[Nexus] Riverside X: Take a Walk on the Wildside

[Mr. Moon]

Wildside

Jeanne has changed her appearance to look a bit fey-ish. She is presumably followed by Miss Doss. The two of them enter the woods.

Miss Doss follows behind Jeanne. It seems that the absence of her master has allowed her to come out of her shell a little, because she's at least pushed her hood up so that it doesn't obscure her face. Below the embroidered, blue cloak is a young girl probably not much older than seventeen. Her head is shaved bald, giving her forehead an unnaturally large appearance, and her face is pockmarked: scars from a fierce adolescent struggle with acne. Yet somehow, despite this, there is a certain ethereal beauty to her.

Once Jeanne and Miss Doss arrive in the woods, the buildings of Riverside just visible beyond, the hedge mage comes to a stop. "Thank you, Miss Jeanne," she says, dropping into a deep bow. "This is where we must part ways."

[Gullara]

[Northside Hospital]

Everything sounds perfectly fine with the baby. "What, you don't like rubbing my feet?" Nadia looks at Dr Coral and says with mock exasperation, "Do you see what I have to put up with. I practically have to pin her down if I want her to rub my feet." She punctuates with a chuckle.

[Exbourne Manor]

Cynthia shakes her head. "I can't do anything like that." Now she's a bit disappointed she can't actually help. =x

[Shadowcaller]

[Kami Hunting]

"Great, we could fly there as soon as we eaten then." The dragon says with a grin before taking off, quickly flying away from riverside. "I know I saw some pastures around here somewhere." And sure enough they soon fly over a field perfect for grazing. "Now we just need to find the owner." The dragon states before diving towards the ground again.

[Northside Hospital]

Irena shakes her head, "Well, it was not like I ever imagined myself doing this or anything. Pregnancy is not fun at all."

[Slii Arhem]

Kami Hunting

The fields are dominated by a supersized barn, about the size of a dockside warehouse, next to which the small ramshackle farmhouse looks puny by comparison.

None of the cattle are out in the fields, which are thick with long grasses and tight knots of scraggly weeds, so the farmer probably has them all in for the day. It's definitely a grazing farm though, as the rolling hills wouldn't be any good for planting, though it looks like whoever owns the property has managed to get a small garden of hardy plants to maintain itself in their backyard.

[Reinholdt]

Cow Hunting

"So... what, are we just going to ask to buy a cow or two?" Harnel asks. Scritch scritch scritch.

[Terumitsu]

[The Rusty Dagger]

Ignoring her captors was possibly one of the least intellegent things she could do. Or at least that was Ghoul's thoughts on the matter. Either she really is a sheltered idiot or people are way too jaded around here. Then again, I've not had to inflict any harm yet so I guess it's not like we've not gotten anywhere.

Leaving her sire to keep up with the questions, the muse put a small hexagonal device on the table and gave Samona a quick look and nod towards the trap door. In reality, she knew this was a bit of a gamble what with the elder vampire's apparent lack of experience in the matters Ghoul specialized in but her apparent intellegence hopefully would help her make an accurate guess at least.

With the device left behind, the muse replaced a few knives and made for the trap door. If nothing got in her way, then she would soon be attempting to pinpoint where this new room was. It could be all of nothing but she simply didn't want to take that chance.

[Shadowcaller]

Cow Hunting

"Indeed, that was my idea. Unless you have another suggestion?" Cessie asks while gently landing on whatever road that is leading to the barn. If there is none she just lands some distance away from it.

In either case she will be walking towards the barn or any other building that the owner could reside in.

[Zefir]

Johann shakes his head.
"No. For now, you need to go and patrol the streets. We need to be seen so that people know we're here to protect them."

[Hunter Recruitment - Upstairs]

Jeu nods again. It seems he is used to report in.

"I would first need to make myself firm with the weapons and reciving a fitting coat. Sir."

[Reinholdt]

Cow Hunting

"Not particularly." Harnel says, getting off when she lands and following beside her.

[happyturtle]

Northside Hospital

Spoiler

Show

[Northside Hospital]

Everything sounds perfectly fine with the baby. "What, you don't like rubbing my feet?" Nadia looks at Dr Coral and says with mock exasperation, "Do you see what I have to put up with. I practically have to pin her down if I want her to rub my feet." She punctuates with a chuckle.

[Northside Hospital]

Irena shakes her head, "Well, it was not like I ever imagined myself doing this or anything. Pregnancy is not fun at all."

