[Changeling IC] Time's Wings: Dark Omens

[Anarion]

Hearts aren't in the Hedge. If they were the Huntsmen could just stumble across them and set themselves free. But they're not not in the Hedge either - they're close enough to be felt. And the place which touches on the Hedge without being in the Hedge is, of course, the dreams of humans.

This means that, firstly, the Hedge is a total dead end. No searching here will find the Heart or any hint of it's place. No faerie magic will trace it back to its source. You can't even do a warmer/colder thing with the Huntsmen. You need to do your searching in the mortal world, entering people's dreams as they sleep and exploring those strange lands. A dream is much like the landscape of the Hedge, except its logic and stories are far more personal and perhaps even more dangerous.

That means that trial and error is not a great way to go Heart-hunting.

But having the heart of a faerie thrown into a mortal's dreams is definitely the sort of thing that impacts on the mortal. That means they spend a third of their life in direct contact with the beating heart of one of the fair folk and that results in all kinds of changes. Search for people who are growing to resemble the true heart of Mercia the Flower Knight and you'll narrow down your candidates a lot.

For what it's worth, it is possible to hide a heart in the dreams of a Changeling. Changelings are natural oneriomancers, though, meaning that is risky - they'd need to have sworn an oath to hide the heart on behalf of the Gentry to not just go in and pluck it out themselves.

Isaac, if you were listening earlier, Aelas mentioned this vaguely before. If you ask her later, she's also capable of navigating you to gates to dreams in the Hedge.

The ravine thinks about it.

[This is, uh, presence+persuasion. -6 because it's a ravine and +2 because you make a convincing argument.]

[That comes out to 3d10. 9, 4, 2. One success.]

[stveje]

The Wyrd is indeed a thing of stories, but it resents being predictable in exactly equal measures to it's predictability. The strands of fate twist and snap...

You think you see something through the crowd. For a moment your attention is far ahead on that shuffling shape - and then "Jack! Oh, what a coincidence running into each other like this..."

It's not Bernie's voice. It's Jessica's.

She's smiling obliviously at the rotting pile of bones, meat and Hallmark greeting cards that looms over her. A crocodile skull leers down at her with bright crimson eyes.

"Haha yeah," it said in a voice that was so monstrous it didn't seem right that nobody screamed. "Fate sure is funny like that."

[Make a clarity check at 2 dice for the abrupt threat to your Touchstone. And while you're at it, tell me a little about Jessica.]

Clarity: 8, 2

Jessica ... red-haired, freckled innocence. She's finding her smile again, but it was hard ... after what happened to her brother. What only he knows, because she broke down in tears and told him, is that she lied about what really happened. She told everyone it was an accident, and it was ... she never meant to kill her brother, but they were fighting, as siblings do, and she only meant to scare him a little. But then it went too far, and she didn't know what to do, so she told everyone it was an accident.

Jessica is no monster like the one in front of her, just a girl who secretly loves monsters and horror movies, who dreams of being a special FX makeup artist, and who made a bad choice in a moment without thinking. She'd probably love Jack's monstrous look, if she could get over the fact of it being real, and him being ... you know, a literal monster and cold-blooded killer.

Not-Jack doesn't know what to fear more: that Jack will hurt Jessica, or that he'll try to corrupt her, twist her into a monster like himself, or just break her down mentally in the attempt.

He'd never forgive himself if he let either of that happen.

So to hell with being sneaky. To hell with being clever.

Not-Jack pushes his way through the crowd, as fast and direct as he can. "Jack," he says, loud and clear.

[TheAmishPirate]

The hardest part of all of that hadn't been turning down Spring's generous offer. He'd done that before he even knocked on her door. The hard part had been keeping from smiling while tossing said generous offer right in Mrs. Height's terrible face.

Out of the abundance of his gracious manner, he waited a whole two blocks before indulging himself.

Oh how he had needed that.

Lily is in the park, talking to an ugly cat who gives you an ugly-cat-stare.

