[Changeling] A Gathering of Mists IC

[Thanqol]

Peter doesn't seem particularly open to grasping Stephanie's obviously correct statement.

Upside-down Stephanie folded her arms and didn't seem particularly open to leaving.

[Anarion]

Well, Peter was hardly in any shape to do anything about being disobeyed. He just lays out on the bed, trying to catch his breath and ignore the fact that there are still other people in the room.

[Do what you want, basically. He's totally out for a little while, nobody is going to stop you having free run of the actual castle, or you can go do what you wish.]

[Thanqol]

Well, Peter was hardly in any shape to do anything about being disobeyed. He just lays out on the bed, trying to catch his breath and ignore the fact that there are still other people in the room.

[Do what you want, basically. He's totally out for a little while, nobody is going to stop you having free run of the actual castle, or you can go do what you wish.]

"I mean, what's weird to me," said Stephanie, stubbornly going on, "is that you clearly want to be a good person. That's what the big white stag that kept showing up was, right? What's there to stop you?"

[Anarion]

"The stag was my set by my keeper. He said if I became pure, I would catch it. But instead I ran through the same forest every night and was ripped apart by wolves before I caught it. Every day, the same thing...years at a time. Every time I would reform in the morning, just a tiny bit stronger and heavier, but losing more and more of myself in the animal I was becoming. I never caught the stag though, I just ran a different route and fled. I thought I could be free."

His speech his halting as he talks, deep gasping breaths from the intensity of the dream and the repressed memories still troubling him.

[Thanqol]

"But isn't that how to escape the curse? To forge a blessing from a bane?" said Stephanie, thinking again of Marchy.

"Oh!" she said, snapping her fingers. "I get it! The witch who cursed you was the same one who set the Hart for you to chase - that's why she said 'you never learn, your hope remains unattainable as ever'. It's not about running faster or being stronger that helps you catch the thing and become pure - it's being pure and noble that makes the thing let itself be caught. Blessing from bane, embrace nobility - that's what it is! That's the curse!"

[Anarion]

Peter looks at Stephanie skeptically. "Well, uh, what am I supposed to do then?"

[Thanqol]

Peter looks at Stephanie skeptically. "Well, uh, what am I supposed to do then?"

"Be a good person," said Stephanie happily, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Your life depends on it," she added after a second's blank silence.

[Raz_Fox]

"Not really, I just met you" he cuts in. "Anyway, Rich is a great guy, but he's also running a wine business, and taking too much to your own product is a great way to lose a very nice job."

"Good point. Ha." Marchande folds her arms. "Let's just say, then, that I got pointed here as a good employment opportunity, and so did Bob Schwartz. Can't say more than that."

[Anarion]

"Be a good person," said Stephanie happily, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Your life depends on it," she added after a second's blank silence.

He gives a low growl, but tries stop it, rubbing one of his burns. "Okay, right. Um, why don't you keep looking, and see if you can figure out how I'm supposed to be a good person to lift the curse. You can start now." He gives his best attempt at a broad smile, which is obviously fake to Charlotte, though Stephanie might buy it.

"Good point. Ha." Marchande folds her arms. "Let's just say, then, that I got pointed here as a good employment opportunity, and so did Bob Schwartz. Can't say more than that."

"Mmm, that's fine. Long as you do good work, I don't need to know I guess. Just, I dunno, if you do need to get people involved, can you look me up first?"

[Thanqol]

He gives a low growl, but tries stop it, rubbing one of his burns. "Okay, right. Um, why don't you keep looking, and see if you can figure out how I'm supposed to be a good person to lift the curse. You can start now." He gives his best attempt at a broad smile, which is obviously fake to Charlotte, though Stephanie might buy it.

Wrong question.

"Well, acts of heroism are good and all," said Stephanie, starting on what could be a lengthy discussion of the requirements to being a good person, mostly recalled from her time at shul. "but there's plenty more ordinary stuff you can do to manage it. Acts of charity and hospitality seem like a real good place to start given the nature of the thing, so volunteering down at a soup kitchen seems a good idea. Being really polite also follows, no swearing or cussing - ooh! You could even take a Pledge to help those in need, which if you phrase it right will make it less of a drain and keep you to your word!"

[SiuiS]

"Noble beast, perhaps?" Charlotte comes quietly into the room, fingers knitting a few strands of cobweb she had found. "We found why you are cursed, and maybe how to lift it. Tou show those crocodile teeth and cry crocodile tears, oui, but do you really want to work for the cure? I will help you, and so might my friend. But you need to start showing hospitality. Start with us."


A moment's pause as she moves closer to the bed.

"Do you want our help?"



[Charlotte maintains her meditative link to Peter's dreamscape]

[Anarion]

"Do you want our help?"



[Charlotte maintains her meditative link to Peter's dreamscape]

"Like I told the shadow girl, I'm all for your help, but I don't know what to do, and that crazy vision didn't help any. I can barely remember it.

