(IC) HtV STL by Night

[Bennosuke]

"Sir yes sir," Zach says snotily as he turns to give Frank a salute. He gives the man a big fake grin and says, "Lydia and I will be back with some firewood, and then when we get back, we'll definitely need to quench our thirst with some beer... after all that hard work and all." Without waiting for a reply, he winds up and gives his girlfriend a hearty spank on the tush, causing her to shriek in surprise before breaking out into a fit of giggles. With playful groping hands he chases Lydia off into the dark.

The moment they are gone, Mitch steps forward, brushing his long hair out of his eyes before apologizing, "I'm sorry about this you guys. Thanks for being so cool. Jason and I will help with the log if you like, just lead the way." Jason falls in line with Zach gone, and the two do their best to help out with the work and dinner preparation anyway they can.

Unless you want to do anything further, I can move things on to dinner.

[Daishain]

As Zach leaves and Mitch apologizes, Frank looks to him, "I understand. But if this sort of thing is common, you may wish to speak with Zach when the time is right. He's not acting like much of a friend."

He doesn't say anything else on the matter as he points the way to the log he'd seen earlier. A mid sized length of pine, not too much rot, not too heavy to move, still big enough to serve as a decent seat.

[Bennosuke]

Mitch shrugs, clearly uncomfortable with the situation and replies, "Eh, he's not that bad. He just... likes to have fun by being a bit of an *******, if you know what I mean."

Later, the group is sitting around the campfire eating dinner. The temperature has dropped by now a good 10-15 degrees, and while not cold, the heat of the roaring fire is very welcome. The previously raucous teenagers have quieted down a bit as they tuck into their food. As he is finishing up his portion of fish and baked potato, Zach looks up with a grin and reaches into his pocket to pull out a small glass pipe. The smell of marijuana can immediately be appreciated over the smoke of the firewood. "Anyone up for a little fun," he asks with a mischievous **** eating grin, "Let's smoke and tell some... scaaaary storieeees!"

[Daishain]

Frank decides to ignore the weed. He always thought the laws against its use were bogus, but that didn't mean he wanted to partake.

As the activity is suggested he shrugs, "Sure, I have a few good ones in store. Who wants to start?"

[Thundercracker]

Jen just focuses on eating and cleaning up; no need to be swarmed by racoons and who knows what else in the middle of the night.

[Bennosuke]

Zach lights a purple bic lighter and takes a long pull of the pipe, the tiny flame flickering in a pale comparison to the campfire. He coughs after exhaling a heavy cloud of black pungent smoke. Grinning while still trying to get his breath back he says, "Why don't we start with the most appropriate one?" He raises an eyebrow at Lydia, whose own grin widens before she stares knowingly at Jenn and Frank. Mitch gives him a dirty look but does not say anything until Zach adds, "Let's tell the story of The Wytch of Lytchwood Park!"

"Cut it out Zach," Mitch growls. But Zach just sits there grinning, eyes turning red as he studies Frank and Jenn, trying to read their faces.

[Thundercracker]

Jen Gibbs

"Ooh, that sounds like fun," Jen said as she cracked open another beer, "let's hear it."

[Daishain]

Frank sips at his own drink, he has no particular intention of dulling his senses with this sketchy teenager around. Although this story might be interesting.

[Bennosuke]

Mitch rolls his eyes an makes a frustrated sigh but says nothing. Zach gives him a rueful sneer and then passes him the pipe. Turning back to the rest of the group he says, "Right, the Wytch! Well rumor has it that there's this woman monster that lives in these woods. Some people say she's always been here, while others say she was a preacher's wife when the settlers first got here, ya know, and that she was lured off by the devil or something." Mitch takes a hit of the pipe, coughing loudly and forcing Zach to pause momentarily to wait for silence. He pats Mitch on the back a few times as the young park ranger fights to regain control of his airway. Once Mitch is better, he continues, "Anyway, none of that really matters. You see, though no one talks about it, the ignorant white trash Hoosiers of this town much all believe in her. Ever since I was a little kid it was always, behave or we'll take you out to Lytchwood and feed you to the Wytch, right?" Zach looks to the others for affirmation. Lydia and Jason nod their heads in knowing agreement.

Mitch shrugs his shoulders apologetically and inserts, "I'm not from Salem. We only moved here a couple of years ago," which causes Zach to snicker.

"But it's more than that," the ring leader continues, "no one will admit it, but it's like, well the people of this town really believe in her. They like, worship her or something; not in a church or anything, but there's kinda this rumor that she's got all these crazy powers and can grant wishes, or favors or something. My uncle says that if you leave her something to eat, like your cat or something, she'll help you out. Like ya got a big test coming up? Leave her little Fluffy out at the Crone oak tree and you'll ace it. Oh yeah, and like a bunch of people think she lives in that giant tree, hence the name The Crone." Zach pauses, locking turning his attention just to Frank and Jenn, the grin slinking off his face to leave an expression of hesitance and concern. "That's why I figured you had to hear this story, because like, you said you found a bunch of animal skeletons out there, right?"