Dr Coral doesn't offer to let Nadia hear the heartbeat too, though she will certainly allow it if asked. She knows Nadia plans to give up the baby for adoption, and doesn't think it's fair to push any sort of intimacy with the baby on the mother. Nor does she point out that many of the mothers she treats actually do enjoy their pregnancy. "Have you had any difficulties with the deity involved?" she asks.

[Gullara]

[Northside Hospital]

Nadia nods. "A bit. She visited me in my sleep again a little while ago. Pretty much the same thing as the last time. She told me how the pregnancy was going to effect me, aside from all the obvious things. It was harmless this time, just the ability to shape things somehow, but I'm afraid one of these times something worse is gonna happen. I mean, the first time one of the options was to grow a scorpion tail. What happens if both options are something like that? And what else might happen to me that I get no control over?"

Nadia twists her hair around her fingers a bit agitatedly. "Aside from that, being pregnant isn't nearly as bad as I would have thought. After I stopped feeling so sick, I mean." She glances at the stethoscope and bites her lip a little. "Hey, do you think I could hear the baby too?" She asks.

[Slii Arhem]

Cow Hunting

"Not particularly." Harnel says, getting off when she lands and following beside her.

Cow Hunting

"Indeed, that was my idea. Unless you have another suggestion?" Cessie asks while gently landing on whatever road that is leading to the barn. If there is none she just lands some distance away from it.

In either case she will be walking towards the barn or any other building that the owner could reside in.

Cow Hunting

The owner, or at least a farm resident, comes out of the front door of the smaller building once she hears visitors. She has a blunderbuss resting lazily on her left shoulder, and a small, twitchy whippet hides behind her legs and cowers at the sight of the guests while its owner looks on unconcerned.

"Y'all here for that order? You're early, but it'll be ready in about an hour if you can wait. I've got some fresh pie made and coffee on the burner if you'd like a pec of either."

Wildside

The forest is about as bleak and foreboding as it ever is, but unlike so many times before there is no frustrated orchard nymph walking out of a tree to greet them. Instead, the trees bow their limbs ominously, attempting to block Jeanne from moving forward. Seems like Lenai has taught her forest a new trick to prevent her from having to deal with each intruder personally.

[happyturtle]

Wildside

"Mmm, okay then. Bye," Jeanne says to Miss Doss. She then proceeds to try and climb through any gaps in the branches she can find.

[Mr. Moon]

Wildside -> Eastside

And so Miss Doss turns her back on the succubus (which is something she never thought she'd do) and makes her way through the dirt path towards the looming gate of Eastside.

Of course, Miss Maya Doss' entire knowledge of Riverside came from spending an evening reading a map while trying to stay out of Mercutio's sight. So she isn't really sure what she's doing.
How... How does one go about infiltrating a cult, anyway?
...
This was going to be a fun two weeks.

The hedge mage pushes her hood all the way back as she crosses into the grounds of Eastside proper.
Cult. Cult cult cult. If Maya were a cult, where would she be...
Probably somewhere exceedingly seedy. And dirty. And dark.

With that in mind, Maya heads towards the dingiest looking bar she can find!
What could possibly go wrong.

[Earl of Purple]

Eastside- Weird William's

This bar looks quite dingy. A strong scent of urine marks its doorway in addition to a rather battered sign, and it's quite clear that the second W is an upside down M, probably stolen from a MagDonald's somewhere. The windows have almost universally been boarded up, although in some places the boards have been prized off so light can enter. Or maybe somebody else stole them. There's a small beer garden completely devoid of all plants and home to a variety of battered-looking furniture. Indoors, it's not much better; the mismatched upholstery consists primarily of broken computer chairs, battered armchairs, wobbly bar stools, and old pet baskets, and everything is covered in hair. Standing in the corner is a hulking ogre wearing a coat and trousers made of various uncured animal hides, and behind the bar is a man of average build dressed in clothing as battered as the upholstery. He has a ratty moustache and greasy black hair, and his nose twitches like he's constantly on the verge of sneezing.

However, it's also the local lycanthrope bar, and as many of the patrons are dressed in shabby, worn clothing as are in animal shape, and it seems as though it might not be what Miss Doss is looking for.

[Gullara]

[Wildside]

Jeanne does indeed find a hole! It's a shame it appears to be occupied. Lying on her belly over the branches is the young dryad known as Scora. Her long, serpentine lower body winds around the branches behind her.

