Inside 73: Holiday Rush

[Morty]

[Glass Lake Penitentiary]

"The candle and a couple of other things." He keeps quiet as to what those things are. "Based on past experience, I would say the real Hazel is dormant underneath you, so to speak. Of course, I've learned a long time ago not to make assumptions. I deal with in and I'm assembling them as we speak. What's your maiden name again, ma'am?" He asks suddenly.

[Ironsmith]

[Outside Krentist Dental]

You're referring to Lord Braeg, aren't you? He's rather infamous back home. I believe the closest analogue would be to call him the devil. He's been directly responsible for more than a little evil in our lands. He was supposed to be dead, though. Disappeared without a trace ten years ago.

But never mind that. I know an Arthfael, yes. He's one of my boys. He'd be a young man now- thirteen, nearly fourteen. But he, too, has been dead for some time. He was only a babe when it happened. How do you know the name?

[Deathkeeper]

Outside Krentist Dental

Arthfael will be able to see Jace visibly pale.
"Lad, do you remember what my familiar told you about being careful to trust smiling, powerful people? I think you may be the victim of a very cruel prank." he says gently, his mouth dry.

Your son is standing five feet from me. He appears to have been given your uh, remains unknowingly. If Braeg isn't the fiend that killed you, how'd he get this?
Um. Do you want me to tell him? Because if you don't we're going to be vague. I'd love to reunite you two properly but Braeg's already showed up in the only temple that could revive someone no-strings, and if I brought you to Tep you'd come back fuzzy.

[Ironsmith]

[Outside Krentist Dental]

...Break it to him gently. As far as he knows, his father's been dead for the last ten years. I have no idea what's in his head. Learning what became of me might bring him pain. It might bring him closure. It might do nothing, as I've been out of his life for so long. But it's the truth, and he should know the truth.

Arthfael looks up at Jace uneasily. "A... a prank? Like what, he gave me a cursed rock so I'll be tripping over myself everywhere?"

[Vahnavoi]

[Glass Lake Penitentiary]

"What's that got to do with anything? We're pretending I'm not me. Just assume I don't know", "Hazel" replies with a grin that more resembles an angry predator flashing its teeth tham any expression of joy. "So, what if there's, ah, no-one else "beneath" me? What if, *ahem* real Hazel is far and away by now. What then?"

[Deathkeeper]

Outside Krentist Dental

How are we supposed to tell a 13 year old that someone turned his dad into a battery gently??? Zebes grumbles, but Jace tries his best.
”I don’t know how your people and their deaths work, lad. But the soul is claiming to not be inside the stone, but to be the stone itself.
Regardless, it’s also claiming to be one Lord Malwyn, and your father. That is what Braeg gave you to use as a power source.”

He stops, realizing this is a lot to take in.
”…would you like to speak to him?”

[Ironsmith]

[Outside Krentist Dental]

"...Eh-heh." Arthfael gives Jace a nervous laugh, probing him to see if he's kidding or not. "You're... you're joking, right? That's not... that's a weird joke if you are, and not exactly a funny thing to say to an orphan." He watches Jace's gaze for a moment, his eyes widening as it sinks in. "...Good god, you aren't joking. That's my... that's for real?! What?! How?!" He snatches at the stone in Jace's hands, and if he gets it, he'll look it over skeptically, like he can find an explanation just like that.

[Deathkeeper]

Outside Krentist Dental

Jace shrinks back into the little red rabbit-shape from before, laying his paws over Arthfael's hands around the stone.
Let me in, Arthfael, and I'll connect the two of you. Let me act as a phone line. I won't be privy to your conversation. If the strigoi lets the psychic rabbit into his mind he'll find it gently drawn down towards the mind of the stone. It will be difficult to hear each other but perhaps with some concentration a conversation will be possible.

[Rebonack]

Bubblegum is pretty sad the nice snake lady is slithering off without even introducing herself.

She was hoping for a new friend opportunity!

Alas, it wasn't meant to be.

Thus, Arti is heads toward-

[Midnight Park]

The park in question is a little on the spooky side. Dark, yes. Like your proverbial dark and scary forest.

Except the equestrians here have planted ample fields of unearthly flowers that glow in ethereal shades. So haunting, yes. But beautifully haunting. Quite pleasant for those who are into that sort of thing. There are plenty of little footpaths leading through the woods lined with lanterns exuding soft starlight. There are signs here and there warning of the dangers of leaving the trails.

Since wild shadows haunt the woods.

And you definitely don't want to get caught by those.

[Morty]

[Glass Lake Penitentiary]

If it was the real Hazel, she would have simply given the name. Of course, she might be avoiding it to throw him off the scent of what really happened. Or just to be contrary. He shouldn't let himself become too attached to one particular explanation.