He was still smiling when he sat down beside her.

"Lily." He greeted her without preamble.

[Elanorin]

He was still smiling when he sat down beside her.

"Lily." He greeted her without preamble.

Which prompted the inevitable, "What's wrong?" complete with a worried frown.

Edmund was smiling. Something had gone wrong.

[TheAmishPirate]

Which prompted the inevitable, "What's wrong?" complete with a worried frown.

Edmund was smiling. Something had gone wrong.

"Mrs. Height, " he said, with all the false grandeur he could muster. "Extended a most gracious offer to me, backed by firm and absolute promises, all while I was an honored guest in her home. So. I took her up on it."

He folded his hands behind his head and laid back; the very picture of casual innocence.

"Seemed the polite thing to do."

[Raz_Fox]

So, here's the thing. Finding the Huntsman's heart (Huntswoman?) is a fine and noble pursuit, yes. But Longarms is still terribly unaccounted for. So our friend, the Pilgrim, is going to find his way back to the right side of the world and, hopefully, save his unnamed friend from being swept up by a Huntsman.

Will he run into Aelas on the way back? It is a slim possibility, and I do believe that means that, by the laws of stories that rule this realm, it is a certainty.

[Elanorin]

"Mrs. Height, " he said, with all the false grandeur he could muster. "Extended a most gracious offer to me, backed by firm and absolute promises, all while I was an honored guest in her home. So. I took her up on it."

He folded his hands behind his head and laid back; the very picture of casual innocence.

"Seemed the polite thing to do."

None of this alleviated Lily's worry even a little.

"What was the offer, Edmund?" she said in the voice of one getting ready to explain just how bad a thing he'd just gone and done.

[Thanqol]

[That comes out to 3d10. 9, 4, 2. One success.]

Cautiously, timidly, the ravine shifts. A little fragment of the bottom rises up to the top and hesitates. It shifts about, like a mole blinking in the sunlight.

And the bridgemaking hob leaps upon it! She catches it in her chopsticks and nails it down and stretches it across the ravine and though the ravine fights and kicks against her she has it now. She binds it with linen and ribbons and brightly coloured counterfeit silk. The bridge she builds looks flimsy but it's as safe as houses because there's no way for the bottom of the ravine to fall down a ravine.

All the animals applaud and celebrate and cats joyfully re-embrace their kittens and the kangaroo throws the bagpipes down the ravine because he will never need them again and they all lived happily ever after.

So, here's the thing. Finding the Huntsman's heart (Huntswoman?) is a fine and noble pursuit, yes. But Longarms is still terribly unaccounted for. So our friend, the Pilgrim, is going to find his way back to the right side of the world and, hopefully, save his unnamed friend from being swept up by a Huntsman.

Will he run into Aelas on the way back? It is a slim possibility, and I do believe that means that, by the laws of stories that rule this realm, it is a certainty.

And just at this moment, the Pilgrim stumbles across Aelas right as she is being crowned in tinsel and laden down with bags containing acorns and rocks that look like faces and jars labelled HUNNY, like she's a Disney princess at the conclusion of a movie about the problems of magical talking animals.

Clarity: 8, 2

Jessica ... red-haired, freckled innocence. She's finding her smile again, but it was hard ... after what happened to her brother. What only he knows, because she broke down in tears and told him, is that she lied about what really happened. She told everyone it was an accident, and it was ... she never meant to kill her brother, but they were fighting, as siblings do, and she only meant to scare him a little. But then it went too far, and she didn't know what to do, so she told everyone it was an accident.

Jessica is no monster like the one in front of her, just a girl who secretly loves monsters and horror movies, who dreams of being a special FX makeup artist, and who made a bad choice in a moment without thinking. She'd probably love Jack's monstrous look, if she could get over the fact of it being real, and him being ... you know, a literal monster and cold-blooded killer.

Not-Jack doesn't know what to fear more: that Jack will hurt Jessica, or that he'll try to corrupt her, twist her into a monster like himself, or just break her down mentally in the attempt.

