- IC Time: Sat Oct 06 19:18:56 2018 ***
- OOC Time: Sat Oct 06 19:18:56 2018 ***
It's been chilly and rainy of late, and the first chance she has where the weather isn't immediately gross? Off she goes to the woods to hunt for rocks, feathers, fallen wood... Anything that catches her eye with an unusual shape or color or the potential to become more than it is.
A warm hoody, jeans, a long-sleeved t-shirt, and steel toed boots keep her plenty warm, and a handwoven collection basket is strapped to her like a backpack. Hair is tied into a thick braid and stuffed into the hood. Rain is a threat, but she needs to find new things, and the fresh air is welcome.
Her time has gotten away from her out here. The sun is already setting, and the sky rumbles. It may be time to go back, but she may have gotten carried away tonight. She's ventured further than last time. Winter was a looming threat that was steadily approaching. The oncoming cold was its herald, and in turn the whip that cracked. The distant sound of something howling can be heard. Maybe someone's dog. Then it's heard again, and it's followed by a cascade of howling from more than just one. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Wolves? It can't be. Not in VT, not this far south, and not this time of year. However, there it goes again. Several of them howling along, and it's getting closer.
Looking to the sky to read the weather, Charlie nods to herself. Her basket isn't brimming, but it's full enough to make the time worth her while with healing plants and the other trinkets that she needs. The first howl wins a smile, but the sound of so many, so close together is concerning. Wolves? Dogs gone feral? Either way, it sounds like she is in the path of whatever they might be running down.
"Shit." She's not a good climber, but starts to look for higher ground of some kind. They might get her scent, but she can spend a night in a tree, if needed.
-> >> Charlie to Here << <-===========================================
Rolled 0 Success
< 3 4 5 5 6 6 7 >
===============================-> >> Wits + Composure No Flags << <-
The only things to climb would be trees, but getting up there'd require agility that'd put a monkey to shame. No, her best bet is running. Good, old-fashioned running. And she has to because whatever it is chasing her is gaining on her. The only high ground is a hill several meters away, and at least from there she's a chance to see exactly what is coming. However, it'll add more time that takes away from running away.
Maybe she should cut back on jelly beans. And steak. And fried chicken. And chinese food. Cutting her losses, she drops the basket to lighten the load and starts hustling for that hill. Running is not her forte, and she knows how fast dogs or wolves can cover ground. There's not a lot of real hope that she'll clear the hill, but she pushes hard to get there and away from whatever is hunting in the woods.
-> >> Charlie to Here << <-===========================================
Rolled 2 Successes
< 1 1 5 6 7 8 9 >
=================-> >> Stamina + Athletics.Adroitness No Flags << <-
They number close to a dozen if not more than that. Their fur's too dark to tell what they are in the dark shade provided by the trees, but they're quite obviously canine. She does catch sight of the eyes of one as she makes her away up. Red, glowing, and far too numerous for anything normal. They're gaining on her, though, and it won't be too long before they're nipping at her heels and enjoing a human dinner.
GAME: Charlie spends 1 Willpower
-> >> Charlie to Here << <-===========================================
Rolled 3 Successes
< 1 2 2 3 3 7 8 10 10 >
=================================-> >> Wits + Resolve No Flags << <-
"Barghest." that's bad. That's so, so bad. But they'll burn, right? Right. Here's hoping, anyway. Jinking to the side, she grabs a good sized stick and a moment's focus sees it turned into a brightly burning firebrand - it might not work, but it gives her a point of flame to intensify and normal beasts might be spooked off by the fire.
These things keep coming, and with how close they are now she can see them for what they are. It's not a collection of beasts, but a single thing. A moving blob of flesh, shadow, teeth, and red eyes. All of those mouths keep howling until she's near enough, and it descends into barking. They snarl as they approach her and that fire, slowly getting closer and closer up that hill.
That... That's not right. It moves wrong. Like a sped up amoeba with all those eyes and different voices.
it's the sort of thing that sends ice through her veins and brings her up short. Precious moments wasted as she stares in horror, mind trying to make sense of what can't be parsed by her human mind. The torch is nearly dropped before her grip tightens, and she backs away - too afraid to turn her back on it.
The longer she stays and watches this monstrosity the closer it gets. It moves and squelches its way to her. Soon enough it becomes apparent that the presence of fire doesn't stop nor slow them beyond their own will. They do stop just out of arm's reach of Charlie. What they do is difficult to see. The mass of shadow and beasts is spreading itself to incircle her.
GAME: Charlie spends 1 Willpower
-> >> Charlie to Here << <-===========================================
Rolled 2 Successes
< 3 5 5 8 9 >
=============================-> >> Wits + Resolve - 2 No Flags << <-
No, nonono. Grimacing, she waves the firebrand before turning and concentrating, using the flame of the torch to blow a great gust of fire onto the creature, lighting it up with a whoosh. It burns, it sizzles,but does it seem to react to the heat of the flames?
There is no burning. There is no sizzling. What she smells is the scent of burning grass, and the flame starts to grow. The fire goes right through the amorphous blob of shadows and teeth. What she does find is that something has grabbed her by the back of the neck, and is slowly lifting her off the ground.
About the time that it registers that's grass and singed earth, some part of the thing snatches her up and starts to lift. The smith's feet left the ground and she finally screams. She can't burn it, it isn't even solid! But somehow it's taken hold of her. Shadows made solid? It's beyond her ability to process, despite being more exposed to the weird of the world than most.