[And uh, what dreamscape? He's awake.]

[Thanqol]

"Like I told the shadow girl, I'm all for your help, but I don't know what to do, and that crazy vision didn't help any. I can barely remember it.

[And uh, what dreamscape? He's awake.]

"Okay. Curse went like this,"

Stephanie quickly repeated it while it was still fresh in her mind:

Spoiler

Show

“You who have broken the ancient law of hospitality, know this.

The price for transgression shall devour the gain
redemption requires you forge blessing from bane.

Your debt shall be drawn from your mortal soul,
till payment in kind you have paid as your toll.

A curse on your home, driven wild and weak.
Embrace nobility if salvation you seek.

And fear, for the Wyrd knows your true intent.
For each you reject a new debt is sent.”

"Might want to write that down," she added helpfully.

[Raz_Fox]

"Mmm, that's fine. Long as you do good work, I don't need to know I guess. Just, I dunno, if you do need to get people involved, can you look me up first?"

"I'll see what I can do." Marchande turns her attention back to her food, worried that if she keeps going, she'll wreck the delicate balance of their truce of sorts.

[Anarion]

"Okay. Curse went like this,"

Stephanie quickly repeated it while it was still fresh in her mind:

Spoiler

Show

“You who have broken the ancient law of hospitality, know this.

The price for transgression shall devour the gain
redemption requires you forge blessing from bane.

Your debt shall be drawn from your mortal soul,
till payment in kind you have paid as your toll.

A curse on your home, driven wild and weak.
Embrace nobility if salvation you seek.

And fear, for the Wyrd knows your true intent.
For each you reject a new debt is sent.”

"Might want to write that down," she added helpfully.

"You, could write it down for me" he suggests. "There's pen and paper in the room two doors down to the right, just check the desk."

"I'll see what I can do." Marchande turns her attention back to her food, worried that if she keeps going, she'll wreck the delicate balance of their truce of sorts.

[Would that be a request for end of scene?]

[Thanqol]

"You, could write it down for me" he suggests. "There's pen and paper in the room two doors down to the right, just check the desk."

"Why are you trying to get rid of me?" said Stephanie indignantly. "This isn't some game! This is your life! If you don't deal with this, you're going to drain hundreds of innocent people dry and then die!"

Her face darkened and she got all up in Peter's grill from upside-down. "Don't tell me you're okay with that."

[Anarion]

"Why are you trying to get rid of me?" said Stephanie indignantly. "This isn't some game! This is your life! If you don't deal with this, you're going to drain hundreds of innocent people dry and then die!"

Her face darkened and she got all up in Peter's grill from upside-down. "Don't tell me you're okay with that."

I'VE HAD ENOUGH!

His arms suddenly shoots out towards Stephanie as he lunges upwards from the bed at her. However, she is ever-vigilant, and ready for his movement, attempting to dodge out of the way.

(1d10)[1](1)

edit: [/facepalm]

Stephanie simply flips upwards and back to the ceiling. Peter's momentum, on the other hand, takes out both back posters of the bed. There is a sickening crack as both posts and the entire top of the bed falls inward and on top of Peter. His horns rip through part of the fabric, but the additional crack that comes when one of the large wooden posts falls right on his head doesn't sound particularly pleasant. Nor does his unconscious body toppling to the floor covered by red velvet. He's still breathing, but he appears to be out cold.

[Thanqol]

I'VE HAD ENOUGH!

His arms suddenly shoots out towards Stephanie as he lunges upwards from the bed at her. However, she is ever-vigilant, and ready for his movement, attempting to dodge out of the way.

[roll0]

edit: [/facepalm]

Stephanie simply flips upwards and back to the ceiling. Peter's momentum, on the other hand, takes out both back posters of the bed. There is a sickening crack as both posts and the entire top of the bed falls inward and on top of Peter. His horns rip through part of the fabric, but the additional crack that comes when one of the large wooden posts falls right on his head doesn't sound particularly pleasant. Nor does his unconscious body toppling to the floor covered by red velvet. He's still breathing, but he appears to be out cold.

"This is why your mother told you not to hit little girls," said Stephanie, contractually obligated to drop a wisecrack in this situation.

Stephanie had no chance of shifting Peter's body, so instead she quickly rummaged around for a can of paint. Returning with it, she wrote the entire curse out on the wall of Peter's room in white letters so he wouldn't forget again.

"I think we're done here," she said to Charlotte once she was finished.

[Raz_Fox]

[Would that be a request for end of scene?]

[Not an intentional one, but this would be a good spot to close out. But now what does Marchande do, other than come back and listen to her mates talk about their awesome evenings? Maybe the apartment...]

[Anarion]

[Not an intentional one, but this would be a good spot to close out. But now what does Marchande do, other than come back and listen to her mates talk about their awesome evenings? Maybe the apartment...]