He'd never forgive himself if he let either of that happen.

So to hell with being sneaky. To hell with being clever.

Not-Jack pushes his way through the crowd, as fast and direct as he can. "Jack," he says, loud and clear.

Jessica and Jack both turn to look at you.

Jessica starts to blink and subtly pinch herself, clearly not certain what she's seeing. Her mouth opens to speak a name but it's not there.

Jack's drooling skull-mouth turns to look at you. It coughs, candy-hearts scattering across the floor. "Can I help you?" it purrs, like a motor engine half-flooded with swamp water.

[Raz_Fox]

The Pilgrim - who looks properly stern and a little monstrous again, I must point out - looks at Aelas, not saying a word. He looks at the magical animals. He looks at the treasures of the Hedge, and the bridge which would hold even him up, and he does not call them ridiculous.

Instead, he kneels. “My... royalty,” he says. “Climb on my back. Please. Bear you away to... the magic land. Called Prosperpine.” That’s how to close this story out, sure and true.

[Anarion]

The Pilgrim - who looks properly stern and a little monstrous again, I must point out - looks at Aelas, not saying a word. He looks at the magical animals. He looks at the treasures of the Hedge, and the bridge which would hold even him up, and he does not call them ridiculous.

Instead, he kneels. “My... royalty,” he says. “Climb on my back. Please. Bear you away to... the magic land. Called Prosperpine.” That’s how to close this story out, sure and true.

Aelas is standing next to Butterfly (who, by the by, is very proud of her new garland of flowers and is positively prancing in place). "Oh hey! Isaac!" She promptly runs right out from under a pair of birds dropping yet another lily into her hair and gives the big guy a hug. "Omigosh! I was totally gonna come find you. But then, there was a troll, he's over there, I put him to sleep. And then I thought that was that, but then all these animals came out and there was this whole thing with a wizard and their families were separated and I helped build them a bridge along with Brombly here. You got away though! That's great, what happened?"

[stveje]

Jessica and Jack both turn to look at you.

Jessica starts to blink and subtly pinch herself, clearly not certain what she's seeing. Her mouth opens to speak a name but it's not there.

Jack's drooling skull-mouth turns to look at you. It coughs, candy-hearts scattering across the floor. "Can I help you?" it purrs, like a motor engine half-flooded with swamp water.

Control the premise, control the premise ...

"Hey brother," he said, not too coldly. Casual, brotherly. No one looking at them could possibly dispute that they had to be brothers, and twins at that. All other explanations were too Fantastical for normal people, they'd rather accept the obvious even when it was actually false. This meant his fetch couldn't deny it without sounding like a madman. Unfortunately, the fact that Jack had his name meant not-Jack had to play the previously unknown brother who had never been mentioned ... for now. He just had to keep things friendly until the right opportunity presented itself. "Guess who I just met, your old friend Bernie. You remember telling me about him? What say we have a drink," he looked at Jessica and smiled, "all four of us? Hi," he added and held out his hand to her. Hopefully she was curious now. "I'm Jim." Hopefully the name would stick long enough.

[Raz_Fox]

Let’s rip that bandage off all at once, shall we? “Caught Mercia. Caught by Mercia. Made iron oath:
find her heart. Longarms... still hunting. Let’s find that Fetch.”

The hug is... appreciated. Strange. But appreciated. Isaac hauls Aelas up and bears her off, looking for Home. Looking for That One and the Fetch.

[Thanqol]

Control the premise, control the premise ...

"Hey brother," he said, not too coldly. Casual, brotherly. No one looking at them could possibly dispute that they had to be brothers, and twins at that. All other explanations were too Fantastical for normal people, they'd rather accept the obvious even when it was actually false. This meant his fetch couldn't deny it without sounding like a madman. Unfortunately, the fact that Jack had his name meant not-Jack had to play the previously unknown brother who had never been mentioned ... for now. He just had to keep things friendly until the right opportunity presented itself. "Guess who I just met, your old friend Bernie. You remember telling me about him? What say we have a drink," he looked at Jessica and smiled, "all four of us? Hi," he added and held out his hand to her. Hopefully she was curious now. "I'm Jim." Hopefully the name would stick long enough.