"That would make the matter far more serious and your crime more severe. Hazel is, or was, a convict, but still under the protection of law."

[Ironsmith]

Outside Krentist Dental

Jace shrinks back into the little red rabbit-shape from before, laying his paws over Arthfael's hands around the stone.
Let me in, Arthfael, and I'll connect the two of you. Let me act as a phone line. I won't be privy to your conversation. If the strigoi lets the psychic rabbit into his mind he'll find it gently drawn down towards the mind of the stone. It will be difficult to hear each other but perhaps with some concentration a conversation will be possible.

[Outside Krentist Dental]

Arthfael sighs, nods, and does as Jace asks, opening his mind to the connection.

There will be several minutes of silence. Well, external silence. Presumably Maldwyn and Arthfael are having a pretty intense heart-to-heart.

And then Arthfael opens his visibly-bleary eyes and cuts off the connection.

"...I... I should go." He says finally, tucking the stone back into his pocket. "I have a lot to think about. But... thank you, sir."

[UncleWolf]

Spoiler

Show

Flying Palace

"Oh, probably not the last day we'll ever be here. It'd be a shame never to at least explore it more. Or send others to do so in our stead." The Harpy ponders before shrugging and bumping her hip against Jace's teasingly. "And you know me, I like a little hardcore sax." She adds with a snort and titter. After the laugh though, she takes a deep breath and tilts her head to pop her neck and stretch a bit more. "I really would love some music though. The passage to the chamber is safe, but if clothes really are a concern, we can hit the bedrooms on the way back. Not like there'd be anyone new to peek on us though. Well, the Tonberries I guess, but I imagine they've seen far weirder than us three." She pauses, taking a good look at herself, Zebes, and Jace. "Well, maybe not together, but you get my point. As for directions, it's the most eastward path, first stairway on the right, third floor, and two lefts after." She lists off, looking upwards as she does so as if checking off a mental list. "Opens into an open air spring under permanent moonlight. Not our moon though, he was oddly specific about that."

Flying Palace

"Great!" exclaims the dragon who immediately takes off out the nearest window.
Jace chuckles and watches him go. He stops for a moment, fingers twitching the way they do when he's filling out his mental maps. Of the pair, Jace is the one with the sense of direction. Zebes can only find his way around because he can see things from above and because he has a decent memory for places he's already been to.
"Well, that's everyone then. If you'd like to go now we certainly can. Any moon is a good one. Even if I was expecting enough of a delay to use ours." Though any moon would do in that case. The Nexus goes through them oddly. He knows that well enough. "We could stop by the dressers but I don't think it's a passing concern. If it was I daresay the Palace would have costumes ready for us ere our arrival, yes?"
Though given the Palace having a sense of theatrics equal to Veronica's he's fairly sure they wouldn't be plain tan swimsuits.
Jace opens the door and sweeps his hand aside. "After you, of course."

Flying Palace

Veronica grins and gives a whoop of cheer, genuinely excited to be going to a spring with the handsome man of her life. The excitement was clear on her face as she shifts from foot to foot and she has to restrain herself from outright sprinting or flying in the directions she'd given. She makes and admirable effort to restrain herself, but her pace is quick. Thankfully she refrains from dragging Jace literally along though. She follows the exact path she spoke of, quite sure of the directions given to her, and when they arrive, she simply stops in her tracks.

The view is gorgeous.

The chamber with the recuperation spring glows a gentle blue-green, a skylight in the ceiling letting in the gentle light of an over-sized and off-color moon. Even from the entrance of the chamber the moon is visible, taking up almost all the view. Floodplains and mountains run all over the surface, making it a feast for the eyes. The spring itself was a wonder itself. It springs forth from a rocky pool a dozen feet up. The steaming water bubbles up, running over a rocky rim to land in more circular rocky pools and again and again for a half dozen tiers until the last is level with the floor and several feet deep to provide a large pool to stay in. The water itself seems to glow internally, similar to the moonlight but noticeably distinct. This place seems known to the Tonberries however as small tables have been put along the rim of the spring, several towels, and bathing accessories. There's even little signs pointing out which pools should be used for recreation, which should be used for medicinal purposes, and others simply for bathing. All the furnishes seem new however, so it is entirely likely that they only just set it up within the last few days. There's even a floating dock that's anchored within the middle of the room, giving a large enough platform for performances, victuals, or to just provide a place to rest outside of the water.