"And where do you think you're going?" She asks with a faintly sinister looking grin.

[Mr. Moon]

Eastside - Weird William's

Maya peers in through the door of the bar, frowning deeply and looking quite concerned.
Well. It certainly was... Seedy. And dark. And dirty. But maybe just a bit too much so.
"Eh-heh. Excuse me," she mutters, mostly hoping no one heard her say it, and closes the door as she beats a hasty retreat.

Okay, maybe somewhere slightly less seedy.

[Earl of Purple]

Eastside- Weird William's

Miss Doss will be allowed to leave without incident, although it seems she attracted the attention of most of the patrons, who don't need much light to see by.

[Slii Arhem]

Weird Williams

As Maya turns from the bar, she might run into a massive broad-shouldered man sporting a long red beard and a mane of wild hair. Even after being elected to Eastside's council, Brody still hasn't tamed his looks, though he's taken to wearing a suit to the council meetings to offset things. Tonight he's got on his old dockworker's clothes, and he's been barhopping to see what the word by the docks is on jobs going on and workplace satisfaction. Can't do anything to help if you don't really know what their problems are, and you can't find out this type of info unless you're willing to go looking for it yourself.

Brody will stop short as the door opens, and he'll let out a surprised, "'Scuse me miss." before stepping aside to let her pass. Despite how large and scruffy the former dockworker is, he's keen to treat everyone kindly.

[Mr. Moon]

Eastside - Weird William's

"Eep!" is the terribly graceful response Maya has to nearly running headlong into a burly, bushy Brody. Man, was that guy ever big. Maybe he was a werewolf too? He certainly had enough hair.

The bald-headed hedge mage is quick to disentangle herself from Brody and hurry past several steps.
And then she stops. What if this guy knows something? This could be her first lead and she's just hurrying away like a scared little girl! Maya stops, turning to face him. "Um... Excuse me. This is going to sound quite odd but... Um..." Wait. Cra- I mean, darn, how do you ask someone if they're in a cult without sounding suspicious?! Maya flushes bright red, hurrying to pull her hood back up. "Never-mind. I'm sorry."

Darnit darnit darnit.

[Slii Arhem]

Eastside - Weird William's

Brody extends a hand to her as she passes him, "Nah, go ahead and ask. Name's Brody, dockside representative of the Eastside council. If you've got a question, I'll either be able to answer or maybe point you to someone who can." Not that he'd call himself smart by any means, he just happened to know a lot.

[Mr. Moon]

Eastside - Weird William's

"Oh. Um. Well." Maya can't help but feel entirely too self-conscious, even though her hood obscures almost all of her face. She ignores Brody's proffered hand, either because she can't see it through her hood or she's too busy rubbing her own together. "It's just that, um, I'm new to this city. Apparently there's a..." Um. How do you say you're looking for a cult without actually using the word cult? "... a small organization devoted to the worship of Dionysus and... I'm doing a research paper."

Yeah.
That works.
She hoped.

[Shadowcaller]

[Northside Hospital]

Irena looks pretty grim as she's hearing Nadia describing her encounter with the goddess, she wanted nothing more then to stab that god-bitch repeatedly in the face for making Nadia go through all this.

"Maybe there even is a way to make her stop effecting Nadia? That's far more dangerous in my book." She had lately been researching spells which could do just that.

Cow Hunting

"Ah, I'm afraid you have confused us with someone else, I haven't ordered anything from you miss. I would just like to inquire if I could purchase some of your cattle." The dragon replies, stopping a safe distance away even thought this woman didn't seem to find dragons (or half-dragons for that matter) that strange, her dog was another matter though.

[Gullara]

[The Rusty Dagger]

"Malchenar is an amazing place, enormous and with very part filled with the most fantastic collection of art, culture and design gathered from all the islands of the world. As for why they're here I heard that Ryhe wanted to study the physics of this world, oh and I guess they need the water for the gardens." The woman explains, ignoring the two's attitude towards her.

[The Rusty Dagger]

Ignoring her captors was possibly one of the least intellegent things she could do. Or at least that was Ghoul's thoughts on the matter. Either she really is a sheltered idiot or people are way too jaded around here. Then again, I've not had to inflict any harm yet so I guess it's not like we've not gotten anywhere.

Leaving her sire to keep up with the questions, the muse put a small hexagonal device on the table and gave Samona a quick look and nod towards the trap door. In reality, she knew this was a bit of a gamble what with the elder vampire's apparent lack of experience in the matters Ghoul specialized in but her apparent intellegence hopefully would help her make an accurate guess at least.

