Roleplaying Page for pg. 178!

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Roleplaying Page for pg. 178!

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Mz.Hyde

Mz.Hyde

@disqus_NnFUI30kih 6 months ago

Darwin: *Is hungry.*

Mz. Hyde's hair: *Exists*

Darwin: 🤤🤤🤤🤤

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The Fox • 6 months ago

( Emma, I am so sorry you ended up with the most helpful Host. Callum LITERALLY doesn't know any better( Cause Orin doesn't want him too ) I MEAN LET"S ALL GO TO THROUGH! COME ON! VAMONOS! ;;;;;w;;;;;)

Emma, knowing nothing of Beasts nor Masters, thought Callum simply meant someone to employ her in a household.

"Really?"she asked, breaking into a grateful smile that bordered on tears of joy. She'd have a proper roof over her head again! Regular meals! And, most of all, honest work! She wouldn't have to degrade herself as she was forced to these days--she could begin to forge a new life for herself!

She looked up at Callum as if he were the Messiah himself.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, barely able to keep her voice low. "God bless you, sir--Callum! I'll get dressed straight away!"

She emerged shortly, smile refusing to leave her face.

--

Callum smiled wide when she emerged and like a kid with a secret, he lead her out of the building into the dark of early morning. His cheery disposition made for a reassuring air and his burly exterior warded off any evils that didn't mind it, not to mention that he cast off a rolling warmth, the only evidence from their night besides the ever lingering smell.

They walked for awhile, the man looking down the alleyways every now and again, eyes looking for something, sniffing the air even, but with it being so dark, one couldn't see what he could possibly be seeing.

It wasn't too long before he turned down one dark corner and bid her to follow. A little ways in, he stopped and looked to her.

He turned and smiled in the dim, his voice making clear spark that couldn't be seen.

" Alright then! No turning back now.

Once you enter, you don't ever have to come back here again. "

His husky laugh brought to mind a dog's wagging tail.

" Not unless you're new Master says to anyways. "

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Jekyll1886  The Fox • 6 months ago

Presuming Callum meant the doorway to a new house in which she'd be living and working, Emma nodded her understanding.

She smoothed out her clothes, hoping to make a good first impression with her new master.

"I'm ready," she said when she'd finished.

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The Fox  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago • edited

" Alright then. "

Callum took her hand in his and proceeded into darkness. The way to Through opened up like a great maw of unease and willing lure, he lead her down into the place between places, where she would indeed never return from again.

Two hours later, Callum would go home and soak his clothes clean of any blood he brought back.

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Jekyll1886  The Fox • 6 months ago

* * *

The next Saturday, Lewis, true to his word, waited for Callum at the entrance to the zoo in Regent's Park.

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The Fox  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago • edited

Callum was admittedly a little hesitant in coming out to see Lewis again. The zoo was a fine place for regular folks to visit, but being a Host, the animals were never so happy to see you. It made sense; Beasts and animals very rarely mixed, but to come in and back them into a corner made one stand out more than was necessarily liked.

Still, though they didn't mix often, that didn't mean they never did, and last he heard, there was at least one Beast in captivity, not acknowledging Malemi.

The host came into sight with a wave.

" Aye! "

He trotted over, doffing his hat and shaking Weir's shoulder, snickering.

" So, looking for buddies for your cat, eh? He must really be itching to sink his teeth into something being inside all the time. "

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Jekyll1886  The Fox • 6 months ago

Weir waved in acknowledgment as Callum approached.

The latter greeted him and spoke.

Lewis chuckled.

"He's free to prowl whenever he likes, though there's certainly something to be said for pan-cooked sausages."

With a pleasant smile, he asked, "How've you been?"

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The Fox  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Callum returned his smile with his own.

" I've been alright! Nothing good, nothing bad. You know how it is. "

He opened his mouth and pointed at a few broken teeth, a molar, premolar, and a canine.

" Got into a fight yesterday and got some teeth knocked silly. They bleed sometimes now, but they'll grow back in a little bit. Two weeks top. "

A laugh follow, along with showing off his thumb, a dark, bruised digit with a crushed nail. His knuckles looked raw and scuffed too, and the lines of small healing wound ran up to his elbows. Both arms looked worse for wear, but not so much that anyone would particularly notice, or care.

Looking at the entrance, he itched at his nose.

" So we going in to get me lodged or what? "

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Jekyll1886  The Fox • 6 months ago

"They grow back?" echoed Lewis. "Remarkable."

Callum mentioned lodging.

"Ah, no," chortled Weir. "I merely thought it might be nice to see the variety of the animal kingdom."

He paused, studying Callum a moment.

"Would you rather not go in?"

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The Fox  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

" Oh no, I'll go in. I was just checking how.

Either way, the animals won't love me so much."

He chuckled and shrugged.

" Would you rather not go in? "

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Jekyll1886  The Fox • 6 months ago • edited

"I don't wish to inconvenience you nor cause a fuss," said Lewis with a shrug.

"We could always take a walk instead, if you prefer," he offered.

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The Fox  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

" Nah. There's no fun in that. "

He sucked at one of his cracked teeth and swallowed the blood before starting toward the menagerie.

" Come on, let's go pull some tails. "

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Jekyll1886  The Fox • 6 months ago • edited

"Ha, alright," Lewis agreed.

The zoological gardens had a rather decent variety of animals roaming about--elephants and giraffes, antelopes and Indian cattle, tapirs and hippos, rhinos and camels, to say nothing of the aviary or the monkey house. Panthers and tigers and an entire family of lions resided above smaller enclosures of foxes and civet cats. There was even a promenade above a bear pit.

"What would you like to see first?" asked Weir.

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The Fox  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

" The wolves. "

He chuckled then paused to think. He frowned then shook his head, smiling.

" I don't rightfully know.

How bout we go to the closest thing there is and go from there?"

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Jekyll1886  The Fox • 6 months ago • edited

"There are proper wolves, as well as a Tasmanian wolf," answered Lewis.

"This way."

Before long, they'd reached the cage in which the non-thylacine wolves were kept.

((^This is a 19th-C. hand-colored slide of a photo of a wolf at Regent's Park Zoological Gardens/the London Zoo.

Here is where you may find more slides like this:

https://pressfrom.info/uk/n... ))

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The Fox  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago • edited

Callum smiled as they came into view and gravitated towards them immediately. A bright giddiness ran through him as he watched his kin below.

The pack below looked up at him and immediately locked onto him with cautious curiosity, the kind of curiosity that could step back into aggression if necessary. One male stood tall and stiff, tail held high and lips pulled back in a half snarl while another male sniffed the air and growled, hackles tense and ears and tail tucking back. A female dared to step a little closer to the barrier between them, licking her lips and sniffed further, but her hackles were rising and her lips too were wrinkled in a growing snarl.

The host saw this and grinned, walking along the edge to watch their gazes follow. When he reached the end he stopped and looked right back at them, and with a coy flash of teeth, he leaned over the fence and howled out.

The pack send back yips, barks, and growl of their own, with only the one stiff male howling back. It was a low and threatening sound that said " you may be like us, but us you are not".

The Host cackled at their little show of power and flashed a playful, toothy snap at them. All he got was an unimpressed chuff, a sound like disregard or disgust, and the tall male turned and walked away. The rest followed, still glance back at Callum every now and then, and they pooled into the most distant corner they had and began to relax a little. A few kept a keen eye on him, but it was clear that they held an silent uneasy truce with the werewolf.

He laughed to himself and stepped away from the gate, happy enough with the response he got. A great inner instinct pulled at him to go back, to jump down and join them, but he knew better and simply leaned back and admired them form a little ways. It was his own bias speaking, but they were the most beautiful creatures as far as the eye could see, and the glamour of all the exotic others would always fail in the great dark face of wolfkind.

As he stood to the side smiling, he addressed Lewis.

" So how did Ned feel about our night together? Did he say? Or was he too exhausted to even speak? "

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Jekyll1886  The Fox • 6 months ago

Lewis observed the dynamics of Callum and the wolf pack with intrigued curiosity.

Such rapt attention did Weir pay that the Host's question caught him by surprise.

"What?

"Oh. Ned."

He considered a moment, as if trying to recall what had been said.

"I believe 'a bloody good time' was the phrase employed with regard to that night.

"How did you like him?"

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The Fox  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

" That's all he said? "

A brief confusion passed through his face like he had been bitten by a fly or stung.

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Jekyll1886  The Fox • 6 months ago • edited

"Well, no, naturally, but I'm trying to think of exact phrases.

Lewis tilted his head to the side, considering.

"'Tis much easier to paraphrase than to quote, given everything he said. Would you prefer that?"

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The Fox  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

" Go ahead. I'm all ears. "

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Jekyll1886  The Fox • 6 months ago

Weir nodded.

"He was impressed by your drinking ability, seems to think he's made a new friend, was glad you weren't stuffy or judgy like some types...

"Ah!" he exclaimed as if he'd remembered something important.

"'Kindred spirits'! That's what it was--that the two of you are 'true kindred spirits'. He's never met another like you."

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The Fox  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Callum listened closely, his confusion stepping right into relief, though he was still a touch antsy. At the end, he could hardly suppress sparkling blush of genuine gladness and pairing it with a doggish cheer. Given the hardened Host's background, it made him look vulnerable, almost puppy-like in trust, but it was also more true.

" Ah...

Well I'm glad to hear then! I'd say I feel just about the same. Can't find a person to match me for my life, so I'm lucky we got to cross paths."

He cocked his head to the side, uncharacteristically sheepish.

" Not to say I don't enjoy you're company! I just have a strong bite. "

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Jekyll1886  The Fox • 6 months ago

"I understand," Lewis reassured him. "Ned is...hearty. Resilient. You'd not have to worry about being a wee bit rough.

"Also...keep this to yourself, but...I'm exceedingly glad the two of you hit it off. People typically don't like him--his proclivities tend to scare away the narrow-minded or faint of heart. Companionship can only do him good--as I hope his does you."

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The Fox  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

" HA! Well, if he's frightful, the two of us will be a pair for sure! "

Callum laughed, eyes flashing darkly.

" Folks won't have the chance to think before we rip on through.

Hell, you think twice about it once we turn you white."

He bumped up against Lewis with a sharp teasing smirk. Paired with it was a deep, playful rumble.