"Bernie... yes. Martial artist. Security. Yes..." the grinning animal skull gazed at you intently. "More friends to gather around, yes yes yes."

"Uh, hi Jim," said Jessica, relaxing into the deception.

"Come," said Jack. "Let us drink and feast like fleshkin does."

Let’s rip that bandage off all at once, shall we? “Caught Mercia. Caught by Mercia. Made iron oath:
find her heart. Longarms... still hunting. Let’s find that Fetch.”

The hug is... appreciated. Strange. But appreciated. Isaac hauls Aelas up and bears her off, looking for Home. Looking for That One and the Fetch.

The Hedge is on your side right now, and with its favour, you will find the door you are looking for swiftly and easily. Arrive where you wilt.

[Anarion]

Let’s rip that bandage off all at once, shall we? “Caught Mercia. Caught by Mercia. Made iron oath:
find her heart. Longarms... still hunting. Let’s find that Fetch.”

The hug is... appreciated. Strange. But appreciated. Isaac hauls Aelas up and bears her off, looking for Home. Looking for That One and the Fetch.

Aelas waves a fond farewell to Brombly, the animals, and even the sleeping troll. Once they're away, Butterfly trotting calmly beside them, she looks to Isaac. "That's what I wanted to do before! We have to find the right person, then go dream-diving to find the heart. I'm good at that, I can help you!"

[stveje]

"Bernie... yes. Martial artist. Security. Yes..." the grinning animal skull gazed at you intently. "More friends to gather around, yes yes yes."

"Uh, hi Jim," said Jessica, relaxing into the deception.

"Come," said Jack. "Let us drink and feast like fleshkin does."

Not-Jack was quickly starting to have doubts about his Fetch, and his plan. He didn't like how eager it was, or how ... not-human it seemed.

Nevertheless, what choice did he have? Off to find Bernie, then.

[Raz_Fox]

The Hedge is on your side right now, and with its favour, you will find the door you are looking for swiftly and easily. Arrive where you wilt.

That’s a door into a dressing room at the shopping mall, actually. Which is good, because the Pilgrim, missing his garish goblin clothes, is... in some disarray. He grabs a coat as he goes, not particularly intending to pay for it.

It helps when you can walk through walls.

[Anarion]

That’s a door into a dressing room at the shopping mall, actually. Which is good, because the Pilgrim, missing his garish goblin clothes, is... in some disarray. He grabs a coat as he goes, not particularly intending to pay for it.

It helps when you can walk through walls.

"Isaac, that's stealing!" Aelas says, stepping off the smoke ride and out of the dressing room with him and realizing that he's going to leave the shop without paying. She snatches the tag off the coat and rushes over the to store clerk, pulls out some cash along with the tag apologetically, bundles that into the arms of the clerk, taps her foot impatiently for a receipt of purchase, and then rushes off after the big guy.

[Thanqol]

At about this point Longarms slouched his way into the mall.

He was grumpy. Mercia had ditched him, he'd taken his eyes off the bait and the fricking Pilgrim had slipped through his fingers again. He'd spent way too long searching for him before despondently heading back after Jack. If it wasn't for the fact that he literally had no other leads he'd have given up by now.

At least he was in a mall. It was a garbage market and people were terrible at haggling but it was at least an environment he could navigate.

Not-Jack was quickly starting to have doubts about his Fetch, and his plan. He didn't like how eager it was, or how ... not-human it seemed.

Nevertheless, what choice did he have? Off to find Bernie, then.

That’s a door into a dressing room at the shopping mall, actually. Which is good, because the Pilgrim, missing his garish goblin clothes, is... in some disarray. He grabs a coat as he goes, not particularly intending to pay for it.

It helps when you can walk through walls.