"Holy ****, Batman." Needless to say, Veronica is more than a little impressed by the sight and her mouth hangs open as she steps in a bit more to take a look around. "Feel that? The air is...thick. Like, with at least three c's." True to her words the air is thick, but more than just humidity saturates it. Mana, magic, aether, whichever word for it is used, permeates the glowing chamber. It feels sluggish, concentrated, but not overtly heavy and hard to manipulate. Attempts to concentrate on it will bely all sorts of currents flowing not just through the water and air, but within the moonlight as well. Nurturing, reviving, energizing. This saturated, Veronica's golden feathers glow softly, illuminating her with dim light and showing her warm smile when she turns around and spreads her arms and wings wide. "I love it!" She shouts with a laugh. The harpy doesn't bother to remove her clothing just yet and just laughs merrily as she falls backwards into the water with a resounding splash.

[5a Violista]

[Silent Night]

The pixies do their best to bring a coin back to the insectile guy. Fortunately, it's gotten easier because he came closer.

Speaking of looking unsettling...
From up close, June's face looks almost like a cracked porcelain doll's, with the cracked pieces being held in place by the same inky blackness coming from her eyes. And, for only a few brief moments, it almost looks like her eyelashes are sharp teeth and her eyes aren't there.

She looks back in his eyes.
She feels cold.
His warm touch feels nice, though, is what she thinks.

"You should check your pockets again," June says. "If you dropped that many coins, you might have dropped something else too."

[Ironsmith]

[Silent Night]

Yuvan recoils briefly when he gets a good look at her face. By the Nine, that's creepy. Something straight out of a nightmare.

...Then again, he's wearing a suit of armor made from creatures that could also be described as nightmarish, so maybe that's an overreaction. In any case, whatever this doll-girl is, she's still out in the cold, more or less alone, at night. Even if that didn't bother her, she'd make an ideal target for muggers, or any other ne'er-do-wells that might be on the street.

He couldn't just walk away in good conscience.

"Are you well, miss?" The elf asks, tilting his head inquisitively.

[Deathkeeper]

Midnight Park

Artie continues to stand out, the lamps around Midnight Park reflecting off the shimmering luster of her scales. She couldn't hide that if she wanted to given how resistant they are to dulling or staining.
She'll just continue down the paths to the center, where she assumes the action is. It might be a footpath but she's fairly sure footless folk are still welcome.

Outside Krentist Dental

Jace nods, but presents a card to Arthfael before he leaves.
"Stay in touch, lad. For reasons you don't need to know about, Zebes and I have been looking into soul magic. If we find something that has a chance of restoring him we'll tell you."
Zebes stays respectfully silent, even if deep down he wonders if they could try just dripping blood all over it. No shush, attention-span-lacking brain.

Flying Palace

Jace at least takes care to to remove his shoes, cloak, shirt, and pants before he approaches any pools. He primly folds them, even though Veronica should know he's abysmal at folding clothes and keeping them from getting wrinkled. His boxers will have to serve as bathing trunks today, easing himself in. He gazes fondly at Veronica and her glowing feathers.
"Have I gotten a chance to tell you how lovely your feathers are when they do that?" he asks, gently pulling at the nearest few.

Jace looks up, gazing around at the grand room around them and its scattered pools.
"It seems this place has more wonders to show us yet." he says, almost nostalgically.

[Vahnavoi]

[Glass Lake Penitentiary]

If it was the real Hazel, she would have simply given the name. Of course, she might be avoiding it to throw him off the scent of what really happened. Or just to be contrary. He shouldn't let himself become too attached to one particular explanation.

"That would make the matter far more serious and your crime more severe. Hazel is, or was, a convict, but still under the protection of law."

"What? Are you suspecting me from my own murder now?", "Hazel" says sardonically. "It wasn't an euphenism. As we both can see, I'm already in prison. I... sorry, "real Hazel" has a lot of reasons to not want to be in prison. If someone offered her a convenient get-out card that'd leave someone else to suffer in her place, who's to say she wouldn't take it?"

[Morty]

[Glass Lake Penitentiary]

"An interesting theory." Michalson meets "Hazel's" eye. "But Bunny's body appears dead. Empty, as it were. So where would the real Hazel be now? If not still within the body in front of me, then floating around as a disembodied spirit."

[Vahnavoi]

[Glass Lake Penitentiary]

"Hazel" crosses her hands and meets Michalson's gaze. "Out of prison, doing something worthwhile, like hanging out with her wife, where ever she might be. Use your imagination."

[Morty]

[Glass Lake Penitentiary]

"Imagination isn't a useful trait in my line of work. It can give you fanciful ideas instead of letting you with with facts." Michalson... almost smiles. "One of the facts is that both bodies involved in the incident are accounted for. So if Hazel was ejected from hers, where would she go?"

[Vahnavoi]

[Glass Lake Penitentiary]

"Tsk tsk. Did I stutter? I - that is, Hazel Reeverman - have a wife. Who is not accounted. If I knew where she was and had the opportunity to go there, I would. Savvy?"

[Morty]

[Glass Lake Penitentiary]

Michalson writes something down in his notebook.