There's breathing behind her, and the voice that speaks is human. Human-ish. It's rough, gravelly, and sounds more like a growling beast mimicing humanity than anything normal. "You humans always were stupid. Not even sure why he wants us to lure you pups away." There's a clack as it snaps its teeth behind her. It leans forward past her shoulder for her to see what looks to be a rather massive man with a tad too much body hair, a shaggy bearded, and a tattooed head.
There's a swallowed whimper from the smith, neck aching with the pain of her thick self being hoisted up. The sound of snapping jaws makes her arch and struggle against the grid on her. She talks a good game, and acts casual, but when the reality comes along, she's a fish out of water. "Who..? -What- are you?" she stammers, reaching for whatever is holding her to try and ease the pull of her weight on her neck.
It's a human, from the feel of him. A very, very tall human. He drops her to the ground, and in those few moments she can get a glimpse of him. Damn near eight feet tall, a barrel of a chest, and arms thicker than her thighs. From what skin can be seen on his chest and arms he's rather hair, and he has a shaggy as all hell beard. His head's shaved clean, and nothing but tattooed can be found on his dome. If she looks around she'll see that the shadow creatures are no longer there, and the fire still burns from where she shot it to. The man doesn't give her a chance to escape, and grabs her by the ankle with enough force that she can hear her bones snap as well as feel it.
That makes him the better part of three feet taller than her. hitting the ground with a grunt, she starts to roll to the side, ankle caught in that vice grip. She knows people that are big like he is, but there isn't really time to parse that tidbit, her ankle crushed by the insane strength in that hand. Pain courses up her leg and she screams again, the agony of the broken bones in her joint pulling them from her with that sharpness of intense pain.
He doesn't give her much time to get used to the pain, and starts dragging her along. "Shut up!" he initially shouts as he tries to get her quiet. "Screaming won't do you a damn bit of good, you stupid git. So just shut up. Awakodan won't give two fucks about all your screaming, and, trust me, this isn't even the tip of the iceberg."
It could be worse. She tries to stifle the screams, half-choking on them as she tries to swallow them down. Whimpers and yelps are the result, every bump as he casually hauls her along sending another jarring jolt of pain through her. "W-who? Awako-" cutting herself of with another pained sound when her rump bounces off of something.
- IC Time: Tue Oct 09 12:18:24 2018 ***
- OOC Time: Tue Oct 09 12:18:24 2018 ***
-> >> Charlie to Here << <-===========================================
Rolled 2 Successes
< 6 7 8 9 >
========================================-> >> Stamina No Flags << <-
"Awakodan," he growls in her general direction. "And I said shut it." The traveling is long. She's dragged for at least a kilometer before she finally gets something close to rest. Despite the constant pain of being dragged around by a broken ankle she's able to be awake during it all, for better or worse. The rain makes it all the worse, but at least they've stopped for now. In front of what looks like an outhouse. He swings the door open, and then knocks on the threshold once. From the rainy, dark world of pain she goes to something much more verdant, although much much darker. Where things were at least slightly warming up in the real world, things are much colder in what is most obviously the Hedge.
Charlie does her best to avoid the bigger lumps and bumps along the path, but she's still black and blue from ass to teakettle after such a long haul of being drug along by that broken ankle. Lifting her head, she tries to see the little building when the dragging ceases, eyes widening as she's pulled through into the Hedge. "You're not supposed to be on the west side!" She protests, kicking the at huge man's knee with her other foot. She can fix an ankle, she can't fix the Hedging.
The man squeezes her leg harder than before. The searing pain brought own simply pleases him. "We're not on the westside, pup. You went outside of the town limits already, and it was too easy to push you further out." He throws her through the gate, and then comes in behind her. Now, the mask is gone and he appears to be something of a wolf-man it were born from a werewolf and a shdow. "You don't belong here anymore anyway. You belong to Awakodan now," he growls as he nears her again.
-> >> Charlie to Here << <-===========================================
Rolled 2 Successes
< 3 4 6 9 10 >
========================-> >> Resolve + Composure - 4 No Flags << <-
Charlie does her best to void giving him the satisfaction of a scream, grinding her teeth and muffling the sound to a low 'mmmph!' and a pant of breath. She was outside? There's a grimace and she briefly closes her eyes, cursing her own stupidity for getting turned around and crossing borders.
When she reopens them she shakes her head. "I know how this works, furface. You don't HAVE to take me to this asshole. We can work a deal."
Game: Charlie has a pumped "Defense" of 5.
Game: Charlie takes 2 Lethal damage.
-> >> Raymond to Here << <-===========================================
Rolled 5 Successes for an exceptional success.
< 2 3 4 4 5 5 5 7 7 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 >
==========================-> >> 7 + 4 + 3 + 4 - 5 + 2 No Flags << <-
"Listen here, pup, Awakodan is my master. He is my alpha." He steps forward to step on the ankle he's already fucked up, putting every bit of weight he can on it. Beyond adding insult to injury. "Here is the deal. You keep talking. So, I'm gonna knock you out. What do I get in return. You keep your mouth shut, and you might not end up dead." He lifts his other foot over head, growling, "Night night."
Game: Charlie takes 5 Lethal damage.
This time she screams as broken bones break further and the bones chew into the meat and tendons. When he backs up, then raises his feet, she lifts a hand to try and stop him, but the inevitable happens and the Beasts foot crashes down, breaking her nose and cheekbone with a crunch that is met with silence and she sags bonelessly.
"Still screaming? You pups never learn at first, but you do eventually. You all do." He lifts his foot from the already injured laugh, and kneels down beside her head. He's massive, and even when kneeling down he towers over her. He pulls at his beard while looking down at her, sighs, and brings his hand to her throat to choke the life from her.
There's not a lot of fight left in the thick smith, the huge hand of her 'escort' and the tight grip more than enough to ensure she stays down.
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