Waiting For Rain IC: Spring Slowly Comes

[Thanqol]

The house shattered behind and around them as they fell.

They hit the water hard, and it hurt. That was not a good fall.

The hydra loomed above and around them, vast and unstoppable. Escape seemed improbable. This looked quite a lot like an ending.

[BlasTech]

Isabelle looked back up at the hydra as it closed in, and recognised the approaching end for what it was.

A complete and utter bollocks.

You don't sit down and watch an end come for you, you don't just accept it, you don't embrace it. You keep going, living past the end, because that's the only way you have a chance. And if it's not for you, than for someone else.

She looked around for a rock, a piece of the house or something throwable within arms reach. Noticing a bulge in her pocket, her fingers closed around the iron fountain pen. It was a poor substitute for a grenade, but beggars couldn't be choosers, and the iron might have some kind of effect.

"Guys?" she whispered, "Do me a favour ... and pretend to be a rock or something."

She threw the pen at the nearest head, splashing her way away from her friends. She didn't check to see the results of her toss, only searching for another missile to lob at the blind monster to draw its attention. Ignoring the pain in her legs, she grasped another bit of masonry and readied it.

"Oi! You big fatheaded f**k" She yelled. "This way! Come and get some!"

[the_druid_droid]

As Jon plummeted through empty space toward the dark water below, he tried to remember why he hadn't just insisted they all just go home. None of this would have happened if they hadn't come to see Gammy Snaps...

On impact he grimaced, hoping nothing was broken or badly twisted, but Jon quickly turned his attention to searching for a way out. He didn't see any. The monster loomed all around and above them, and suddenly he felt very small and helpless. Then, once his stomach caught up with his brain in the realization that they were trapped, Jon briefly thought he was going to be sick.

He managed to avoid that - just barely. Instead, he sank to his knees in the frothing water and curled up; he didn't need any further prompting in his rock imitation.

Even as he tried to make himself invisible, a part of him felt horrible for letting Isabelle try to defend them alone. The only consolation was that it wouldn't matter for long. The hydra wouldn't stop after just her; Jon was certain of that.

[Deadly]

Charlene had long since shut off all higher mental functions and gone into that survival mode where an end is not a conceivable option. There's always running, or a last stand, or some totally desperate measure.

Certain death all around her ...

Only one way to go, then ... down! And down she went, with a deep breath and a desperate hope, into the murky water. She might very well be a very fine rock down there, but it was a rock with eyes, eyes looking for somewhere to go. And if anything came at said rock it would get a face full of angry cold iron ... at least for about a second or two, but an end? No, Charlene would only admit that it was the end after the fact, not a nanosecond before.

[Thanqol]

Something fell out of the sky, right as the hydra began to lunge towards Isabelle.

everything from this point proceeded with a sense of utter inevitability

There was a flash, too fast to follow. Wings and feathers - a bird - the sound of air being slashed. Fountains of blood burst from each of the hydra's necks, unleashing stattico gurgling screams.

The hydra collapsed in a mound of rotten meat and the sky seemed to clear over the ruined town.

The bird, a tawny brown hawk that didn't look anywhere near amazing enough to do what it had just done, landed on a stone nearby.

It looked up at the beautiful, regal, white stallion that stood next to it. It bowed down, stretching it's head out on the ground.

The stallion crushed the bird's head with it's hooves.

It turned and looked at them and smiled, showing shining white teeth flecked with blood.

freedom returned in a burst of wasted energy

They were back in Gammy Snaps' room, the old lady looking at them thoughtfully.

"Denial," she said, pointing at Charlene.

"Anger," she said, pointing at Isabelle.

"Depression," she said, pointing at Jon.

She looked strangely... content.

She folded her hands on the table. "Do you understand now? Do you understand what's at stake?"

[the_druid_droid]

Somewhere, presumably in his subconscious, Jon was trying to process the dream/vision they'd all just had. Mostly though, his mind was trying to reel in his breathing and heart rate while preventing him from running from the room again.

At Snaps' question, he nodded slightly. Being eaten was something he could understand. It might not quite be what she meant, but he was certainly taking things much more seriously now. If dream monsters could do that, he would give them the respect they deserved.

While he trembled slightly, Jon looked for any sign of the butler from the corner of his eye, hoping the man hadn't actually been torn to pieces.

[Thanqol]

The butler was still slightly visible outside the door and the city was not an irradiated swampland. Both of those things seemed to have been phantasmal.