"Isaac, that's stealing!" Aelas says, stepping off the smoke ride and out of the dressing room with him and realizing that he's going to leave the shop without paying. She snatches the tag off the coat and rushes over the to store clerk, pulls out some cash along with the tag apologetically, bundles that into the arms of the clerk, taps her foot impatiently for a receipt of purchase, and then rushes off after the big guy.

Bernie, Jack, not-Jack, Jessica, Aelas and the Pilgrim all converge at the same time outside the same hot chocolate bar. The Fetch seems entirely unbothered with more people, just grinning away with its crocodile skull, rubbing its hands together in something vaguely resembling excitement.

[TheAmishPirate]

None of this alleviated Lily's worry even a little.

"What was the offer, Edmund?" she said in the voice of one getting ready to explain just how bad a thing he'd just gone and done.

Sigh.

"She claimed to have anything I needed to live a quiet, comfortable, and normal life," he started, rattling off the facts with a touch more force than was strictly necessary. "I told her exactly what I would need to live a quiet, comfortable, and normal life, and that if she could procure it as she claimed, we would talk further. She responded favorably. Tacit agreement to the offer."

"And now. I'll see if she's as good as she says she is."

He doubted it. And made no attempt to hide it.

[Elanorin]

Sigh.

"She claimed to have anything I needed to live a quiet, comfortable, and normal life," he started, rattling off the facts with a touch more force than was strictly necessary. "I told her exactly what I would need to live a quiet, comfortable, and normal life, and that if she could procure it as she claimed, we would talk further. She responded favorably. Tacit agreement to the offer."

"And now. I'll see if she's as good as she says she is."

He doubted it. And made no attempt to hide it.

"Edmund," Lily said, her face more worried than judging, "she's bad news. I'm inclined to believe Autumn's accusations and that makes her dangerous. It makes crossing her dangerous." Lily stood up from the bench, pulled out the key and showed it to him, "I found this hidden in one of her books. I think it's for one of those bank boxes people get."

[Anarion]

"Oh hey, Jack! What's up?" Aelas goes up and puts her hand around the shoulders of the fetch and its grinning skull, trying not to flinch as she does so. "It's been, like, forever right? How are you doing?" She keeps as firm a grip as she can considering her size and build, something that would make him look like a jerk if he just threw her off of him.

[Raz_Fox]

The Pilgrim places one warning hand on the other one's shoulder, the one who is not the nightmare before him. The nightmare he is prepared to drag out back, if necessary, and brutally put down. (The Pilgrim, one may note, is taller now, his shoulders straightened, and his cinder-hair falls in waves around his head. A slightly more handsome monster than we have known him up to this point.)

"Mercia in wood," he says. "Longarms... unknown."

If they are to do something, it must be done now. Else the scattering of your foes will be for naught, and the scars of iron he bears (his hand a mess of weeping burns) will be for naught in turn.

It is your turn, little nameless one. The Pilgrim is with you, to the end of night, but he cannot do this for you.

[TheAmishPirate]

"Edmund," Lily said, her face more worried than judging, "she's bad news. I'm inclined to believe Autumn's accusations and that makes her dangerous. It makes crossing her dangerous."

Edmund's face softened. Which took him from 'agitated porcupine' down to 'moderately rough stone'; a considerable improvement. “I’ll keep that in mind in case I ever have to cross her,” he conceded.

Lily stood up from the bench, pulled out the key and showed it to him, "I found this hidden in one of her books. I think it's for one of those bank boxes people get."

A quarter of his attention went to the key. Another quarter remained on Her. The rest moved about the park with trained precision, darting seemingly at random from clearing to bush to tree to jungle gym. No one could approach without being seen. The key would be invisible to anyone out of earshot. Three potential hiding spots, none of which afforded an easy or unseen escape. The park had been chosen at random, while they were en route to Mrs. Height's. They had no habit of meeting here before.

They were alone, save for the birds, and an ugly cat.