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Jekyll1886  The Fox • 6 months ago

Lewis chuckled, a fond smile on his face.

"I'm certain that's true."

He paused, a matter of concern arising in his mind.

"My only request--and it pains me to have to make it--is that the two of you avoid...how shall I put this?...being overly indiscreet. A back-alley brawl is nothing unusual. And people who frequent such places do disappear from time to time.

"But a chase through Hyde Park in full view of police?"

He shook his head, then fixed the Host with a gaze both deadly serious and subtly pleading.

"Please keep Ned from such a foolish and compromising scenario, Callum. He is kin. It would devastate me, were he imprisoned or--God forbid!--hanged.

"Not to mention the Peelers would be beating down my door next," he added after a moment. Followed by the Society's, by mere dint of my association with it. I'll not endanger Helen nor Hela nor anyone else there.

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The Fox • 6 months ago

( *steps in like a WWE wrestler* Get ready to have your body movin CAUSE IMMA

* inhales*

Have a nice time watching this group of kids share a fine night together. :-)

* Pats my children on their heads and tucks in for some hot coco*

Bring it on my dudes.)

Once he'd finished, Charricthran set his silverware down carefully, considering his words equally, if not more so, a slight furrow to his brow.

"In a word? Intense."

He passed his tongue over his teeth, memory half-forming it into the forked thing it had once been before it passed for humanoid again. The taste was still there, savory and delightful, all things he'd forgotten how to feel in their truths.

His thoughtful look broke into another shark-toothed grin, a half-huffed laugh slipping past his lips.

"Bloody intense, bloody delicious. I cannae remember what it was like doin' this-"

He waved a hand over the table and towards the kitchen.

"-all the time."

His eyes crinkled again as he added, "Tha' said, I'm glad ta remember now, with you lot."

-

Malemi grinned back purred loud. Leaning forward, he bumped his head against Char and nuzzled up against his shoulder. The scrape of the cat-beast's tongue itched at his skin through the fabric as he settled his top half comfortably on the table, leaving himself open for petting should either Lewis of Charricthran want.

( Tairais Jekyll1886 Pet! Boi! )

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Jekyll1886  The Fox • 6 months ago

Lewis blinked twice, rapidly, upon seeing Charricthran's tongue change its shape.

Then again, he reasoned, who was he--of all people--to judge?

"I'm delighted you like it," said Weir with a pleased, open smile. "And that we could be here with you for this."

He scritched Malemi between the shoulders.

((Tairais ))

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Charricthran startled when Malemi brushed against his shoulder, afraid that the poor beast was going to pass through him and meet an untimely end.

When he didn't, Charricthran let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, hearts thudding in his chest.

He reached out with a hesitant hand and an equally hesitant smile blooming across his face, gently patting Malemi on the head, as he very much didn't want to snag his talons on him.

(( Local birb pets a cat for the first time in 50,000 years, more at 11!

The Fox ))

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The Fox  Tairais • 6 months ago

( Recommended Story: Raven preens cat, Cat preens back! Click here to read! )

Both earned themselves soft chuffing from Malemi, and he pushed up against Char's hand, asking for more. At Lewis's touch, he rolled over and pushed his chest close.

The dishes poked into his sides now but he didn't mind so much as he was being stroked and they so happened to be in the way.

( Jekyll1886 )

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Jekyll1886  The Fox • 6 months ago

Part of the joy of this moment for Lewis was not only experiencing the warm, fuzzy feeling of petting Malemi but also witnessing the wonderment on Charricthran's face.

((Tairais ))

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Charricthran laughed a soft and low thing, gently using the knuckles of his other hand to rub the side of Malemi's chest.

He was very fuzzy. It was a strange feeling for hands so used to spark and steel.

As he marveled over this, he shot Lewis a glance that seemed to ask 'Is this normal?'

(( The Fox He's having so much fun, bless. ))

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The Fox  Tairais • 6 months ago

Jekyll1886 ( Malemi has gone to pet heaven for now, so is

next. XD )

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Jekyll1886  The Fox • 6 months ago

Lewis couldn't help but smile as he nodded and returned a look that told Charricthran it was. Weir's succeeding expression conveyed a combination of the sentiments, "Isn't it wonderful?" and "This is grand."

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Charricthran's answering grin shone bright against the evening as his hands never faltered, his eyes gleaming with a fierce joy as he savored every moment of what was sure to be a wonderful memory, if only because of its stark novelty in his world full of comparisons.

His eyes were also gleaming with what threatened to be tears from that fierce joy, but that was neither here nor there.

"Your fur is... very soft," he murmured to Malemi.

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The Fox  Tairais • 6 months ago

" Mmrm~ "

He could speak, not without his happy thrum obscuring his words. So instead, he opted slowly blink back and lazily lick his wrist.

Everything he would say could be seen and felt. No need to break his silence.

( Jekyll1886 )

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Jekyll1886  The Fox • 6 months ago

Lewis chuckled at that.

"Indeed so," he agreed.

He wouldn't interrupt this moment for Charricthran nor Malemi, and so continued exactly what he'd been doing.

((Tairais ))

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Charricthran continued to pat Malemi for some time, his look of wonder slowly merging into an almost blissful serenity.

A short while after that, however, he gave a small frown and withdrew his hand, staring at it in concentration.

He let it fall to his side with a chuckle, slipping it into his pocket.

"Hand's startin' ta feel off again--rest o' me will prob'ly follow short-like."

Despite the tinge of wistfulness in his gaze, his smile wouldn't leave him. He gave a short nod to Malemi and Lewis in turn, gratitude written there.

"Vinxa. Thanks again, both o' ya. 'Twere fair lovely while it lasted."

(( The Fox c': ))

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The Fox  Tairais • 6 months ago

Malemi was happy for the attention, and even happier that Char was enjoying himself, so when he had to stop, the cat offered his one last brush before moving from the table and dropping down to the floor. He began grooming with long steady strokes.

He turned an ear to his friends as he did, thinking while he listened.

( Jekyll1886 )

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Jekyll1886  The Fox • 6 months ago

Lewis nodded to Charricthran.

"Vinxa to you as well. I'm happy we got to be part of it."

Weir stopped petting Malemi when the latter moved to the floor.

Anniceris, meanwhile, sat down, looked at Charricthran, and wagged his tail.

Whether the dog wanted to be petted, hoped for more sausage, or simply wished to sniff him was unclear.

Lewis chuckled at the sight.

((Tairais ))

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Charricthran raised a brow, glancing between Anniceris and Lewis and back again.

"I've no' any sausage for ya, moxtdaka. Si mi bivai."

Regardless, he got down on one knee and offered out his hand for Anniceris to sniff, were the little wolf curious.

He'd try to pet him if he got a favorable reaction. Always a toss up with animals when you half smell like decay, he mused.

(( The Fox ))

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The Fox  Tairais • 6 months ago

( Malemi is probably just gonna hang out around them now till Char goes to leave cause he's thinking about doing something, so ya'll keep going till we have to say goodbye to Bird Son! Jekyll1886 )

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Jekyll1886  The Fox • 6 months ago

Anniceris sniffed, snorted, sniffed again...and gave Charricthran's hand a lick.

This drew a laugh from Lewis.

"I dare say he likes you."

The dog pushed against Char's hand, presenting its hips as if to say, "Pet me!"

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Charricthran gave a very confused sort of smile as he pulled his focus together so that he'd remain half-solid enough to pet this very enthusiastic, very new friend of his.

He did as Anniceris half-demanded and lightly scritched him, a chuckle escaping him after a moment.

"Wolves an' their like usually don'--tend ta make them more off-put then anythin'. Even the little danthe's pack didnae care for me much outside o' bein' her chosen-kin."

"Today's jus' full o' surprises," he muttered as an afterthought.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 6 months ago

"He's a good judge of character," returned Lewis without missing a beat.

"And you approached him gently," he added as an afterthought.

Anniceris, for his part, leaned into the scritches, making pleased little grunts every now and again.

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Charricthran offered a wry smile to Lewis with his verbal parry, the ability to gracefully accept a compliment never one he'd quite managed.

"No wonder he took a shinin' ta you, then."

After a moment he dropped his eyes back to Anniceris, huffing an amused sigh.

"'Sides, 'course I'm gonna approach him gentle-like. Fiercely loyal things, these moxtdaka--I'd sooner bite at the Fae then at Anniceris here."

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 6 months ago

"Heh," chuckled Lewis at Charricthran's compliment.

"He's a good little fellow.

"Did you know, he sometimes likes to follow me when I go out on the town? 'Makes for quite the conversation starter, when he's allowed in a pub.

"Thank you for finding him, by the by."

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

"He more found me, truth be told. Was jus' meanderin', then he decided ta meander with--as I see he's doin' for you. If you're thankin' anyone, thank him!"

The mental image of both Lewis and Anniceris chatting at a bar around a pint was, frankly, hilarious. He snorted once, sitting back on his feet as he gave Anniceris one last pat.

"I should prob'ly get movin'--dunno if this wearin' off'll do anythin', and I'm... still fair weary. Prob'ly gonna go flyin'."

He stood to his whole height and scratched at the back of his neck to dispel the static gathering there.

"Thanks again ta both o' ya. Really. 'S a nice bit o' personin' after all.. tha'."

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 6 months ago

"Ah, right. Have a good flight, then, Charricthran," Lewis wished him.

"I'm happy we could share the 'personing' with you," Weir asserted. "Do feel free to drop by again sometime if you like."

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Charricthran gave a lazy two-finger salute and a smile.

"Sometime, sure! Take care, both o' ya," he said with a nod to both Lewis and Malemi in turn.

With that, he drifted downward and into darkness, wings pulled from within and shaped like molten glass as he darted through the evening air.

It was easier for his thoughts to be quiet, being this small. The wind under his wings, ruffling his feathers, was enough for now.

He had time to figure everything else out.

(( The Fox Birb Son has left the building! ))

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Jekyll1886  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

((Tairais ))

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 6 months ago

((The Fox ))

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Jekyll1886  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

((Tairais ))

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Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

((MillieGriffin Wizardblizzard Continuation of Isabella and Millie's quest for answers re: Tairais-vur-Keldra. I didn't know if we were done or not, so I reposted it here. Your go, Wiz, if we're still going.))