"Interestin'." His accent slips back in just for a moment. "And in this scenario we're outlining, what would the person occupying Hazel's body get out of the arrangement?"

[bc56]

Abandoned Hospital
The remaining rooms are storerooms, for medical equipment, chemicals, and machine parts respectively, followed by a locked door. However, the clanking of an approaching machine interrupts any attempt at opening it. Will Carmen fight or hide or flee?

Friendly Meeting
At some point, Siana will get a message from Jade.

> Hey, are you around Inside anytime soon?
> I wanted to catch up, maybe get some coffee.

[Ironsmith]

[Friendly Meeting]

SunChild15 is typing...

...

SunChild15 is typing...

<SunChild15> I'm actually just about to head out on a spice run. We had an incident in the kitchen and *someone*, who will remain nameless, used up all of our powdered tangroot. I think I can stop by for some cocoa somewhere.

<SunChild15> How's Cafe Pretentieux sound? They serve some of the best cocoa (and I'd presume the best coffee) and they're right next to my boss's preferred spice vendor.

<SunChild15> At least that's where he's sending me. I don't really know for sure how much he likes them, I'm still new at this.

The reply came within seconds; Siana must be really eager to meet up again.

[bc56]

Friendly Meeting

<TheFox> Sounds good.
<TheFox> If you want to do it now, I'm not busy

Jade will show up at the appointed place and time a little early, dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt. Every once in a while, she sniffles. It seems she's got a cold.

[Ironsmith]

[Friendly Meeting]

Despite Spooktober being long since over, Siana still seems to be in costume. Not her devil-dress costume, granted, but she's done up like a lead character in a pirate film. The strigoi is wearing a silk shirt with flared sleeves and a ruffled scarf, a pair of black breeches, and lace-up boots that stop just shy of her knee. She's even got a little tricorn-style hat pulled over her horns, shielding her head from what little daylight is left. She'll flash Jade a smile.as she approaches, limping along with her cane. "Evening, miss Fisher!" She says, giving a little wave.

[bc56]

Friendly Meeting
"Evening Sian... Achoo!" Jade replies, "Sorry, I've got a bit of a cold." She beckons the young vampire into the cafe. "I reserved us a table already." This is a fancy (some might even say pretentious) place. Jade already has it in her mind to be the one paying. "Fisher, party of... Achoo!.. two." she tells the hostess. Then they can be led to a small table by the window.

[Ironsmith]

[Friendly Meeting]

"Oh. That's too bad." Siana says sympathetically. She's never had a cold herself (yay, antisymbiosis), although she has been sick and it's just the worst. Still, Miss Fisher wouldn't have arranged this meeting if she wasn't up for it, so she can't be that sick, right? Just a case of the crud.

"So... you said you wanted to catch up." Siana prompts, hopping into her seat. "What've you been up to?"

[Vahnavoi]

[Glass Lake Penitentiary]

Michalson writes something down in his notebook.

"Interestin'." His accent slips back in just for a moment. "And in this scenario we're outlining, what would the person occupying Hazel's body get out of the arrangement?"

"Hazel" shrugs. "I dunno. Maybe they're doing it out of the goodness of their heart? Or maybe getting to be Hazel Reeverman is just that awesome." The latter suggestion is accompanied by another predatory grin.

[bc56]

Friendly Meeting
"Not much. More of the... achoo! The usual. How about you? You're a cook's assistant now?" Jade blows her nose into her napkin. Clearly Siana's interest in mercenary work didn't exactly work out. Possibly unfortunately for Siana, Jade doesn't have a normal cold, but she doesn't know it either.
For now though, everything seems normal.

[Ironsmith]

[Friendly Meeting]

"Oh, yeah." Siana gives a little smile. "Not quite what I was hoping for, but it's all working out okay. I get to pick up some new skills, bring in a steady paycheck, and my boss is both a really nice guy and a complete badass. As far as work goes, I couldn't be happier." She grins, flashing the fox-lady a set of pointed teeth.

In the meantime, the two of them will be approached by a waiter; it is that sort of cafe, after all. "Good evening, mesdemoiselles." he greets, in a haughty French accent. "What will be your pleasure tonight?"

"I'll have a hot cocoa, please." Siana smiles. "And do you have any bugs or anything?"

"Hot cocoa and b-" The waiter starts to mumble to himself, writing down the order, before he stops and stares at Siana incredulously. "Pardonez-moi, did you say... bugs? Insects? Vermin?"

"Well, it doesn't have to be that. Just as long as it's something that's still alive." Siana clarifies.

The waiter scribbles something on his notepad. "Why do I get all the freaks?" He laments under his breath, before turning to face Jade. "And what will mademoiselle be having? Something more traditional, perhaps?"