He reached out, and closed her fingers around the key. (Could she feel strength that could shatter iron, lying motionless behind fastidious neutrality? Even when holding her, he held back.) And there Edmund lingered. “I think.” He said. Clipped. Abrupt. “You should go to the bank. And I should not.”

[For my next terrible idea, I would like to propose a contested social roll. Edmund wants to get a reaction out of Lily, to get her to show her proverbial hand, without her catching wise to his shenanigans. Which sounds to me like a contested Manipulate roll, which will go perfectly for our Prince, long may he reign.)

[stveje]

Bernie, Jack, not-Jack, Jessica, Aelas and the Pilgrim all converge at the same time outside the same hot chocolate bar. The Fetch seems entirely unbothered with more people, just grinning away with its crocodile skull, rubbing its hands together in something vaguely resembling excitement.

"Oh hey, Jack! What's up?" Aelas goes up and puts her hand around the shoulders of the fetch and its grinning skull, trying not to flinch as she does so. "It's been, like, forever right? How are you doing?" She keeps as firm a grip as she can considering her size and build, something that would make him look like a jerk if he just threw her off of him.

Oh, good, he wasn't alone dealing with this. Not-Jack took some comfort in that. And maybe Aelas would be the perfect one to distract everyone, and ... she was already busy doing just that. Perfect.

Introductions, formalities, all that pleasant stuff that makes everyone involved feel part of the group. Not-Jack was particularly paying attention to Jessica, to make sure she wasn't feeling overwhelmed or anything by all these strangers suddenly converging on them. That meant making sure they didn't remain strangers long.

The Pilgrim places one warning hand on the other one's shoulder, the one who is not the nightmare before him. The nightmare he is prepared to drag out back, if necessary, and brutally put down. (The Pilgrim, one may note, is taller now, his shoulders straightened, and his cinder-hair falls in waves around his head. A slightly more handsome monster than we have known him up to this point.)

"Mercia in wood," he says. "Longarms... unknown."

If they are to do something, it must be done now. Else the scattering of your foes will be for naught, and the scars of iron he bears (his hand a mess of weeping burns) will be for naught in turn.

It is your turn, little nameless one. The Pilgrim is with you, to the end of night, but he cannot do this for you.

He spares some attention on the Pilgrim, however, and what is on the much-better-looking monster's mind in particular.

Wits+Empathy: 1, 1, 8, 5, 2 What does the Pilgrim wish not-Jack would do/expect of him?

[Thanqol]

Longarms, like any goblin, was a degenerate shopper. And also like any goblin, he didn't trust money. Australia wasn't really up to speed on the barter economy but that didn't stop him - he managed to swap a poem that sent a Nandos manager to tears for a bowl of paella which he swapped to a hungry staffer for some excess shoelaces from Athlete's Foot which he used to start weaving a dreamcatcher in between his fingers as he walked.

"Oh hey, Jack! What's up?" Aelas goes up and puts her hand around the shoulders of the fetch and its grinning skull, trying not to flinch as she does so. "It's been, like, forever right? How are you doing?" She keeps as firm a grip as she can considering her size and build, something that would make him look like a jerk if he just threw her off of him.

"Yes! Yes many feigned greetings and false reunion platitudes, yes. The paint bucket shows concern," said the Fetch, reacting to Aelas' sudden approach with delight. "I have something stuck in my teeth. Paint bucket should help pull it out."

The Fetch opened its crocodile jaws, saliva dripping from skeletal teeth, the stench of hot rotting meat rolling out like a red carpet. Glowing crimson eyes gleamed brightly.

It wasn't exactly the kind of face you could trust with your hand.

[Elanorin]

They were alone, save for the birds, and an ugly cat.

He reached out, and closed her fingers around the key. (Could she feel strength that could shatter iron, lying motionless behind fastidious neutrality? Even when holding her, he held back.) And there Edmund lingered. “I think.” He said. Clipped. Abrupt. “You should go to the bank. And I should not.”