[Thundercracker]

Jen Gibbs

"I dunno man, there were a _lot_ of bones out there," Jen replied, "and the birds were acting weird too. It was freaky."

She shuddered as she recalled the odd tree and the bones, and birds.

[Daishain]

Frank's eyebrow rises a bit, "That would certainly explain a few things. Based on the numbers this had to have been going on for a long time."

[Bennosuke]

"That's the thing," Zach says excitedly, "you're whole story doesn't make sense, see?" He grins at the two, and now his eyes are almost red in the firelight. "I've been to the tree many times man, we were just there last weekend. No bones. How did so many get out there in just a week?" His words were filled with excitement, like he believed in everything he had said, and everything Jenn and Frank had said, and was on the verge of cracking some unsolved mystery. Leaning forward, almost to the point where the fire should be singing his face, Zach continues, "And even if someone had brought all those animals out there in one week, how did they all get.. kept there. Like why didn't all the cats and rats or whatever it was you saw just scamper off?"

[Thundercracker]

Jen Gibbs

"Got me man," Jen said as she took another swig of beer, "maybe the tree ate them."

"Damn, wish I packed some s'mores..." she said.

[Daishain]

Frank figures the kid was trying to mess with them by saying the bones weren't there before and shrugs, "Welp, I'll take local superstitions and some dead pets over some of the other theories that popped into my head. I was kind of thinking we'd might have stumbled into a 'The hills have eyes' situation."

[Bennosuke]

"Hills have eyes?" Zach asks scornfully, the pipe finally having found its way back to him. He lights it again and takes another puff, adding, "Hey man, we're not all just dumb hicks out here or whatever. I mean, our parents are all crazy or whatever, but we're not just inbred hillbillies."

Jason chuckles at this, but after his laugh the grin recedes from his face. In dead seriousness he says, "Nah man, Zach's right. But people round here believe in The Wytch, that's for sure. I got a friend who says his dad is even part of some Church group that's dedicated to tracking her in this forest, and making sure she can't leave. I heard she's also a shape shifter, and would prefer to heat humans if she could!" He's wide eyed, and dead serious, if not a little too high.

[Daishain]

Frank shrugs again, "Didn't think you were like that, but you got to admit, so many hoosiers in one place does make it seem more likely for there to be a bunch of inbred hillbillies hiding in the woods nearby. Every town has its rejects."

"Anyways, sounds kind of like this myth might have common roots in an old Native American story I heard about. Skatega... Skade... something, not sure how to pronounce it. Ghosts of evil magic users that refuse to stay dead, and rise at night to kill, eat, and throw curses. Only way to get rid of them is to find and destroy their bodies with fire."

Spoiler: OOC

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Skadegamutc if anyone's curious about where I got that, the "ghost witches" of the Wabanaki native americans. Probably entirely unrelated to what Benno had in mind but still...

[Bennosuke]

"Bad ass!" Jason says under his breath, the whites of his eyes almost completely replaced with red.

Zach simply sits there, nodding his head as if he already knew the story. But his girlfriend mistakes the look for concern, and making her hands into claws Lydia turns on Zach cackling, "What, are you scared now or something?" She grabs him by both shoulders and giggles joyfully.

"Hey, cut it out babe," he says with annoyance, though he gives her a big smirk to show he's not scared. Turning to Fred he says, "You think they're the same thing? Does this Skade mother grant wishes or whatever?"

[Daishain]

Frank shakes his head at the question, "Not that I know of, but I don't remember them being tied to a tree either. Maybe the legend changed." He grins then, "Or maybe the spirit is trapped, unable to act freely, and using the promise of false wishes to get what it wants."

[Bennosuke]

Zach shrugs and starts to speak, but before he can, Jason excitedly blurts, "That makes total sense. My uh, friend's dad, he said that they trapped it somehow in the forest. He didn't say anything exactly about that it being in the tree... but like wouldn't that be crazy?"

Zach's scowl at being spoken over melts away into a charming yet mischievous grin. "Well then, maybe we'd be doing the town a service by cutting the ****er down, right? Or maybe light it on fire? Wouldn't we be the heroes then?" The suggestion causes Lydia to giggle, and he leans over to start sticking his tongue down her throat.

"Cut it out man," Mitch blurts out, clearly irritated by the suggestion. However, Zach seems suddenly too busy to argue, or even to pay attention to his buddy.

[Daishain]

Frank shakes his head, "Sounds like a good way to get arrested for arson, or maybe pecked to death by a murder of crows. Those suckers looked mean. Anyways, enough about the Wytch I think. Ever heard of the legend of Three Sister's Road? Its an old tale from Nebraska about betrayal and revenge." If the teens don't interrupt him, Frank tells the story as best he recalls.

[Bennosuke]

The teenagers don't do anything to interrupt Frank, though Lydia breaks away from Zach, suddenly curious about the new ghost story, much to the young man's chagrin. As Frank begins, the three teenagers listen with excited interest.