Wizardblizzard Jekyll1886 • 2 days ago

"Me too." Isabella nodded several times and gave Millie what was probably meant as an encouraging look. She'd never been very good at knowing what to say about this kind of thing.

She added suddenly, "I'll miss them."

MillieGriffin Wizardblizzard • 2 days ago

Millie didn't meet either of their gaze, instead looking at her feet.

A small bitter chuckle came out of her, "Wish I met them sooner..."

She then looked up at Weir,, "Thank you, Lewis."

Jekyll1886 MillieGriffin • 2 days ago

Lewis nodded in agreement with Isabella.

"So do I," he seconded Millie's sentiment.

"Anytime," he replied to her thanks.

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Wizardblizzard  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago • edited

"Thank you too. I'm sorry I was so paranoid. I was brought up on a lot of fairy stories," she says wryly. "Not all the sixpence-for-good-kiddies kind, more the seven-hundred-knights-from-under-the-hill kind."

"I never really understood what was going on," she said, looking rather guilty. Until nearly the end, I didn't really understand what was going on, it all seemed like an adventure. If anything, I was annoyed with them for worrying her by talking double-Dutch. And then after I found that letter, as I say, I was too worried about whether I'd done something dangerous to think much about anything else. As I say, paranoid. So I didn't really..." She looks at her boots. Then she looked up again, struck by an idea.

"I've just remembered. Can you by any chance shed any light on that cryptic script in my letter?"

She took the letter from her pocket, looked at it again, then folded it up again before offering it to Lewis.

((MillieGriffin))

((Middle part of letter concealed for the sake of Isabella's modesty. Top part concealed for the sake of Lewis's nerves. Feel free to unfold one or both anyway or not as you prefer...))

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The Fox • 6 months ago

( so I popped off for a little while cause life was being very not fun, but I'm kinda sick of being kicked in the shins so I'm kicking back. It feels like every other couple of weeks, I'm either sick or being kicked and like f*ck that man. I'll take a break when I need to, but hell if I'm gonna kneel cause life wants to maddog me.

BRUH I'm Utterson's mom! I'm MALEMI'S MOM!! If you think you can play me, think again!

That said, I'm gonna do my best, but also take sometime to relax too. so I may not be so quick to reply, maybe I will, who knows. Just trying to change the mood of day with some good ol spit, grit, and self care. )

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Catt Hatter  The Fox • 6 months ago

(( *happy waves* Welcome back! ^u^ ))

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Wizardblizzard  The Fox • 6 months ago

((Words to live by.))

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Tairais  The Fox • 6 months ago

(( Seconding what 86 said! Take care and kick shin, but the first of those especially ^^ ))

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Jekyll1886  The Fox • 6 months ago

((Take your time. 'Glad you're taking such a healthful approach. 'Look forward to RPing with you. ^_^))

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The Fox  The Fox • 6 months ago

Tairais

Jekyll1886

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Irina Leví • 6 months ago • edited

((Continuation for Good Girls at the Cabaret (might going to change the title to "the Last Leví") ))

Tairais Irina Leví

2 days ago

Richard shook his head, casting a glance to Irina as he did so.

"There is no need for debt--I can only assume I am partly to blame for her current state, illness or no, as I was the one showing her about London."

He gave a small bow to the Schmidts before continuing.

"Please, if there is anything I might do to help, allow me to do so. I owe her as much."

––––––––––

Irina tried to straight up as much as possible.

"It is... MY fault, mr. Schmidt. I... I was the one who followed the dream of.... Discovering this city... But I was wrong... I shouldn't... Asked... Uh...", she was embarassed she couldn't remember Richard's name, "and... It's my fault I believed in... Devil's job..." and she sobbed.

Mr. Shmidt was upset not of her, but of those who mistreatened and forced to believe all that.

"It's not your fault being different, Irina, dear."

He took Richard by his shoulder.

"Sir, I do not know if we can help in the matter of magic medicine, but please come with me. We will need knowledge of herbal medicine."

He took the man to the greenhouse, which had a trail of lights reminiscent of fireflies, and came to a section of medicinal plants.

"We have not presented ourselves in a formal way." said mr. Schmidt with a warm grin, while picking up some linden flowers. "I'm Adam Schmidt, at your service. You can call me Adam."

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Tairais  Irina Leví • 6 months ago

Richard gave Irina a reassuring smile over his shoulder as Mr. Schmidt led him away.

He gave the other man-- Adam-- a graceful bow as he introduced himself.

"Doctor Richard Prince, but please, if I am to call you Adam, you must call me Richard. I am afraid I have very little knowledge regarding herbs, but I will do my best to be of assistance. What may I do to help?"

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Irina Leví  Tairais • 6 months ago

"Well, then, Richard", said Adam with a smile on his mustage ", you are welcome here to learn herbalism or anything you would to know". He put the tinden flowers in a smal pot.

"So we have tinden. Now, we need passiflora", he said pointing to some strange symetrical flowers of vivid colors, like mandalas.

"Pick up the bigger and brighter ones, like /this/ one" he said picking up a huge purple flower, and leaving it in the pot. Then he gave the pot to Richard. "Meanwhile, I'll look for some roots and seeds nearby".

Some minutes after he left, Adam arrived with a large stem, with roots, new leaves and a smal bulb on the top. "Now, this could be a bit dangerous for both of us, but I will require you to come with me".

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Tairais  Irina Leví • 6 months ago

Richard had taken note of the names and appearances of these new flowers, marveling at the passiflora specifically and wondering if he could incorporate their shape and color into his next piece of work.

In the middle of his fascinated musings, he'd done as Adam had bid him, finding several large blooms during the time it took for the man to return.

At his warning, Richard raised an eyebrow.

"I will follow, but where are we going, and for what purpose?"

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Irina Leví  Tairais • 6 months ago

"Do not worry, Richard", said Adam trying to calm him. "It's a special section in the greenhouse."

The old man guided Richard to a sort of hidden room without a door. A terrible intense heat was coming from the inside, and the floor was covered in sand. The entrace was burnt, decorated with several dry twigs.

"I would recomend you to not get any closer, only if I request your help", added with a smiling mustache, and with a fast step, he got inside in the warm room.

A few seconds later, Adam came back, now, slightly tanned.

"This room is quite dangerous, but at least, Miss Irina is glad to have it."

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Tairais  Irina Leví • 6 months ago

Richard glanced once between Adam and his now-tanned state and the door he'd just emerged from, then blinked once and slowly.

He then nodded, as if this whole thing made sense.

"What are we to do next, if I may ask?"

While he was very much curious of that strange room and its contents, this was not his house, and now was hardly the time for curiosity when poor Signora Leví was suffering so.

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Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

((Continuation of the Other Rp! Thank goodness they've finally managed to deal with the vampire fellow.

Jekyll1886:

He chuckled at the idea of a random man given the inadvertent hot seat, even as he counted himself lucky he'd not landed there himself.

"Let's do."))

Taking care to avoid any streets containing people and occasionally climbing a roof or two to keep out of sight, Hela led the way back to her home, in a decidedly chipper mood despite the current state of her clothing.

After unlocking the door, she allowed Weir to enter first before locking it again once inside.

"This is where I usually get them," she said of the inter-dimensional visitors, standing just in front of the door, "Though they're often facing away from me," she added with a nod to her chair at the dinning table across the room.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

"That sounds at once terribly convenient and terribly inconvenient," he opined. Having fresh victims delivered right to her was one thing, but having them pop in at all hours was another.

"Do you find many in the kitchen?" he asked. "Moreover, has anyone else from the Society landed there?"

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

"The Society?" Hela echoed, quirking her head as she broke into an unpleasant grin, "Is that where you're from?"

The insight seemed to have pleased her greatly, and she brushed aside his questions in favor of her own.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

"The Society for Arcane Sciences, yes," affirmed Lewis. "I take it you've heard of it, so I presume I'm not the first from it to find myself in your home. Where do Society people usually find themselves upon their initial arrival here?"

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

" 'Wasn't expecting to hear your home address, is all." Especially with how protective you are of the "pup"...'Shame I can't go visit.

His query was met with a rolling shrug of her shoulders.

"If you plan on crawling back through whatever way you came, you'll only be disappointed--it drops off, it doesn't pick back up again."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

"Oho, don't be silly--I don't live there," he chortled, as if the very notion were so foolish as to be ludicrous. "Merely conduct research. Which is exactly what I was doing when a dimensional anomaly 'dropped me off' here.

"By the by," he wondered, "have you ever allowed anyone to remain here long enough to see if the anomaly does pick them back up?"

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

She cocked her head to one side.

"An odd man popped in once from another dimension and remained for...close to three years, I'd say--'only reason he's no longer here is Alicia took a liking to him, and that didn't go over too well with Mr. Fangs."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

"Well, shit."

He half sighed, half huffed.

"That's rather discouraging."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

"Best of luck on your search for a portal out of this hell," offered Hela with a grin, "I'll be washing off all this poisoned blood before it gets me sick."

Waving as if to say 'ta-ta~', she stepped aside to go upstairs and take a shower.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

'Joke's on you, if I can't get back, thought Lewis. You're unnecessary now our hunt's done.

He peeled off his outfit and tossed it into a wax-lined sack he'd found in the kitchen. Clad in only his undergarments, he washed his face and hands in the kitchen sink, seeing to it that a good amount of water chased any remaining traces of cyanide down the drain.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

There was the sound of a door shutting upstairs, then, after a few moments, water running. It continued for several minutes as Hela simply...relaxed, savoring the warmth.

Then, she switched the temperature to cold and finished washing up.

After drying, she dressed in a fresh pair of clothes, tossed the old ones in the bin, and walked back downstairs with a towel around her neck.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

Lewis resisted the temptation to run the hot water downstairs just for spite.

Hela was greeted by the sight of a barefoot Lewis in undershirt and knickerbockers--both white--the latter only just covering the subject.

"Ah, good. You're done," he remarked.

"I wanted to ask if you had any further details you could give me that might aid in my search for a way back to the Society."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Hela raised an eyebrow at his attire, but said nothing, mild annoyance written across her expression.

"All I know is that apparently Alicia went there and back without any of us ever being aware, before her death." A quirk of her head. "Otherwise, you'd never have known her."

"Other than that, and corpses returning to wherever they came, the drop off and pick up spots all around the city are random, unpredictable. Even if you managed to find one functioning at the time you were there, there's no telling where you'd end up."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

"Wonderful," he half growled, the word dripping sarcasm.