[As a purely self-serving GM moment, I would note that Swifthoof has a message for the group whenever anyone bothers to visit him again. Hint. Nudge.]

[SiuiS]

"This is why your mother told you not to hit little girls," said Stephanie, contractually obligated to drop a wisecrack in this situation.

Stephanie had no chance of shifting Peter's body, so instead she quickly rummaged around for a can of paint. Returning with it, she wrote the entire curse out on the wall of Peter's room in white letters so he wouldn't forget again.

"I think we're done here," she said to Charlotte once she was finished.

Charlotte sighs, and plucks some droplets of sweat from Peter's comatose body before weaving them – and the images of his dream captured within them – into the silver cat's cradle she played.

"Could you grab that rock thing outside? Tell him... Tell him his friend asked by the white hart to get help with his condition. I don't know, miss, lie if you need to. We cannot leave this poor Minotaur here, like this. And we cannot move him, non?"

[Thanqol]

Charlotte sighs, and plucks some droplets of sweat from Peter's comatose body before weaving them – and the images of his dream captured within them – into the silver cat's cradle she played.

"Could you grab that rock thing outside? Tell him... Tell him his friend asked by the white hart to get help with his condition. I don't know, miss, lie if you need to. We cannot leave this poor Minotaur here, like this. And we cannot move him, non?"

"Yeah," Stephanie said, flickering down the stairs.


She tapped Rocky on the shoulder. "Hey. Your boss fell out of bed and hurt himself. He needs you to help him."

[Is the Pledge Stephanie made 24 hours or 'until the dawn', which would let me leave now?]

[Anarion]

[Pledge would be until dawn. You're free to go curse-free]

Rocky has the music going with a new song going. When Stephanie pokes him, he starts, but then says "does he need medical treatment?"

[Thanqol]

[Pledge would be until dawn. You're free to go curse-free]

Rocky has the music going with a new song going. When Stephanie pokes him, he starts, but then says "does he need medical treatment?"

"He's had two concussions and been set on fire this evening," said Stephanie. "I'm not a doctor, but I'd want to be on the safe side."

[Anarion]

"He's had two concussions and been set on fire this evening," said Stephanie. "I'm not a doctor, but I'd want to be on the safe side."

"Eh, he's fine, I'll give him a goblin fruit later," Rocky says, getting back to the music.

[Thanqol]

"Eh, he's fine, I'll give him a goblin fruit later," Rocky says, getting back to the music.

Stephanie walked for the door without another word.

[Ready to end scene. Since everyone's done their nocturnal encounters, is a meetup at Swifty's house in order?]

[Anarion]

[Ready to end scene. Since everyone's done their nocturnal encounters, is a meetup at Swifty's house in order?]

[You kinda left Charlotte behind. But yes, we can end the scene. Looking at timing, Marchande did her thing the next morning and Rose, Stephanie and Charlotte were all out late. Plus Stephanie hates the daytime. So perhaps we'd like to return to Swifthoof's house circa mid-afternoon the next day (Monday)?]

[Anarion]

While Marchande went out bright and early, the others dragged themselves back to Swifthoof's house late in the evening. Considering his generally fastidious nature, he was actually very accommodating about having a whole crew of bedraggled changelings arriving at his home around 2:00 A.M. In fact, he only started hyperventilating once!

He heads out in the morning, a little bit later than Marchande and returns about an hour after lunch, which he thoughtfully left for everyone in his refrigerator in some Tupperware. There's even some pizza slices from the previous evening, ham and pineapple.

When he does return, he comes carrying another one of the unmarked typed notes, similar to the one that provided the job at the fireworks.

This one says

Autumn is available for a meeting either at 3:00 this afternoon or anytime tomorrow. Her Laboratory is located at 6th Avenue UCSF campus, in the third floor of the radiobiology building.

I hope you enjoy her company.

Sincerely,
Qian Long

[Thanqol]

"Who's 'Autumn'?" asked Stephanie, reaching for the pizza and then checking herself and putting her hand down disappointedly. "Oh, by the way, I beat up this minotaur who was running this weird nightclub like, three times last night. Turns out he was cursed. Is there anything I should know about that?"

She'd spent most of the day asleep, and now she was bright-eyed and well rested.

[Anarion]

"Who's 'Autumn'?" asked Stephanie, reaching for the pizza and then checking herself and putting her hand down disappointedly. "Oh, by the way, I beat up this minotaur who was running this weird nightclub like, three times last night. Turns out he was cursed. Is there anything I should know about that?"

She'd spent most of the day asleep, and now she was bright-eyed and well rested.

Being summertime, it was still sunny out, so Stephanie didn't necessarily look forward to the prospect of meeting anyone at 3:00, though with the shades drawn at the moment, it wasn't too bad indoors.