[Deadly]

Charlene nodded, rather blankly. If there was one thing she understood, it was that they needed to get the hell out of there before this old lady decided they had missed something and needed another hellish vision or three.

All this symbolism and madness and dreams and vague visions of doom and despair, what were they supposed to make of it? There had to be some meaning to this madness, and if that was the lesson, then Charlene understood very well.

I'm not in denial, the thought bubbled up as her conscious mind began to reassert itself. Charlene resented that. Unless it's denying madness, I'll deny that, thank you very much!

[BlasTech]

Isabelle let her hand drop to her side from where it has been poised to loose some imaginary brickwork. Part of her felt vindicated with the reveal that it had been Gammys illusion rather than a real event.

Another small part of her said "If you knew it was fake, why did you run?"

Quashing that thought for now, Isabelle answered Gammys question.

"We understand the stakes, which only makes it all the more important that we find a shaman. If there's anything more you can do to help us, please let us know" She said, emphasizing the word 'help' slightly.

She looked around, wondering where her pen had gone.

[Thanqol]

"I have already told you everything. Away with you, I have business," said Snaps firmly.

[the_druid_droid]

Jon relaxed a hair when he caught sight of the still-intact butler. As soon as Gammy Snaps dismissed them, he began to move unsteadily for the door. More than anything, he wanted to rest - terrifying dream monsters, crazy family and everything else could wait until he felt slightly less drained.

At least, he hoped so.

[BlasTech]

"Till next time then." Isabelle replied in farewell, before collecting her pen and heading out of the room.

[Deadly]

Charlene followed, eager not to stay and not quite ready to relax or let down her guard until they were well out of the house.

[Thanqol]

The butler wordlessly showed them out of the house, closing the oak doors behind him, leaving them in that strangely warped and destroyed courtyard.

As soon as they'd passed the gate from the house and before they had time to properly collect their thoughts, someone asked, "So, what country are you in again?"

Looking around it was... an action figure. A six foot five man with the blocky, sculpted figure of an action hero, wearing a bandoleer of machine gun bullets and a plastic sheen to his features. He wore sunglasses and had an unlit cigar in his mouth which looked just as plastic. He looked like if you patted him on the back he'd reflexively demonstrate his karate chop action.

"Because if I'm right you've come home to find yourselves getting bossed around and abused by insane monarchy and that sure as hell isn't the America I left behind," said the action figure man.

[the_druid_droid]

"Well, it has been kind of weird." The words bubbled up slowly through Jon's brain and eventually found their way to his mouth. "But, uh, who are you?"

[Thanqol]

"Well, it has been kind of weird." The words bubbled up slowly through Jon's brain and eventually found their way to his mouth. "But, uh, who are you?"

"Sargent Flint. But I'm here on behalf of Mr. Pope," said the action figure.

"See, Mr. Pope thinks that this entire system of princes and princesses is archaic and wrong. Mr. Pope thinks that the rulers of this town abuse their power and are terrible leaders. Mr. Pope thinks that this town should be organised as a republic with free and fair elections. Mr. Pope would like your support."

[BlasTech]

"Huh ... what? Not that I couldn't get behind the principle, but is there a reason you were standing out here waiting for us?" Isabelle replied, confused by the sudden transition from hydra eating to political fundraising.

[Thanqol]

"Huh ... what? Not that I couldn't get behind the principle, but is there a reason you were standing out here waiting for us?" Isabelle replied, confused by the sudden transition from hydra eating to political fundraising.

"Because never are people more inclined to overthrow royalty than immediately after they've met them," said Flint. "You saw Snaps - was she a leader or was she an insane old harpy given authority by some abstract seasonal concept?"

[Deadly]

Charlene was rather confused as well. Looked like this terrible day wasn't quite over yet. "It is not free now?" she asked, genuinely curious. "How does one become a prince or princess around here? It doesn't seem to be through birthright." She had honestly imagined it was a sort of free thing, where anyone could rise to that position somehow. The royal titles even seemed a bit silly, like it could just as well have been 'king/queen' or 'president' for all it mattered. But then, she hadn't really heard the details yet.

[Thanqol]

Charlene was rather confused as well. Looked like this terrible day wasn't quite over yet. "It is not free now?" she asked, genuinely curious. "How does one become a prince or princess around here? It doesn't seem to be through birthright." She had honestly imagined it was a sort of free thing, where anyone could rise to that position somehow. The royal titles even seemed a bit silly, like it could just as well have been 'king/queen' or 'president' for all it mattered. But then, she hadn't really heard the details yet.