Then you're doubly useless to me.

A sigh.

I may as well get cleaned up.

"Any hot water left?"

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago • edited

" 'Should be." If not, maybe it'll cool your temper...or your mood might just heat it up.

She made a mental note to burn any towels he happened to use, as well as rinse out the shower before she bathed again.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

"Mm."

He took the sack of clothes with him upstairs to the bathroom and proceeded to wash first himself, then his garments.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Taking advantage of the time she'd have alone while Weir was showering, Hela grabbed a bottle of brandy and pulled up a chair in front of the fireplace, leaning back as she took a swig.

Now that she was aware of the effectiveness of cyanide on vampires, perhaps her next task could be getting rid of the two brats left. Or, if making that ended up being too tedious, some other concoction of poisons.

It wouldn't have to kill them, only slow them down for a minute or two...

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

Lewis, meanwhile, racked his brain for some way out of this dimension. He'd already been gone far too long; Helen and Hela and Charricthran would be worried sick.

Wait.

Briefly turning off the water, he stepped out to rummage through an inner pocket of his waistcoat--he'd yet to wash the garment.

There, safe and sound...was one of Charricthran's feathers.

He didn't know if it would work across dimensions, but...it was certainly worth a try.

Hell, with any luck, I can take the wee ones with me, he thought of the twins. Surely Nyx, he reasoned, could take care of them.

He set his possible ticket home aside, washed his clothing, hung the latter to dry, put the feather back in the same pocket, and finished washing himself.

This done, he dried off, then wrapped the towel around his waist.

He came back downstairs in a much better mood.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

At the sight of Weir, Hela let out a dramatic sigh, looking him over with dull exasperation in her gaze.

"Every time I see you, you wear less and less,"

She placed on hand on her temple, as if to relieve a headache, swirling her bottle of booze in the other.

"What's next, you going to drop the towel?"

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

"Why--do you want me to?" he teased.

"I've no spare set of clothes," he explained in all honesty, "so, until my laundry dries, I'm afraid this is it."

He came to stand by the warmth of the fireplace.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

She rolled her eyes skyward at his comment, as if asking the Heavens to smite him where he stood.

"If it'll get you dressed again faster, you're welcome to pull up a chair to hang your clothes on in front of the fire," suggested Hela with a gesture of the bottle, "I imagine you'd be warmer with more on than a towel, so...you putting on clothes would be a win for us both."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

"Excellent," replied Lewis with a smile.

He went upstairs only to return with his sundry garments and undergarments, which he hung on a pair of chairs before the fire.

"There we are."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Eyeing the wet clothing with distaste, Hela finished off her drink and set the empty bottle on the floor.

'Might have to burn those too, she thought of the chairs, wondering how long it'd take if they were still damp by the time Lewis was done.

She was soon lost in daydreams of arson, contemplating how she could potentially get replacement chairs by threatening a furniture store owner before burning their shop down regardless of compliance.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

He'd placed his undergarments on the chair nearest the fire; they'd dry most quickly, being made of thinner material than the rest of his clothing.

When they had, he went upstairs to slip them on and to hang up the towel.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Temptation struck when Weir left the room. After all, the clothes were just there, already so near to the flames... If the chair fell, them falling into the fireplace could almost be considered an accident.

However, the thought of Lewis spending the remainder of his time here in only his underclothes wasn't very appealing, so she left them be.

He'd be gone soon enough (she hoped) and then life would return to normal, though with the perk of one less pesky vampire.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

He returned in his underclothes to sit by the fire with Hela.

"That's better," he pronounced as he settled into the empty chair beside her. "I do hope the rest dry out soon."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

"You're not the only one," Hela said with a snort, glancing sideways at him.

"Will you be heading out in search of your gateway home after?"

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

"Indeed."

He pondered a particular matter before giving voice to it.

"I thought I might take the twins with me, if it's all the same to you. Nyx is there--she ought to be able to see to them--and they'd be out of your hair."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

“Knowing Nyx, they’d only be away long enough to learn how to kill me,” she returned with a flicker of annoyance at the thought, shaking her head, “And besides, they’re starting to grow on me in a cute, parasitic sort of way.”

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

"As you wish," he said with a nonchalant shrug.

They'll still know how to moonwalk, he thought with a mild smirk.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

"So Miss Feather-Brains is actually back at your dimension? How's that working out for her?" posed Hela, standing with a luxurious stretch of her arms before reaching to pick up the emptied bottle of booze by her chair.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

"She's getting on well enough," replied Lewis. "The Society is fairly tolerant of the unusual, so long as it doesn't make for bad press--believe it or not, she's not the only one there with wings."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

"Sounds like quite the place--perhaps I should find a way to visit her sometime, maybe share all of our old memories again," she added on her way into the kitchen, clearly amused by the thought.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

"Ahahaha, no," warned Lewis. "As droll as our time here together has been, if you darkened the Society's doorstep, I'd need to kill you--you know too much."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Hela paused mid stride, her back to Weir as she cocked her head to one side.

"Really now? Is that what you'd do?"

A grin curled out of sight as she gripped her glass bottle.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

"Unless I could be certain of your discretion and non-interference," both of which are highly unlikely, "yes. My ability to wear different faces is not exactly common knowledge at the Society, and I wish to keep it that way."

Not to mention you'd likely pose a danger to those I hold dear.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

"It is a rather handy tool to have, isn't it?" she agreed, sounding as if she were admiring a piece of fine china...with a baseball bat in hand.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

"Quite--as I'm certain you can attest," he concurred.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

"You'll get no argument here."

With a decidedly pleased hum, Hela stepped into the kitchen, tossing her empty bottle in the bin before scavenging the pantry for something to eat.

Heh. He really would try and kill me if I went...'Might be fun.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

"Mm."

Lewis moved his shirt and trousers closer to the fire, eager to get them on soon.

The waistcoat, he reasoned, could dry last.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

None of the food available was terribly appealing--nor was the idea of potentially having to share with Lewis--so she retreated from the kitchen empty handed.

I could go out, eat somewhere....but I'd be leaving Weir here and there's no telling what he'd do.

...His clothes better hurry up and dry so he can get the Hell out of my house, she thought with a pang of irritation that matched the rumble in her stomach, coming to lean against the wall beside the fireplace.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

Lewis heard her stomach growl.

Bordering on hungry himself, he reasoned food might do both of them good--particularly when it came to preventing fits of temper.

"I could make something, if you like," he offered.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

"While in your undergarments?" said Hela with a snort. "Kindly refrain."

She fixed him with a vague look of displeasure.

"Cook what you want, but I'll be getting my own meal."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

"Suit yourself," said Lewis with a shrug.

He got up and went into the kitchen to make a sandwich, seeing little point in cooking if it was only for one.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

She turned her gaze to his clothing once Lewis left the room, though unfortunately her glaring did nothing to speed up the drying process.

...For God's sake, I'm going to be here all day!

"Hey Weir, would you be opposed to a bit of experimentation?" called Hela as she stepped to the chair on which the wet clothing hung, her tone flat.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

He'd just put mustard on the bread when she addressed him.

"Depends what it is," he called back. "How d' you mean?"

He sliced some cheese off the block to add to the sandwich.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

"If we take half your clothes and leave them on the chair," she said, picking up his shirt, "And then take the other half and toss it into the flames." She turned to face the fireplace, tilting her head in a contemplative manner. "We can see which method dries them faster."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

"Har-de-har-har," he returned in a deadpan tone.

"If you do that," he replied, voice more normal but still a bit flat at the edges, "I shall be forced to commandeer clothing from your closet--and you shan't get it back."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Hela chuckled.

"You say that like you could fit in any of my clothing."

Still, she decided against chucking his shirt into the flames for the time being and instead held it out to the warmth with two fingers, watching the fire in attempt to quell her rising boredom.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

"I'd still take it for spite," Weir stated in a matter-of-fact manner. "I know myself well enough to predict that."

He put cheese on the sandwich, followed by a thin slice of meat.

"Believe me," he continued, "I'm not staying here any longer than absolutely necessary. We've had our fun, but I'm eager to get back."

He added the other slice of bread to the sandwich and took a bite--just in time, too, as an intense wave of hunger hit him that very moment.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

'Absolutely necessary' is already too damn long, thought Hela, gritting her teeth

"Would you oppose a fire bomb drying your clothes as well?"

A huff of building irritation.

"We hadn't the chance to use them on Ayato, after all, and it'd be a shame to waste the things--I'm sure they'd hardly singe anything."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

"Woman, let me eat my damn sandwich before we're at each other's throats," came the equally huffy response from Lewis as he strode from the kitchen.

He used his free hand to hold the trousers up to the fire while he took another bite of the sandwich in his other.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago • edited

Hela bristled at how he'd addressed her, lips curling back in a snarl.

"Who the Hell do you think you're calling woman?" she nearly roared, throwing his still damp shirt to the floor, utterly incensed.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

He tossed the trousers back over the chair.

"You, 'woman'," he emphasized as he picked up the now-dirty shirt. "Unless you're actually a man under there," he said as snapped the damp clothing just short of her nethers. "I never bothered to check.

"Keep this up, and I will," he added, more to himself, as he held the shirt up to the heat.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Seething with boiling rage, she was rendered immobile for a moment, incapable of a coherent response.

Then, her fury sharpened and condensed, adding an edge to her senses rather than blinding her.

"You had best watch yourself, b*stard," she managed, her limbs trembling with hardly contained violence.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

"And you'd best back off, b*tch," he shot back, lips drawing into a warning snarl even as his eyes darkened.

He only just avoided crushing his sandwich as he fought not to clench his hands into fists.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

"This she-wolf owns this godd*mn territory, and you're the one bloody trespassing, so sod off!"

She took a step closer, throwing her arm out in an aggressive gesture towards the door.

"You've your food, your clothes--just take them and leave."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

Her aggressive posturing only exacerbated his own.

He'd put up with her insults. With her dirtying his shirt. With her animosity. With her interrupting his meal.

But he was not going home cold and wet.

"Not. Until. They're dry." His eyes narrowed, complexion altered, and hair darkened as he uttered the ultimatum--a very clear line drawn in the sand.

One more challenge, and he might lose what little control of himself he yet retained.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

"I. Wasn't. Asking."

