[Changeling IC] Time's Wings: Dark Omens

[Thanqol]

[At two dice that’s a Failure, huzzah!]

You wake up in the Hedge.

And you.

Feel.

Great.

Aches and pains that you didn't even know that you had are gone. Your muscles are blissfully relaxed. The callouses on your fingers have been sanded down. Your spine has been straightened and set. And best of all, the goblin makeup has been cleared away, returning your face and clothes to something resembling dignity. There's a cheery fire burning alongside you, with a large saucepan slowly simmering away a thick, spicy curry garlanded with purple flowers.

The fact that there's an iron ball and chain around your ankle hardly seems to register in comparison.

You're sitting in a beautiful grove filled with a billion flowers. Mercia, the Flower Knight, sits amidst a riotous explosion of colour and scent, absently strumming at an out of tune harp. She looks happy. Not grim-faced as she has been in every moment to this point. Just happy.

[You are bound with Iron. You cannot use any Contracts while it touches your skin. You might be able to break it with strength+athletics at -8, but you'll take a point of aggravated damage for each attempt.

But you've been tended by all the healing and relaxing arts of the Flower Knight in her garden while you've rested. Take the Condition Floral Healing - add +2 to any physical rolls and get an exceptional success on 3 rather than 5. The first time you achieve an exceptional success the condition is resolved.]

Lily pocketed the key and after a brief further rummage around the much too neatly kept rooms she checked that the coast was clear and then stepped through the walls of the house, through the neatly trimmed shrubs in the garden and through the wall/fence out to the back alley or street in the same spot she had entered.

It was only then she released the veils of shadow and dream around her and returned to the moment. She clasped the key in her hand inside her pocket as she walked away, making sure to take enough of a detour not to be spotted from Mrs Height's house. Then on to the park where they had agreed to meet afterwards.

The park is a lovely place this autumn afternoon. Leaves fall in a steady beat in the soft breeze, like rain in slow motion. The plastic of the playground has faded and thin graffiti marks the stone steps. The wind is the regular cadence of sleeping breath. A suspicious sparrow watches you from a birdhouse that's far too grand for it.

It's a lovely place to pause and reflect. What do you think of in this quiet moment, Lily?

"... Bern? My god, it is you," not-Jack turned as if in surprise at seeing his old friend, and not like he'd secretly noticed him from across the crowded space. Needless to say, not-Jack was a bit of a puppy himself, and the puppy in him was genuinely wagging its tail at this turn of events. Alas, the hardened criminal holding the chain had to cruelly remind the puppy that this was no time for carefree frolicking with fellow playmates. "Oh, you know, just trying to settle in, without a big splash if you know what I mean." Hint hint, don't announce my presence to everyone and their mother, that would be kind of you. You know how word spreads in a town like this. "So how have you been?" Subtly trying to steer the conversation towards Bern himself, and what's been going on in his life/the town. Partly not-Jack is just curious to hear some news, partly it's more likely to tell him something good to know.

Your skin starts to crawl. You've felt danger in social situations before and that instinct is triggering here. Your Fetch is close. You can't see where, but it is here.

"Oh, I'll tell you everything, we've got so much to catch up on!" said Bernie. "Just wait here a sec, I'm going to go grab us some drinks so we can do this properly. You do alcohol still, right?"

Uh, Aelas just pulls out a little sand from her pouch and sprinkles it in the troll's eyes from atop her horse. [Dreams of earth. It's vs. the troll's composure+supernatural tolerance. 5, 6, 2, 2, 6, 3, 7, 10, 9. 10 again is a 9. 3 successes.]

If the troll falls asleep, she'll be off (also he's really boring, bet he even bores himself, it's logic, right?). If this doesn't work, she's going to kick Butterfly forward and try to leap past him or over the river, whichever seems like an easier leap.

Thud.

The main sign that he's asleep is that the spirals have stopped spinning. He's out like a light, remnants of his story trailing off behind him.

Then there's a sudden wild, exuberant cheer.

Hundreds of mice, cats, pigs and billy-goats suddenly burst out of the undergrowth. They're stomping their hooves, braying and snorting, throwing whatever they can above their heads in celebration. Families of cats tearfully re-unite on the bridge and mice scamper up your legs and to your shoulders that they might crown you with a hastily repurposed birds nest, full of tinsel and candy-bar wrappers.

"Great hero!" cries a three-legged bear, tears openly running down his face. "You have saved us from the terrible troll that has kept our people apart for so many years! We will sing of your legendary deeds until the planet dies in fire! We shall hold a grand feast in your honour, and all the night shall be spent in dancing! Tell us, what is the name of our beloved champion?"