on the floor. Some clearly had been seriously injured. One...no, two of them had been able to move to the side, and seemed shaken but on their feet. One could be seen just as a silhouette, running out into the open for God knows what reason.

The lights did not come back on, but the leaving of the crows had allowed light to enter the restaurant once more. However, the fog had somehow gotten worse. Within the restaurant looking out, one's visibility would be very limited.

[Destrude]

Steven stands, gathering his wits and scope of the situation. Upon seeing the injured teens, he makes his way over and attempts to apply first aid.

Rolling Int + Medicine. If there's a first aid kit nearby ill use that, feel free to roll additional dice if need be.

[roll0]

[Odentin]

Allison crawls to her feet and takes a look around, taking a small amount of satisfaction that the only ones injured were the ones that were freaking everyone out. While her father looks over the wounded, she stares out at the one running, "Should I bring him back in here? Or let him run?" She asks no-one in particular, just letting it stand for anyone, including his companions, to answer.

[Destrude]

Without stopping his work, Steve's tension is evident as he replies. "Stay safe, but bring him back here. I want answers, and he could be injured."

[Odentin]

Allison nods, tensing her body as she instinctively prepares to launch, "Got it."

Following her statement, she takes off, heading for the idiot outside in an attempt to bring him back to the cafe...

Foot chase roll?

Stam+Ath+Equipment: [roll0]
Possible 10's: [roll1]

[sun_tzu]

Ow...What was that? Didn't feel like crows.
I'm...I'm aching all over, I'm dizzy, and this whole day SUCKS, but I don't think I'm seriously injured. Is anyone else?
Peggy looked around. She then picked up her cell phone to call for an ambulance. "...some injured, I'm not sure how bad it is...Please send help..." Even as she gave the address, she tried to look around, see what could have knocked her over like that.

[Komodo]

The immediate anger apparently passed, Steven quickly got himself up and prepared to help the teens along the east wall. The scene he found there was rather gruesome: two of them had taken the brunt of it, and had very deep cuts on their chests, necks, and faces. Upon checking, Steven found they weren't breathing. Making the most of a bad situation, he focused on the girl, who had sat down with them earlier. She had a deep cut on her abdomen, and had hit her head, but she was still conscious and breathing, although the very act of respiration was visibly painful for her. Grabbing a handful of napkins and a sanitization pad that had been on the table before it had been knocked over, he used them to clean the wound and apply pressure to the bleeding. This made her wrench in pain a bit, but she did not struggle. Beside her, her two uninjured friends, one of whom was the whistler, looked on, worriedly. Steven pulled the napkins back for a look, and his face went a bit grim. He was doing alright, but it would take more effort to stop the bleeding.

Out in the fog, Allison ran after the one who had recklessly ran out himself. He had a head start, but Allison had a lifetime of training, a better pair of shoes, and was considerably more stubborn. She caught up to the fool easily, and noticed who it was: the angry one, who had whispered roughly to the homeless girl inside and who had silenced the young one with the stiff end of a broom. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned to look. His eyes became wide as he noticed Allison behind him, but she was already at his heels, and still had the drop on him.

Back inside the restaurant, the young socialite called in for an ambulance. She was informed that they were on their way, but that the fog was causing traffic delays, and they might be a while. Looking around, she saw the father of the family get up after making sure his family was alright. Seeing Steven at work with the teens, he called out, "Hey, you there, here!" and slid a mini-medkit over to him. He then proceeded into the kitchen to help the injured chef in there.

Peggy saw one of the cryptic-talkers get up: the boy, who had been knocked down earlier after trying to help them. After falling on the ground from the blow, he had actually been in a pretty good position to stay out of the way, so he was mostly alright, despite a few scratches. Then she noticed something: The lad in the robes. Oddly enough, he had escaped all harm. He hadn’t jumped out of the way earlier…or had he? Peggy had been looking in the other direction. Still, she knew he was standing in the main walkway, where…whatever it was had ran through. He had a few scratches, but it didn’t seem like significantly more than he’d had when he first came in. Hmm.

[Odentin]

Had it been any of the others, Allison might have given him the option to go peacefully, but not this one. This one is getting taken back in a headlock. She doesn't bother slowing as she approaches, tackling the man where he stands...

Grapple attempt. Spending willpower because he pissed her off.

[roll0]
10 again: [roll1]

[sun_tzu]

Peggy walked toward the robed fellow. "Not a scratch on you, I see." And why is that, exactly?

[Komodo]

Within, the restaurant, Steven grabbed the mini-medkit the other father had slid over to him, and used it to get a better handle on closing the poor girl's wounds. As deep as the gash was, he finally managed to get a handle on it, and within a few minutes the bleeding finally began to slow to a crawl. He cleaned it once more and bandaged her up. The girl eased up and lay flat on the ground. She was still clearly in pain, but the worst had passed. Now to make sure another young girl was safe...

Outside, Allison charged the man, bent low, and slammed the full force of her frame into him. It was a perfect tackle: the man was knocked right off his center of balance and proceeded to hit the pavement face first. On the ground, he proceeded to struggle, but it was useless. In spite of her feminine frame, Allison was stronger than him, and her grip held. After groaning in struggle and in pain, he proceeded to the verbal abuse.

"You don't know what you're doing, bitch!" The man lashed out. "Let me go! You won't make it back, ayway!"

As Allison held him down, she noticed what he meant: the fog was very thick, and she had ran a bit of a distance to catch him. She couldn't see the restaurant from here...

When you decide to drag him back, you must make a resolve + composure roll to avoid becoming lost, at a -1 penalty for dragging a resisting rebel.