The response came out a gutteral hiss as she dropped her arm back to her side, chin tucked as she practically spat hellfire at him.

"Get out of my house!"

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

His features altered fully at that, a chorus of cracks their accompaniment as bone and muscle and sinew shifted.

"Neither. Was. I."

He held her gaze, his own cold as steel and burning like flame.

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Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

((Continuation of the Big Rp! I've no idea what part this counts as anymore, so I guess we're winging it now XD

Jekyll1886:

"This way," he indicated with a tip of his head toward the rear of the train car.

As they approached an empty seat at the back, he surreptitiously attuned his energy to the oil-like energy of the rope enchantment over her left shoulder.

When they reached the seat, he said quietly, "I didn't mean to upset you, Hela," looking at her like a puppy would its master. "That's why I'm...as you see me."

He took her hand in his, moisture gathering in his eyes.

"I just... I wanted to tell you that I will never, ever give up on you."))

Though she had been maintaining her facade remarkably well considering that controlling emotions and how they showed was a task better suited to her counterpart, it threatened to crumble entirely at his kind words and gesture.

Her shoulders caved forward, drawing in closer to herself as she bowed her head, the weight of the world pressing down on her back.

Then you're going to have to bury me.

A shuddered breath, in and out again.

"It would be best if you left me alone," she said softly, yet with an edge forced into her tone, making to pull her hand from his, "I have a lot I'm trying to handle at the moment."

The sharp undercurrent to her voice seemed to add 'Don't be a distraction' even as a pair of tears formed and fell from her eyes.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

"I'll leave you to your work, only..." he blinked, a tear falling from his eye.

He embraced her suddenly and heartily, with all the love of a dear friend and parent both, holding fast as if to let her go would be to lose her.

"Please...don't give up on me, either."

He took the opportunity to get a feel for the energies and enchantments hiding just behind her left shoulder.

The rope-like one was generating the obscuring void. The thread-like one...acted as a sort of metaphysical circuit or loop, an easily broken one which would react to tampering by any energy other than the oil-slick or taut-bright one. He reached out with his own energy--currently attuned to the oily one well enough to avoid breaking the thread--and followed the thread deeper.

It was attached to--of all things!--a third enchantment. Thankfully, it was not yet manifested, though he could tell it would be if the thread or rope ceased to be.

A trap.

This third enchantment had the spiritual reek of the oil-slick manitou about it. If triggered, it would forcibly and unpleasantly alter the balance of Helen and Hela's nature in Hela's favor.

If possible, the fourth and subtlest enchantment he found was even worse. It bore every signature of the taut-bright manitou, glimmering with painful potential and interwoven through the core of Hela and Helen's very soul. Lewis recognized it as a brilliant piece of work even as he loathed it for violating free will: It stifled the "Helen" part of the psyche, preventing it from manifesting; it stopped Hela from discussing anything to do with her current state of enchantment and how it came to be; and it threatened a feeling of experiencing death if she ever ceased to comply with the manitous' stipulations.

All this was far more than Weir could hope to undo in a moment's time and his present state.

He released her from the embrace.

"I love you," he said with all his heart.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Hela stiffened in surprise when she felt his arms wrap around her, a wary hiss of fear escaping her. She didn't struggle, however, only shivered at the slight warmth that crept into her skin from the embrace--she'd felt deathly cold ever since the enchantment began cloaking her in a vacuum.

When Weir pulled away, a rapid fire of emotions crossed her expression--relief, disappointment, longing--but she wrestled them back under control, speaking in a low, harsh tone that trembled more than she'd like.

"You should think twice before you interrupt me again." I'm/You're lucky we're in public. "This is the last time I'll allow it free of consequence."

Eyes were the window to the soul, capable of betraying her even if her energy was muted, so she kept her gaze down, unable to convey all she wished.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

"I understand."

With a nod, he stepped away from "Helen" and slipped behind her, leaving her path clear to return to Elaina.

"I'll not stop you," he whispered as he passed by. "But delay as long as you possibly can."

With that, he exited the train car, closing the door behind him to stand in the space between it and the next one down.

When no one but Hela was looking, he vanished into shadow.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Hela gave no indication that she'd heard, motionless as she stared at the ground. It was another few moments after Weir had left before she moved again, carefully slipping back into character before returning to her seat.

Sitting and apologizing for the interruption, she'd soon begun chatting idly with Elaina once more, relieved she didn't seem terribly put off by her leaving for a minute or so.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

Lewis, meanwhile, emerged from the shadow under his bed in his flat.

Quickly resuming his usual guise, he made his way to the chair near the bedroom door and had a seat.

He conveyed all he'd learned to Charricthran.

I'm going to see if I can't untangle this Gordian knot from the astral plane, Weir informed him. Wish me luck.

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Ya know how ta find me--should be able ta hear ya still from there. I can buy ya more time if everythin' starts a-happenin', just let me know if-slash-when I give the word.

A pause, laden with the weight of their undertakings.

Be safe, Weirmrith. At least, as can be.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 6 months ago • edited

Thank you, Nald'su. I'll let you know if need be, though I hope it doesn't come to that. He didn't wish to put any more strain on Charricthran than absolutely necessary.

He took out a syringe and injected himself with just enough sedative to do the trick. Before long, he was lightly dozing and thus able to step out of his physical body.

Astral travel being what it was, he took no time at all to find Hela-as-Helen on the train, the energies over her left shoulder far easier to perceive without his flesh on.

And easier to manipulate.

Mimicking the taut-bright manitou's energy, he finagled the rope-enchantment into non-being, then altered the thread-enchantment to continue to exist regardless of the presence or absence of the rope enchantment and the other parameters he knew of. It would also now recognize himself and Char with the same sense of safety and familiarity it would the oily and white-bright presences. Moreover, these latter two were denied access.

Next, he undid the third, trap-like enchantment.

Lastly, he tackled the three strands--interwoven with the core of her soul--that composed the fourth enchantment.

With more than a surgeon's care, he finessed the strand of energy that would result in the death-experience under and around and through, this spiritual operation more delicate than any physical one.

At last, it came free, and he winked it out of existence.

Next he unwound the strand keeping her from speaking of aught that had happened or was happening regarding the manitous and the enchantments they'd placed upon her.

It, too, he eliminated.

He'd saved the easiest of the three for last, knowing his concentration might falter toward the end. Almost as effortlessly as retracting an extended tape measure, he gathered to himself the twining strand that had kept Helen from manifesting.

That one, he took special pleasure in destroying.

His work nearly complete, he disabled the thread-like trigger mechanism--now connected to nothing--and drew non-being down upon it.

Done.

All the enchantments...gone.

An exhausted yet triumphant sigh of relief--inaudible to Elaina--sounded behind Hela, just over her left shoulder.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

As the rope-enchantment hiding the signature of her soul vanished, Hela felt the presence of the void fizzle away, a sudden flood of warmth following in its wake. Thankfully, Elaina happened to be staring out the window at this time, and thus missed the panicked expression breaking across "Helen's" face as the confusion set in.

What happened, why is it changing, did I do something wrong?

Her thoughts had barely finished when she felt a mild pressure on her mind where the silencing enchantment already weighted down before it, too, vanished all together.

As each piece of magic vanished one by one, she shuddered, fearing that the being who bound her in the first place had returned.

God, I've done all they asked, please--

The magic no longer tingled and buzzed against her skin, no longer stole her body heat, no longer stood as a wall between her and her counterpart...

It was gone.

Is this a test?

Just then, there was an exhale behind her and she tensed at its proximity.

Lewis, she recognized, dread and relief mingling at once.

Unless...it wasn't really Lewis.

With a very minute movement, she turned her head to glance over her left shoulder as if searching for some beast poised to strike.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

Though the only thing visible behind Hela was her seat, a gentle warmth that evoked love and comfort enveloped her from behind.

In the astral plane, Lewis gave her a hug, allowing their energies to smoothly overlap one another.

You're free, came the thought-feeling-certainty to Hela's mind-heart-soul.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

How...?

Hela put a hand on the back of her shoulder, confused, even as she relaxed.

Somehow, some way, she was...safe now.

Turning forward again, she dropped her hands into her lap, staring at the train car floor in quiet disbelief.

Elaina would live and, now free of magic, so would she.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

Glad to know she was better, Lewis let Hela go.

He returned to his body in the flat, physically waking with a yawn about fifteen minutes later.

She's safe now, he let Charricthran know.

All that remains is to find the blighters who ensnared her.

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Safe from the enchantment, 'least. Well done, by the by. Tha' said, I'd no' be surprised if they were monitorin' remotely--particularly if they're over in another dimension.

He shifted slightly, trying to lessen the feeling of skin pulling too tight over broken metal, time ticking slowly down.

I'll keep an eye on things here still. Worse ta worse, they'd have ta poke a hole in things ta cross an' start sommat, so's I'd be able ta sense tha' ahead o' time.

A pause.

Not a lot I can do ta look for 'em further, 'less ya want me ta scry further out.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 6 months ago

Well... thought Lewis, I've a rather good feel for their energies now. Any chance we could use that to our advantage?

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Charricthran's shark-toothed smile broke across the floorboards out of sight.

Makes it a sight easier ta look for 'em, yeah. How d'ya feel 'bout walkin' the Shiftin' Paths on your own? I can push back the fog for ya ta listen for them further off, but you'd have ta wander to 'em if ya want me here til the last possible mo'.

Already, he began to consider the best way to go about such a task, eventually adding, 's a minor chance o' somethin' scramblin' in my brain with so much noise, but I've done this enough ta know 's usually worn off fair quick-like.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 6 months ago

Lewis was about to agree to the arrangement...when Charricthran mentioned it could scramble his mind. And might not wear off quickly, to boot.

"Usually"? echoed Weir, suddenly skeptical.

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Tha' was right after home collapsed. Outlier, should really no' be counted, save tha' 'twere fair memorable.

He nudged those memories aside for the time being, unwilling to let them distract him.

Worse tha' usually ends up happenin' is tha' I forget how ta speak English for a tick, which, he gave the mental equivalent of a shrug, 'S no' really a problem if ya can speak with me up here.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 6 months ago

Lewis weighed the options.

For all I know, their dimension could be one inimical to human life--to say nothing of the risk to Charricthran.