"No, right now the system is 'Whoever has the most magical aura is in charge'," said Flint. "You might have noticed how some Lost have auras of their season, particularly notable if you're of the same court as them? The people with the strongest auras generate crowns when their season is in power. And therefore those people are favoured by the seasons and should be in charge," Flint finished, making it plain what he thought of that logic.

[the_druid_droid]

"No, right now the system is 'Whoever has the most magical aura is in charge'," said Flint. "You might have noticed how some Lost have auras of their season, particularly notable if you're of the same court as them? The people with the strongest auras generate crowns when their season is in power. And therefore those people are favoured by the seasons and should be in charge," Flint finished, making it plain what he thought of that logic.

"Is that really how it works? We're honestly all kind of new at this..." doubt flickered for a moment in Jon's eyes.

"I think we're also all really tired. Maybe we could talk more tomorrow, if you have a card or something?" He was struggling to be polite, and the sargeant seemed nice enough, but Jon was starting to worry that if he didn't get some rest soon he was going to collapse. Again.

[Thanqol]

"Is that really how it works? We're honestly all kind of new at this..." doubt flickered for a moment in Jon's eyes.

"I think we're also all really tired. Maybe we could talk more tomorrow, if you have a card or something?" He was struggling to be polite, and the sargeant seemed nice enough, but Jon was starting to worry that if he didn't get some rest soon he was going to collapse. Again.

"Sure," said Flint, handing them a card with an email address on it. "Good luck on settling in,"

Unless stopped, he then walked away.

[the_druid_droid]

Jon took the card and turned it over in his hands, not fully registering the action, but sticking it in a pocket anyway. He silently hoped that Felix showed up soon.

[Thanqol]

Jon took the card and turned it over in his hands, not fully registering the action, but sticking it in a pocket anyway. He silently hoped that Felix showed up soon.

The sun was indeed descending and the butler, true to his word, quickly arrived in the vintage car to take them back to the Ivy Watchtower.

[BlasTech]

"I tell you, guys." Isabelle said, as she swung herself into the car. "After today, I can't wait to see the inside of my bed. Dreams or no."

[Deadly]

Charlene nodded as she took a seat in the back. Nightmares, dream monsters, crazy witches, and politics. What next?

[Thanqol]

Nothing intense or unexpected happened on their return, it was free choice for the rest of the evening.

[the_druid_droid]

Charlene nodded as she took a seat in the back. Nightmares, dream monsters, crazy witches, and politics. What next?

Jon's eyelids were heavy, but now that they were headed back his mood began to improve. "I don't know. I'm probably going to talk to Talmage about the Spring Court, and maybe this Mr. Pope. I don't like not know who's who in the city anymore."

With that, Jon returned to silence and skirted the line between waking and sleep the rest of the way back.

[BlasTech]

"Hmm, yeah." Isabelle replied distractedly. Meeting Pope would've been interesting, she'd like to get his perspective on the seasons and how they worked. Talmage had made it sound like they were sentient, that they bestowed their blessings on whomever was the best choice ... a meritocracy of virtues, in a way, which wasn't that bad a thing.

Her only experience with spring thus far had been through her durance, unless you counted the brief contact outside the soup kitchen. She tried to remember how that had felt, but it had only lasted a second after all ... who could really say it wasn't just auras and strength?

If it was, then it undermined the legitimacy of their leaderships. Elections might be the better way to go, but there were plenty of examples of elected officials that lost sight of the most important thing; helping their people.

She tried to think of the various princes and how they'd acted. Talmage was the clearest cut in terms of helping those in need, so she couldn't fault him his position. It was too early to tell for Gammy Snaps, she hadn't exactly given them the warmest of greetings, but something told her the old lady could have had the "crazy but competent" thing going ... and may actually be helping to defend the town from nightmares after all.

Vikrum was pretty much a tool.

Isabelle scrunched her eyes, too little information to go on.

"I think I might head up to the library when we get back, see if Talmage has any records on the area that might help us with the shaman thing." She said to the others.

Or even if it's just the history of the changelings in this area ... someone has to have documented that right?

She sighed, somehow she doubted it.

[Deadly]

Charlene nodded tiredly. "We should probably visit Pope sooner rather than later, if nothing else so we know all four of them." They should probably have just done so tonight and got it over with, but it had probably been a poor choice to see Snaps first rather than last. "I'm curious what Talmage thinks, as well. It can't hurt to hear other sides of the debate. And I still haven't got a clue what Snaps was raving at us about. I got the feeling she really didn't like me. And I barely even said anything."