Back within the building, Peggy's sudden remark caused the robed man to look over himself, startled. "I, ah...huh. I...guess I got lucky." He smiled nervously. With all the events happening today, Peggy was a bit shaken, but her innate ability to read people was still intact. He was hiding something.

Her response, however, was delayed, as the kitchen staff suddenly gasped and took a few steps back. The father of the family stepped out of the kitchen. He had gone in there to examine the injured staff member. He was now coming out with a dismal expression on his face.

[Odentin]

Allison chuckles and rolls over, repositioning him into a sleeper hold, though refrains from squeezing his airpipe closed, "Oh we're gonna make it back. Both of us. And then you're gonna answer some questions. Now are we gonna do this peacefully, or am I gonna have to drag you?"

Grapple: [roll0]
Navigation: [roll1]

[Komodo]

Outside, the quiet and stillness still hung heavily, even as the pair of youths struggled against one another, the male only stopping to spit out the occasional piece of verbal abuse. Allison took it all in stride, dragging him slowly toward the restaurant, her practiced grip holding firm against the boy's struggles.

Or, at least, she thought she was going toward the restaurant. After going a ways, she began to see some tables from the morning's bazaar, some of which had been overturned, some of which had their wares pushed aside or pecked at. Judging by the orientation of the tables, some of which she had set up that morning with her father, Allison found she had been going the wrong way.

Before changing her course, she noticed something...out there, in the fog, just far enough to be barely visible, she thought she could see the silhouette of what looked like a man dressed all in white. His face and features were difficult to make out, especially as he had his head bowed beneath a hat, which was the same color as the rest of his clothes.

The man she was grappling saw him as well, and as he did, ceased his struggling. Allison's attention was quickly turned toward him, however, as she felt her skin starting to tingle where her skin touched his.

Do you wish to continue grappling him?

Within the restaurant, things had seemed like they were finally beginning to calm down. Then, the surviving cook slapped his palms down on the counter.

"Who did it?!" he began shouting. "Which one of you killed him??"

Without waiting for a response, he reached over and grabbed a large knife from off the counter.

"Pockets out, purses open..." He tried to keep his voice calm, but was clearly only superficially restrained. "Which one of you...has the gun that shot Hector?" For it was so...lying on the ground, the other chef had only surface scratches from the crows...but a bullet hole was in his forehead, and blood was pooling on the floor.

[Odentin]

Allison tenses at the sight of the figure, but continues to drag the boy back towards the cafe....until the tingling starts. Quickly, she twists so that her back is towards the cafe and rolls. She brings the boy back as she falls to her back, placing her feet on his. As they roll over backwards, she releases his neck and kicks off, launching the boy towards the cafe before springing back up towards her feet.

"What the hell? I can still throw you, at least..." she mutters to herself.

Shihonage: [roll0]
10 Again: [roll1]

I forgot about my specialty in Aikido before. Derp.

[sun_tzu]

Peggy gazed with shock at the dead man. Holy Hell, when did...Could we really have missed this during the mayhem earlier? Even with a suppressor, guns are still noisy...
OK, calm down. You can't have everyone going into angry panic here.
"Everybody, stay calm. We need to keep our heads cool and stay together until the police gets here. If one of us murdered this man - and that's still an IF - he had to do when no-one was looking. So, we need to stick together for now." She took her cell phone, speaking the digits as she dialed: "Nine...one...one..."

[Destrude]

As the cook grabs the knife, Steven's head snaps up. His eyes lock with the man's, calm but intent. "Look man, I saw something come in with the crows, looked like a man. So there's no reason to believe anyone here did anything, aside from get hurt. Let's not add to the injured, ok?"

Spending a point of willpower on this.

Presence 3 + Persuasion 3 + Specialty (cooler heads) 1 + 3 =10

[roll0]

Extras: [roll1]

[Komodo]

In the parking lot:

Allison's throw was less powerful than she would have liked, but oddly enough, she could feel that the boy was putting up no resistance. She launched him into the air and heard a satisfying crash as he hit a table and knocked it over. He now rested between him and the cafe, and she now stood between him and the figure in white.

When she was back on her feet, Allison could see the angry boy jump to his feet. He was surprisingly nimble, all of a sudden, even in spite of his injuries. His breathing was very heavy, however.

"He's...here...(pant)..."

It was hard to tell, but Allison at that moment could have sworn the fog was moving oddly around him, as though the wind was moving differently around him...

Without warning, Allison felt something try to grab her. She could see both figures, neither had moved, and as far as she could see no new combatants had entered the fray. But something was trying to hold her, grabbing her from what felt like every direction...

Something has taken you by surprise, and you are effectively grappled.

Back inside the restaurant, a farmer and a socialite attempted to calm down a chef, who brandished a knife over his dead colleague's body. In the corner, the father faced the angry chef, prepared to defend his family but unwilling to leave them. In the back, the less-injured members of the young group exchanged worried glances with one another.

The pair's attempt at talking down the chef were...partially successful.

"Yeah, yeah, I KNOW that it had to be when whatever that was broke through the door!" He replied to Peggy. "I saw a flash of light, there, we couldn't see much else! And for that matter, you guys would be at about the right angle..."

Steven's attempt to calm him seemed to have a bit more of an effect:
"What's that? Another person? Did you see which way he went? Do you think we could find a shell? Do you..." He refrained from setting down the knife, but his resolve is apparently slipping, and his hand is shaking a bit more.

Behind them, the lad in the funny robes slowly stepped back and away from the scene. Steven and Peggy could see him step out to face the fog, although he did not step outside...