On the other hand, what choice do we have, if we don't wish them to endanger Hela again? And who's to say they'll stop with her?

A sigh at the necessity of it.

"I am loath to ask this of you, but..."

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Don' be. I offered, an' I want all o' ya safe from these buggers.

He made a gesture like drawing back curtains from his place below the shadowy reflection of the train seats and their passengers, gritting his teeth as Whisper built upon Whisper in his mind, the chatter of countless voices prying sharp fingers that scraped in his ears like metal spoons against empty bowls.

Scraping, prying, building, burrowing between the vertebrae in his neck with a dull whine, static scraping, building, prying its way into his ears, his ears--

--and abated, for the moment, like so many sharks prowling the water beyond him.

He remained very still, and spoke thought quieter than his movements.

The way's open. Jus' think o' what you're lookin' for, an' everythin' should guide itself proper-like.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 6 months ago • edited

Vinxa. The thought carried gratitude beyond mere words.

Lewis attuned himself to both manitous' energies, like reaching for like as he felt out where the two spirits had hidden themselves away.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago • edited

The slick, dark, oily energy returned the call with vigor, eager to consume more of its own and practically beckoning him closer; inversely, the response from the white and sharp was cool, impersonal, hardly more than a curt greeting or the flickering of some distant star, unfazed by the presence of a fellow heavenly body.

The former was rather close, considering Weir was currently searching through all of the multiverse for his targets--it resided in a dimension only a few thousand or so universes away from their current one. The latter, however, was almost ten times this distance, resting near the center of what seemed to be a circle of connected worlds.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

Considering what each entity could inflict upon Hela, Lewis chose to give the bright-sharp manitou priority. He headed for it, resolving to deal with the oil-slick spirit later.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

The dirt path to his goal was a long one, winding and twisting through the misty Autumn forest towards his distant goal. Even with Weir's lock on the being, the journey took almost over half an hour to complete as it began increasingly more difficult to track the energy, its source turning increasingly muddled as he stepped within range of the circular system of dimensions.

A sphere lay before him as he finally reached his destination, providing his first glimpse at the being who took part is Hela's ensnarement.

It was a man, if their stockier frame was anything to go by, though the full-face mask they wore meant it wasn't certain.

It was a beautifully crafted piece, depicting the pearly white face of a spider--plenty of eyes dotted the surface of the mask, four large ones and then a row of smaller ones beneath, each the color of inky nothingness. Below there, a pair of golden jaws remained poised and glistening, the same metallic color tracing the remainder of the mask in thin, web like strands.

The man's suit was similarly decorated, the fine, white fabric meshed with a subtle design of golden cobwebs that danced from gloves to the hem of his pants to the tie he wore tucked neatly under his waistcoat. His shoes were simple, black things, as were the socks within them.

Despite being stout and a bit rounded with age, the man had an aura of authority around him, addressing the audience before him in a firm, passionate voice that carried well, his intensity almost convincing on its own, even if every word he spoke was unintelligible.

He stood at a wooden podium of sorts, the sides engraved with all manner of symbols and runes that buzzed softly, which rested in turn on a small, raised platform. His spectators were only about three feet away from its base, sitting in chairs of the same material.

Though Lewis was only able to see a part of the first two rows of them, it was clear those listening were not exactly the normal sort. Every last one of them wore some form of mask as well, each depicting a vastly different creature.

Behind the man, these same creatures were woven into a tapestry that covered every last inch of wall Lewis could see within the limited view of the bubble, the image so vibrant and lifelike that one could almost swear the beasts moved when they rested just out of sight.

Then, as Weir was taking this all in, one of the audience members, a fellow with a slim figure and some sort of hawk-like bird mask, locked their gaze on where he stood beyond the bubble.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

Based on the flow of energies about the room, Lewis detected no active ritual, though there was a fair bit of what might be called passive magic floating about--strangely enough, it seemed to ebb and flow with the speaking and hearing and understanding of words.

Additionally, every single mask in the room had some sort of magic to or enchantment upon it. The spider-mask-clad man's followers varied in the degree to which they possessed magic within them. The leader's magic, meanwhile, worked subtly to lend him an aura of strength, power, and trustworthiness.

To his surprise, Weir found most of the followers seemed to have good intentions, one seemed to be there only out of a greedy lust for power, while another had mixed motives.

Oddly, the speaker, too, seemed to occupy a morally gray area: good intentions mingled with other kinds.

Lewis would've liked nothing better than to pop out and deliver a surprise uppercut to the spider-man, but his reason and his doubts stayed his hand.

Bloody f*cking buggering Hell, why does it always have to be so sodding complicated?

Then the bird-man spotted him

Well, shit.

With a sigh, Weir rose out of the speaker's shadow.

"I don't suppose any of you can understand me?" queried Lewis. He wondered whether the ambient magic might aid in this, though he held out little hope this was the case.

He fixed the spider-masked speaker with his gaze.

"We need to talk."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Gasps and murmurs of surprise ran rapidly through the crowd at Weir's sudden appearance--and quite a crowd it was, nearly four hundred masked people sitting within what could very well be a cathedral of sorts, with all its stained glass and high ceilings. The drone of voices rose rapidly, some with intrigue, others with fear, threatening to become a roar.

However, before it became impossible to be heard, the man with a spider mask raised a hand for quiet and said a single, firm word, the sound of it amplified by a brief flash of magic.

At once, the people grew softer, then the sound of their conversation died all together as they strained to see and hear what would happen next.

Finally turning to face Lewis, the speaker gave a respectful incline of his head, saying something that sounded like assent. Then, touching a hand to his own ear, he posed a question, his tone calm and polite.

Though the mask prevented the reading of facial expressions, it was evident in the way the man held himself that he was shielding those behind him by remaining directly in front of Weir, even as he tried to solve matters peacefully.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

Reluctantly, Lewis attempted to attune his own energy to that of the speech-responding magic, on the off chance it might enable him to understand a word.

"I have difficulty making out what you've said," he enunciated. "Would you please repeat it?"

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

"Of course," the man replied with another dip of his head.

"I can understand you, as can the rest of my people," he said again, touching a hand to his chest before gesturing briefly to the sea of masks behind him, "Are you able to understand me in return?"

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

"Ah," said Lewis, relieved to hear what, to him, sounded perfectly like English as he mirrored the other's body language by briefly touching his ear.

"There we are. Yes."

He regarded the fellow.

"I must admit, I'm quite surprised to be here myself. I never expected such a gathering as this, to say the least.

"I do hope you'll not think it too forward, but I very much need truthful answers to some questions I must ask you. The lives of many hang in the balance."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

"We are on equal footing, then, for I was not expecting a guest--It seems you've surprised me as well as yourself." A good-natured smile could be heard in his tone, amused and friendly.

He turned more serious, however, at Weir's later statement, considering it for a moment.

"I would be more than willing to answer any questions you may have, if you'll only follow me to my office--it's usual procedure for any new soul who happens to stop by, though there is very little about your visit that has be usual thus far." His smiling warmth had crept back in by the end.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

"Oh, don't worry--this won't take long," answered Lewis, making no move to follow.

"I just need to know why you thou--"

He cut himself off, having felt the translation-magic fade at "why"--the exact moment the spider-man had given a flick of the wrist.

With raised brow, Weir angled his head down to stare at the wrist in question, then back up to meet the bugger's gaze.

"Lovely. So very kind of you," he uttered with dry sarcasm and a rueful look.

I really should've killed him on sight--consequences be damned.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

"My office, if you'd please," said the man in perfect English, sounding as a weary parent would when their child had done something rather disappointing. "I would like to continue this in a place where my people will not be upset by the conflict--they are only now recovering from our last bout of misfortune."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

"If they don't speak English, then there's no reason not to have our talk out here in the open," countered Lewis. "Forgive me if I'm a wee bit hesitant to walk into the parlor--pardon, 'office'--" he corrected with a smile, "of one dressed as a spider."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

He thought on that for a moment, then sighed.

"Very well."

Facing the audience, he dismissed them all with what sounded like a blessing, magic swirling around his words to ensure he was understood even without the latent translator active.

After murmuring the phrase in return, the crowd of masked figures began to file out the doors on either side of the building.

"How many would you like to stay as witness?" he asked, glancing back to Weir.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

"As many as you are comfortable with hearing the honest truth from both of us and will enable to accurately understand all of our conversation," Weir replied without missing a beat.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

There was a pause as the masked man simply seeming to stare.

Then, an entertained "As you wish" followed, and now that he'd spoken, it was clear he'd been smiling again during that span of silence.

Stepping down from the stage, he approached the departing crowd and was allowed to walk among them with ease, occasionally stopping to place a gentle hand on someone's shoulder and direct them back to a seat.

By the time he had returned to Weir, thirty people filled the first three rows of chairs, all quiet and still out of respect. Though over half of their masks were alien and strange creatures, all of those that were recognizable portrayed rather small beings, such as the mouse and hedgehog sitting side by side.

With another twitch of his wrist, the spider-masked man returned the translation magic to the air around them, though this time it encircled only those of them present, with a barrier that seemed to prevent sound from escaping surrounding it.

"Provided you are satisfied I've met your requests adequately, you may proceed," he addressed Lewis, raising a hand in invitation towards their audience.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

Of the thirty beings before them, only five occupied a moral gray area--the rest had good intentions.

The translation magic seemed a bit different, though. Before, it had radiated from everywhere. Now, however, it was being done "by hand", so to speak, directly emanating from the spider-man, its every minute variation subject to his control.

Hmph, thought Lewis.

"Certainly," he said with a determined nod.

He pulled out his journal and scribbled a quick sketch. It depicted a rather nefarious-looking spider-man with a lasso in his hand. The end of the lasso formed a noose around a patently innocent-looking depiction of Hela--Weir even added puppy eyes for good measure, her suffering apparent. Near this depiction of her was one of Lewis himself in profile, an expression of fear and concern etched upon his face, hands before his mouth.

Below this was a drawing of Weir emerging from shadow and pointing his finger at the spider-masked man as if to accuse him.

He tore out the page and held it up for the remaining audience to witness, careful to keep it out of the leader's reach.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Those towards the middle of the first row were close enough to see the drawing in all its detail and seemed rather surprised at first by its contents, though once the initial shock wore off several of them began whispering excitedly among themselves.