(OOC: Not to drag things on, as I think we are getting ready to end the night/scene, but I think for fun, why don't you give me a Presence + Expression roll for this, take a +1 for good measure)

[Bennosuke]

Though it's not the greatest story ever told, Frank keeps the three teens focused as he tells his story about... The Legend of Three Sister's Road! When it's over, Zach chuckles and throws an empty beer can over his shoulder and announces, "Well ****, not bad not bad." He pulls Lydia into him, and gives her an evil looking face. "Hope that didn't scare you too much babe," he says in a voice meant to sound like Vincent Price. He plants a big wet one on Lydia who turns half jokingly away from his kiss.

Zach stumbles to his feet, and shakes his head out. "**** guys, I think it's time to head back to the camp site." He grins at Frank and Jen and says, "unless you want us to join you two lovebirds," before making kissy faces at the two.

[Thundercracker]

Jen Gibbs

“Nope,” Jen replied, “I dragged my butt all the way out here to pitch my tent and sleep in it, and that’s what I’m gonna do.”

[Bennosuke]

"Very well then," Zach says with a dramatic shrug. He offers Lydia a hand to help her rise and playfully says, "My lady," She takes his hand, stumbling as well but falling into his arms. The two snog for a moment as Jason and Mitch roll their eyes, and all in all it takes another five to ten minutes before the four young adults stagger away from the campfire, fading into the dark night forest like a bad dream.

The following morning comes on as if the incursion of Zach, Lydia, Mitch, and Jason was a bad dream. As sun streams in through the branches of the trees, the sound of birds chirping from somewhere above trickles into the camp. The camp fire has completely gutted, and there are still plenty of empty and crushed beer cans scattered around, mostly left by Zach and the others.

[Daishain]

Frank rubs his eyes as he gets up, looking to Jen as she crawls out of her tent. "Mornin', hope you slept well."

"Did you want to try and snag a deer this morning? If so we need to get moving right away."

[Thundercracker]

Frank rubs his eyes as he gets up, looking to Jen as she crawls out of her tent. "Mornin', hope you slept well."

"Did you want to try and snag a deer this morning? If so we need to get moving right away."

Jen Gibbs

"Yes, why don't you get everything ready for hunting and, let me clean up the campsite a bit first, nothing like coming back to a dozen beer cans all over the place," Jen said.

"You know, for an attempt at getting away from people, we sure have seemed to attract a lot of them. First that hunter with no clue how to hunt, and then those kids last night eating our dinner," she added.

[Daishain]

Frank shrugs, that arrangement seemed fine with him. He gets out the rifle cases, opening them up for one last check. He'd thoroughly cleaned them before they ever came out here, and they should be flawless, but he liked being meticulous with his tools. Soon enough he has everything gathered that he thinks they'll need, including the camouflaged tarp that he liked to use as a quick blind that goes anywhere.

[Bennosuke]

By the time the two are ready, it is almost half past eight, and the sun has fully illuminated the sky. Frank and Jenn head out, carrying their rifles and gear. The forest was already wide awake, and unlike the day prior, the woods are filled with the sound of animals rushing through the brush and bird chirping high up in the tree tops. The tension of the evening's incursion with the local teenagers is almost immediately forgotten as the two hike through the forest, looking for a good place to set up "camp".

Spoiler: OOC

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Sorry for the delay. I want to minimized the crunch here, but I think this will be best served with an extended action of sorts. I think a Wits/Dex + Survival/Firearms roll would make the most sense here, and you can use your better stat for the attribute and skill options. Each roll counts as an hour. Goal will be 6 successes for a normal deer, but 10 if you choose to hunt rare black stag (please specify).

While the rolls can mostly be done in the OOC thread, I'm also going to ask that along with choosing your target first, that one of you give me an IC post describing where you decide to set up your gear ect.

[Thundercracker]

Jen followed Frank's lead in finding a decent spot to hunt from, and helped set up the tarp to create a blind before checking her rifle and settling in to wait.

[Daishain]

Frank sets out as soon as they're ready. Most deer hunters would insist they're heading out far too late, but honestly being in place before dawn always seemed excessive. He heads first for the lake, and has them set up a bit away from the deer trail they'd discovered yesterday. Chances are it was used somewhat frequently for the other deer to come and get water.

Spoiler: OOC

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It actually ends up being the same number of dice regardless of the available combinations, but I think wits/survival is closer to the flavor... and I think Frank and Jenn would agree to leave the magnificent one be.
wits+ survival hour 1 (5d10)[5][5][1][3][1](15)
ten again (5d10)[7][1][2][8][10](28)

wits+ survival hour 2 (5d10)[4][8][1][1][2](16)
ten again (5d10)[1][2][7][4][9](23)

wits+ survival hour 3 (5d10)[9][8][8][9][6](40)
ten again (5d10)[10][10][7][9][5](41)