With the device left behind, the muse replaced a few knives and made for the trap door. If nothing got in her way, then she would soon be attempting to pinpoint where this new room was. It could be all of nothing but she simply didn't want to take that chance.

[The Rusty Dagger]

Samona nods to Ghoul and turns her attention back tot he prisoner. "I see. I suppose I should get your name. You'll forgive me if I don't return the favour. And while you're at it, what is your position within Malchenar?"

[Slii Arhem]

Eastside - Weird William's

"Oh. Um. Well." Maya can't help but feel entirely too self-conscious, even though her hood obscures almost all of her face. She ignores Brody's proffered hand, either because she can't see it through her hood or she's too busy rubbing her own together. "It's just that, um, I'm new to this city. Apparently there's a..." Um. How do you say you're looking for a cult without actually using the word cult? "... a small organization devoted to the worship of Dionysus and... I'm doing a research paper."

Yeah.
That works.
She hoped.

Eastside - Weird William's

Brody scratches the side of his nose, "The god who did all that stuff to the water? Can't say I know anything about his followers, except that they came and played music for a day before he was forced to bugger off and put things back to normal. Was one girl though, by the name of Billie. She stuck around after the fact and tried running for council. Middle aged, but she acted like a party girl, wasn't really much trouble except for all the property damage I heard she caused. If there are any others around, they aren't admitting it, but whoever they are they'd be partying a lot. That was his thing, from what I could tell. Parties and causing trouble."

[happyturtle]

Wildside

"Into the forest!" Jeanne says. She looks back over her shoulder. "It's scary out there. There are humans." She has a feyish appearance, but her diabolic lust aura can't ever be turned completely off - though it's currently turned as far down as it goes.

Northside Hospital

Dr Coral grimaces. "I was afraid of that. We've been preparing the room where I intend for you to give birth. It has most of its enchantments in place already. It wouldn't be the ideal situation being confined, but if you feel in danger, you can move into the room now."

[Shadowcaller]

[The Rusty Dagger]

"My name is Jana Lumen after my husbands line and I'm one of the nobles of course. I'm not actually working for the castle if that's what you're after. I just live there, it's my home." She tells Samona once Ghoul left, looking very relived not the be in her presence anymore.

[Eastside - Ghoul]

Following her sensor Ghoul will reach a small house not far away from the inn with drawn curtains and cracks in the red facade, it doesn't look like it have been taken well cared of. Still, judging from the muddy yard filled with foot prints and dog excrement it's safe to say someone actually lives there.

Northside Hospital

Irena nods approvingly, she liked the idea of enchantments but she probably had to check them just to make sure they had done them properly, just in case. "So, uh, how long is it until she is going to... birth." The very idea of Nadia actually pushing out a baby was strange to say at least. She had to be there though, where else could she possibly be?

[Gullara]

[Northside Hospital]

"I'm fine right now. I'm sure she won't do anything specifically to harm me. She wants the baby to be born. But she has implied she has enemies that might try something." Nadia admits. She'd been pushing the issue aside, trying to ignore it for a while now.

[The Rusty Dagger]

Samona pulls up a chair and seats herself in front of Jana so their eyes are level. "A noble? Interesting. Are there many like you simply living in Malchenar ?I wouldn't have expected a structure like that to just be used for living space."

[Wildside]

Scora laughs. "You're scared of humans? Really? They're not scary at all." She doesn't appear to be very sympathetic to Jeanne's plight.

[happyturtle]

Northside Hospital

"Just because she wants the baby to be born doesn't mean that you'll like what her plans are for you or the baby." Dr Coral says. She lets Nadia have the ear pieces of the stethoscope so she can hear her baby's heartbeat.

As for Irena's question, she'll give the appropriate answer that you think the doctor would know. I don't have a clue.

Wildside

"There are humans here too?" Jeanne says. "How many?"

[Shadowcaller]

[The Rusty Dagger]

"Oh yes, Malechenar have everything. We grow our own corps and breed our own animals up there. All we need from the surface is really water which thankfully this city have a great deal of." Jana replies frivolously as if Samona had been someone she drinks tea with at sunday afternoons. "There are servants, guards... many of them never leave the castle for all their lives!"

[Northside Hospital]

Irena just frowns, whatever the god-bitch plans for Nadia, she would stop them. She doesn't have anything to add for now though and just nods at Coral's response.