The others, meanwhile, stared with curious tilts of their head and strained to get a better look, though they remained in their seats.

A quiet sigh left the man at Weir’s antics, and he reached out a gloved hand.

“May I see the page?”

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

Lewis took another look at the page himself just to check whether the spider-speaker had changed it.

Relieved to find it still the same, Weir held it up for the man to see as he explained, "I took this precaution because I thought you might change the perception of my words."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

"You are a very careful man," the speaker complimented, bowing his head briefly out of respect.

"If you will allow it, I can ensure all those present are able to witness your picture, but only if I have it in hand."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

"Ah, not to worry," said Lewis as he briefly checked the drawing again before handing it to a well-intentioned witness with a motion that indicated they should pass it round.

"You needn't trouble yourself."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago • edited

The witness, a thinly framed lady with a mask almost like a squirrel, if squirrels only had one eye and a multitude of seemingly soot-stained ears, appeared surprised by this, taking the picture rather hesitantly with a glance towards her leader. The spider masked man nodded to show it was alright before addressing Lewis once more.

"You said you had questions. Please, ask what you came here to know while everyone gets familiar with your artwork."

As he spoke, the eager chattering grew in volume, many hands reaching to touch the illustrations reverently as the page passed from one person to the next. Though the dull roar of voices made it difficult to pick out most of the words, there was one phrase that passed through the audience without fail--an elated, awed 'It's her'.

Although the speaker's face was concealed, as always, one got the sense that he was grinning behind his mask at his follower's delight.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

"Very well," said Lewis.

"I need to know why you imposed your will--by magic--upon my kin.

"Why you sought to alter the balance of her nature.

"Why you put an enchantment on her that prevented her from even telling me what was wrong--one that would have made her experience the pain of death if she didn't do exactly as you commanded and kill the love of her life.

"She'd done nothing to you, nothing whatsoever, and you toyed with her like a boy picking wings off a fly.

"Tell me why."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

"With great pleasure," said the spider-masked man with a deep bow.

"You are not the first Guardian to grace our doorstep and, as certain as the rising of the Suns, you will not be the last for some time more."

He straightened as he spoke and half turned to face their audience.

"However, the visits are often decades apart, so I pray you won't mind a bit of...theatrics."

Friendly mischief seemed to twinkle in the darkness of the spider-mask's eyes and the man outstretched a hand, a small ball of golden, glowing threads that seemed to be made of magic forming in his palm and slowly growing in size.

"You may have noticed our tapestry," he commented with a gesture of his free hand to the creature-woven fabric that covered the entirety of the wall, "On it, there is every last member of the Keeper's Court, from the most gargantuan beast to the smallest. As of now, they are arranged at random, but--" He closed his palm around the sphere of golden string, condensing it, and the creatures all shuddered to life with a ripple of energy, rearranging themselves upon the image. "All it takes is a simple request and they will line up as they should."

Soon, every last beast had formed a sort of pyramid with the largest at the bottom and the others atop in descending size. At the very peak sat a frog with a spider resting upon its back.

"Once all the members of the Court have gathered, the Keepers come to greet their companions," he went on, his tone fond and almost parental, "It has been so terribly long since we've last seen them."

A woman stepped into view from one side of the tapestry, coming to a stop beside the tower of animals. Her form was constantly shifting and changing, switching to new appearance out of a seemingly endless number every other heartbeat. Occasionally, Helen or Hela could be seen for just a flash. Features still in flux, the woman smiled as the frog hopped down onto her shoulder and the spider lowered itself on a strand of silk onto her other.

Turning away from the image, the speaker nodded to Weir.

"Your 'kin', as you say, is a potential Keeper, a very rare manifestation of soul capable of certain extraordinary feats. The full reach of her talents lay dormant and untapped now, but, with the right conditions and guidance, she will be able to wield the Key to everything and bring salvation to all of creation."

"Without that training, however...the prospective Keepers often turn instead to darkness and damage, destroying others as well as themselves."

He touched a gloved hand to his chest.

"It is my purpose as the Weaver to find and shape those who could fulfill the role, as well as prevent what damage may come if they prove to be beyond saving. My methods may have bite, but it is necessary, if I am to make progress."

"That is what we do here--search for the Keeper of the Key so that we may right the wrongs of every universe."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

"Search elsewhere," said Lewis bluntly.

"She's not yours.

"Your 'guidance' is naught but the enslavement of her will to your own. That, I will not suffer.

"Not to mention 'tis hubris itself to presume you've the right to alter any universe, let alone every. Keeper-seeker or no, keep your hands, your magic--everything!--and anyone else's!--off of her, off of everyone in our dimension. We'll have no part of any of this."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

"I believe you may misunderstand me," said the Weaver with an amused, but friendly rumble.

"Though we seek a better future, we shall not be the one to create it--the Keeper is the only being capable of using the Key in such a manner."

"As for your charge, Guardian...I'm afraid there's no easy way to say this," he continued in a quieter voice, genuine sorrow in his tone.

"Your kin has already experienced some form of... interaction with the other Keepers. It is how we were able to locate her in the first place--the energy that is generated by such an event is very powerful and distinct."

"Now that it has happened once, she will be capable of repeating it, likely without intending to, and because of this, she faces the grave risk of self-destruction if she does not have someone to guide her through the learning process."

A moment of heavy silence, every member of the audience still and silent.

"I am...very sorry, Guardian, but if you wish to save her, you must allow her to learn."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

Lewis was quiet a long moment.

"I will need to speak with these other 'Keepers'," he said at last, as if it were no request he uttered but rather unassailable fact.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

The spider-masked man spread his arms in an apologetic gesture.

"I cannot help you there--while many Guardians have entered this place, all but one of their Keepers have never stepped foot here, and the exception...."

He sighed wearily, touching a hand to his mask.

"She has not been seen again for centuries, after she went dark."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

Weir sighed.

"You just said the energy that's generated by interaction with the other Keepers is very powerful and distinct, correct?"

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago • edited

"When two or more Keepers have a connection of most any kind or come into close proximity with one another, they produce such an aura, yes," confirmed the man with a nod, "Waiting and looking for that is one of the only ways to locate them in so vast a sea of worlds, but those incidents are almost rarer than the Keepers who cause them."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

"Yet you located my 'charge', as you call her, without fail. Surely you could also locate the one who interacted with her," conjectured Lewis.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

The spider-masked man titled his head to one side.

"No Keeper approached your charge at this time, Guardian--she reached out to all the others with her soul, and the resulting force is what drew our attention to that particular dimension. We do not know who she contacted, nor where they reside, for the energy was centered on her alone."

"In addition, the event itself did not last very long, so it took time to pinpoint your charge, even after we'd vastly narrowed down the search area. There are, after all, massive limitations to our ability to detect the echoes of such energies once they are no longer being produced, which led to a search 'by hand', so to speak, with trusted members surveying the area in which the aura had been detected before."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

"That still doesn't explain why you violated her will. If she's to be one of these 'Keepers' or find a 'Key' or whatever the bloody Hell it is you think she's destined for with a capital 'K', let her do it on her own terms. You need not interfere--and these 'Keepers' had better not, either."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

"In the end, there will only be one Keeper who proves able to fulfill this role. The others...they will die either in trying to or fleeing it."

His tone was somber, imploring him to listen.

"Please allow me to ensure your charge is the one who is spared from such a fate, Guardian. She will not survive without teaching."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

Weir nearly choked at the concept.

"What is this, a--a bloody cosmic battle royal? And woe betide the unwilling?" his voice rose.

"'God's sake, man! This is ridiculous!

"Shame on you!" he shook his finger at the Spider. "Shame on all these 'Keepers' with their bloody Keys of not-leaving-anyone-well-enough-alone! To Hell with you all!"

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

He shook his head slowly, disheartened by the man's reaction.

"I am doing all that I can to help you and your family. This.... destiny is not my design, but the work of the entirety of everything. It began with the creation of this universe and every other."

Closing both hands around the ball of golden thread he held, he dispelled the bit of magic, the tapestry's inhabitants returning to their original positions while the Keeper stepped out of sight once more.

"You....are greatly upset, Guardian, and it is natural to be so. Please, remain here for some time to relax and regain your head--I will answer all that I am able when you are ready."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

"'Destiny' can sod off--nothing's written in stone! You would bend her will to your wishes and then call it 'fate' when you made happen what you willed to happen!" asserted Lewis with increasingly forceful gesticulation.

"If these 'Keepers' want at her, they'll bloody well have to go through me!" he exclaimed with such adamance there was no doubt he'd give his own life for hers if that's what it took.

"In the meantime, you and your lot keep away from her, or--so help me--I will end you."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

The audience was beginning to shift with restless unease at Weir's growing agitation, concerned murmurs breaking out among those sitting.

"We mean you and your kin no harm, Guardian," said the Spider, slowly raising his hands in a gesture of surrender, "You need not fight us. We can search instead for a new Keeper to groom, if you desire yours to be let alone. Only...understand what may happen if you choose that path for her."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

His words slowed Weir's momentum.

"What do you mean, 'what may happen'?" questioned Lewis, voice not nearly so loud, as he straightened back with wary eyes.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago • edited

"I spoke before of an incident where your charge managed to connect with the other Keepers through her soul. It is my belief that she somehow fell on just the right frequency to resonant with the remainder of her kind--they are, after all, as similar to one another as they are vastly different."

"Seeing as both you and your kin were unaware of such things as Keepers and Guardians until now, I can only assume this event was not a conscious action on her part, which is...a rather worrisome prospect."

There was a long pause, strained with the gravity of the situation.

"Do you recall a time in which your charge was....not herself, Guardian? When she may not have recognized you and spoke in foreign tongues as if possessed? Or perhaps one where she was unconscious and unresponsive, despite having no physical injury?"

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

The entire world seemed to fall into slow motion for Lewis as a dawning and terrible realization struck.

He blinked rapidly, abdominal muscles tightening. His lips drew in around his teeth as a wave of worry and trepidation hit.

He was quiet for a long moment.

Then...

"Yes," he managed at a mere whisper, brows rising together in the middle. His breathing came more rapidly now as his thoughts raced and his fears grew.

"She was--a friend of hers had an experiment that went wrong--something to do with time or-or space or both for all I know," he continued, voice above a whisper now.