A single line appeared on Lily's forehead, not enough for a frown but still a telling sign of her confusion despite it being distracted by his taking her hand. It washed that same forced feeling of warm familiarity, safety and Home over her that it always did. The fact that he was touching her at all was what caused her pause. What... was happening?

"Why? Where are you going?"

[For my next terrible idea, I would like to propose a contested social roll. Edmund wants to get a reaction out of Lily, to get her to show her proverbial hand, without her catching wise to his shenanigans. Which sounds to me like a contested Manipulate roll, which will go perfectly for our Prince, long may he reign.)

[Rolling Manipulate+Subterfuge: 5, 10, 5, 3, 10, 6 (Ten again: 9, 3)]

[Raz_Fox]

Well, you see, the Pilgrim hoped you would have some sort of cunning plan, or ruse, to get the murderous Fetch away from people, little nameless one. Something so that a whole shopping mall full of people won’t see him do the thing he is, in fact, now going to do.

Which is, to be clear, wrapping his fingers around the neck of the Fetch for daring to threaten Aelas.

“Mine.”

[TheAmishPirate]

A single line appeared on Lily's forehead, not enough for a frown but still a telling sign of her confusion despite it being distracted by his taking her hand. It washed that same forced feeling of warm familiarity, safety and Home over her that it always did. The fact that he was touching her at all was what caused her pause. What... was happening?

"Why? Where are you going?"



[Rolling Manipulate+Subterfuge: 5, 10, 5, 3, 10, 6 (Ten again: 9, 3)]

[Will reply properly when roll is resolved.

Rolling Manipulate + Subterfuge + Striking Looks = 9, 10, 10 (10-again: 1, 3). Three successes

...it's a tie. Dear gosh, these two.

Reroll: 5, 8, 1. One success]

[Thanqol]

Well, you see, the Pilgrim hoped you would have some sort of cunning plan, or ruse, to get the murderous Fetch away from people, little nameless one. Something so that a whole shopping mall full of people won’t see him do the thing he is, in fact, now going to do.

Which is, to be clear, wrapping his fingers around the neck of the Fetch for daring to threaten Aelas.

“Mine.”

Your fingers feel the delicate crumpling of dry and hollow bones and become coated with a chalky powder. Bernie has that look in his eye like all his training is about to pay off and is starting to move to bring you down. Jack holds up one finger like he's just thought of a great point and needs you to stop strangling him for a second so he can make it.

"Freeze, scofflaws!" came the long, drawling voice of Longarms.

Like holding onto a greased eel, Jack slips through the Pilgrim's fingers in the moment of hesitation - and not-Jack is gone after him just as oil quick. And, you know, that's a problem, but you can probably forgive the lapse in focus given the fact that Longarms has turned up to this fistfight with a bazooka. Gleaming smile, hair with enough product to open a salon, perfect jawline, sparkling black sunglasses. His off hand holds a phone dropping a phat backing track. "I'm a loose cannon," he says in a deep, throaty growl. "With a long fuse. You want to measure up to me, boy? You're gonna lose."

Bystanders are forming a loose ring around you. The idea of someone pointing a panzerfaust in a shopping mall is so completely out of context for country Queensland that the going perception seems to be that this is some sort of show. Longarms is evidently basking in the spotlight, sparing time for the odd flex, pose, or blown kiss. Some of them are very JoJo's-y.

"Come on, Isaac. Down on the ground. It's time to go to jail," he said. "It's time to go to basketball jail. Aw yea."

[Anarion]

Jack slips away and Aelas is left holding air and wondering what just happened. She had totally been ready to spring into action! Or, well, like, if something had happened to Isaac, she was pretty sure she'd have gotten to the springing at that point. Like, 80% sure that springing was going to happen, and OH MY GOD IS THAT A BAZOOKA? Wait, no that was out loud, whatever else Aelas may be, she's not one for keeping her internal monologues all bottled up.

"OH MY GOD IS THAT A BAZOOKA? Where, how did you get that?!?!?"