"I found her. When she woke, she wasn't herself--she didn't recognize me, didn't move or talk the way she should've, didn't know or remember anything about us, about her friend, what had happened--anything!

"Are you saying all that...is--is somehow related to these 'Keepers'?"

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

The man dipped his head very slowly in a nod.

"Those would have been the moments your charge spent synchronizing in spirit with the others of her kind."

"The connection between Keepers is much like a ring of particularly powerful magnets--each one is arranged in a fashion that repels the one on either side of it, allowing them all to remain separate from one another."

"If my hypothesis is correct, the failed experiment with time and space may have destabilized your kin, thus shifting the metaphorical magnet out of place. This would...then allow the others to be attracted close enough to influence her mind and soul, causing the odd behavior as the boundary between them and her blurred."

A beat.

"I do not think it needs to be said, but that is not a good thing--for your kin to linger overlong under the pressure of another Keeper is to risk damaging her soul or losing her sense of self entirely. It is... a miracle she recovered her balance rapidly enough to prevent such tragedies on that occasion, and I fear she may not be so lucky the second time."

"That is why she must learn. Training is the only way she may live without being consumed, as it is only a matter of time before she is unsettled again."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

Colors paled. Sound muffled, then buzzed. The world slowed to nothing as Lewis felt himself float halfway free of his body, which threatened to collapse in a faint.

Stay for her.

That thought alone, among a thousand racing others, kept him from exiting entire--he fell to his knees, palms on the floor, breath coming shallow as anything as he fought the dimming of his vision.

He became aware of the beating of his heart as it suddenly careened from near-nothing to the erratic pounding of a jackhammer gone haywire.

His breath, shallow as it was, felt heavy in his lungs.

His nerves buzzed, afire.

With a quick hand to his mouth, he stifled a heave of what would have been his stomach's contents emptying onto the floor.

For all that, when next he swallowed--audibly--his throat was dry.

A thin line of spittle spilled down from his lips and he fell to his side, weak with exhaustion, as his body tried to recover from the shock to the system.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

An uproar of concern broke out among those watching as Weir collapsed before them, many rising from their chairs.

The Weaver raised a hand to stop them from approaching and called out a name to the crowd as he dropped to one knee beside Lewis, his head titled ever-so-slightly to the side.

A single person made their way quickly onto the stage, their mask a rather gentle looking creature that could have been a relative of a fox with silky grey fur and little silver flecks on their face. They took their place kneeing at the Weaver's side and, seeming to lock their gaze with Lewis, held their hands just over his torso.

"May I help you?" the not-quite-fox asked kindly, their voice a warm, purring rumble, portraying the genuine care their lifeless mask could not.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

"Uh-eh-uh-uhn," Lewis tried to verbalize, failing miserably.

It was too much effort to keep his head turned to meet anyone's gaze; he let his neck bend to the side to rest his head on the floor, eyes unfocused.

Don't do anything to me, don't, don't. Keep your awful hands off me, your magics away.

Leave me alone, leave Hela alone; leave everything alone--why must you exist?--this is awful. You horrible people with this waking nightmare.

A harsh cough racked his body and drew tears from his eyes.

I don't want this.

Yet until he could reliably move again, there was very little he could do.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago • edited

A pleasant warmth began to radiate from the hands hovering over his side, at once invigorating and relaxing, but the not-quite-fox was careful to prevent any of the energy from bleeding into Lewis just yet--it was only a preview of sorts, demonstrating what exactly they offered.

"Are you certain you do not want help, Guardian?"

They sounded saddened by his choice, wishing to ease his suffering, but it was evident they would respect it regardless of his final decision.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

Can they read minds, too? came the horrifying thought with a fresh thrill of alarm--without thinking, Weir drew in a quick breath.

"Uh-ah-I..."

He took a long moment, closing his eyes as he did his level best to gather himself.

Breaths in, breaths out.

At last, with a deep exhale that still shook at the edges, he stirred.

"I don't..." he managed, leaning on his elbow as he tried--and failed--to sit up.

He resigned himself to a lounging position.

"Just...give me time."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

At Lewis' attempt to speak again, the energy faded as the healer withdrew their hands and sat at a respectful distance from him.

"Of course," they said tenderly in response to his request, dipping their head, "If you desire anything, you need only ask, but I will make certain no one will disturb you otherwise."

They looked then to Spider who nodded and stood, stepping several feet away to speak with a different masked figure.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

True to his word, Weir did recover some minutes later. He pulled himself into a more upright position to sit, cross-legged, on the floor.

"I believe I can converse now," he informed his host. "'Simply had a right shock, was all."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

The not-quite-a-fox healer remained by his side until he was well enough to sit up, only slipping back to their seat in the crowd when Lewis spoke.

Turning at the sound of Weir's voice, the Spider dismissed his current company and approached again, tilting his head in a quizzical manner as he looked down at him.

"Shall we fetch a pair of chairs or will I be joining you on the floor?" he asked, amusement tinged with curiosity and caution--the man was clearly uncertain how to go about things without causing Lewis to collapse as he had before.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

"I think I'll just...sit here for now," answered Lewis honestly. "I don't know if I can negotiate a chair just yet."

He sighed through his nose and shook his head.

"A case of nerves, is all."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

Gingerly, as one would approach an easily frightened animal, the Spider came to stand just in front of Lewis.

"Very well."

With a soft grunt of discomfort, the man managed to half sink, half fall into a sitting position on the floor, leaving his legs extended. He then looked to Weir again, his mask at an angle once more.

"How can we avoid a repeat of your sickness, Guardian?"

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago • edited

"I think..." reflected Lewis, "what I need is information, so I'll not feel as though I'm groping about in the dark, utterly helpless.

"What is this Key, how long has it existed, what does it do, why would anyone want it, what is a Keeper, why should anyone need to die--all that sort of thing.

"Understand, this is very much outside the realm of my day-to-day experience. The more details and specificity you can provide, the better."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

He was still and quiet for a moment, seeming to consider the topics mentioned.

"The Key is a very powerful artifact, born during the creation of all existence. It has been around since the beginning of time itself, and is capable of rewriting the very fabric of the universe. This ability makes it useful for....most anything you can imagine, but it is very picky about who can use it."

"A Keeper is any sentient being located somewhere within the multiverse that has the rare and specific variation of personality or soul that the Key responds to. Often times, they are completely unaware of this special trait of theirs, as only under certain rare conditions will they have a reaction related to it. Although all Keepers have the potential to wield the Key, they first have to learn how to adjust themselves to be a perfect match for it, as it has certain preferences of mindset in its user."

"If a Keeper becomes capable of using the Key, there will be no need for anyone to die--once they have gained the power to alter the nature of things, they could save the other Keepers from unintentionally destroying one another."

A beat, as he seemed to realize that was hardly reassuring.

"...We do have a library, if you would prefer to read on these topics."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 6 months ago

"Thank you," said Lewis, appearing visibly more at ease, though still with a lingering undercurrent of concern. "Your answers do much to help me begin to apprehend the matter at hand.

"Pray do lead me to this library--I would learn further."

He got into a kneel and, bracing his hands first on the floor and then his thighs, slowly stood.

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Jekyll1886  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

((Tairais ))

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RBDECEPTICON17 • 6 months ago

(Mz. Hyde what have you done to your hair? XD)

(Also, guess who's now 21 and a true gay adult? :3)

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Pyrogue  RBDECEPTICON17 • 6 months ago

(( Happy birthday! :D ))

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RBDECEPTICON17  Pyrogue • 6 months ago

(Thank you, Pyrogue! X3)

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Jekyll1886  RBDECEPTICON17 • 6 months ago • edited

((Congrats, RB! ^_^))

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RBDECEPTICON17  Jekyll1886 • 6 months ago

(Thank you, 86! X3)

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Wizardblizzard  RBDECEPTICON17 • 6 months ago

(HAPPY BIRTHDAY RB!)

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RBDECEPTICON17  Wizardblizzard • 6 months ago

(Thank you, Wizard! X3)

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Mz.Hyde Mod  RBDECEPTICON17 • 6 months ago

(Congratulations!)

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RBDECEPTICON17  Mz.Hyde • 6 months ago

(Thank you, thank you. X3)

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Pyrogue • 6 months ago

(( MillieGriffin

Wanna start here? ))

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MillieGriffin  Pyrogue • 6 months ago

((Yeah, I was about to write something but then I fell asleep ^ ^;))

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Pyrogue  MillieGriffin • 6 months ago

((Alright. Would you like to begin?))

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MillieGriffin  Pyrogue • 6 months ago

((Sure.))

A few days after the red death incident Millie walked up the steps of the society after grabbing some breakfast at a nearby café. She made her way down under the society to the restricted part of the basement, where only the management and co-founders are usually allowed, it's also where her lab is. She approached a section of the area that had now been seeingly pack with boxes and crates and old newspapers that was actually covering the outer part of her lab and it was where she expected Mr. Hollis to be waiting to let him in.

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Pyrogue  MillieGriffin • 6 months ago

Ezekiel arrived only a few minutes after Millie did. “‘Morning!” he said, seemingly in good spirits.

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MillieGriffin  Pyrogue • 6 months ago

"Good morning." She greeted with a dip her head, she wore a small smile, "are you ready to begin for today?"

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Pyrogue  MillieGriffin • 6 months ago

“I suppose so. What do we start with?”

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MillieGriffin  Pyrogue • 6 months ago

"Well, now that we're done with the outside," she said guessing to the boxes and crates in front of them, "good job by the way, really hides it better, now we can do our lab work. Kind of what we're in the society for..."

She pushed on one of the crates it opened inwards and she stepped in. "Come on."

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Pyrogue  MillieGriffin • 6 months ago • edited

He followed Millie through the open crate.

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MillieGriffin  Pyrogue • 6 months ago

The opening smacked shut behind them before Millie pulled aside a dinghy cloth to reveal the copper door leading into the lab she opened it and held it open for him. As they entered into the first section of the room Ezekiel saw that there were two chests of clothes instead of one. She opened the chest he saw the last time he was in there, and started putting on her safety wear.

“Well, get your kit on.” She said pointing at the newer chest before finishing putting everything on herself. In the newer chest were the same type of clothes his size.

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Pyrogue  MillieGriffin • 6 months ago

He nodded, opened the chest, and pulled on the protective clothing in his own size.

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MillieGriffin • 6 months ago

XD

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