13:03 <tom> <hey man> 13:03 <tom> <gotta fight an elf, yd?> 13:03 <Crion> Aster: <What> 13:03 <Crion> Aster: <*What?> 13:03 <tom> <i dont need you to fight an elf> 13:04 <tom> <but if you want to meet an elf im gonna fight this is ur shot> 13:04 <Crion> <Bob. What are you talking about.> 13:04 <tom> <maybe learn a thing> 13:04 <Crion> Aster: <Ok.> 13:04 <tom> <I gotta pass a Trial> 13:04 <Crion> Aster: <Ok.> 13:05 <tom> <greybox at 21:00> 13:05 <tom> <thats 9> 13:05 <Crion> Aster: <Thank you Bob. I will be there.> 13:07 <banana> Bob’s station in the workshop is too clean. When he came in for samosas recently, Willie had been sitting there... looks like she’s inspected and rearranged everything, including the explosive precursors. 13:07 <Crion> Their extracurriculars are really none of Aster's business. 13:07 <Crion> ...But he recalls Samantha doing similar for him. 13:08 <banana> He would’ve noticed last time, but was occupied with the explosive revelations instead. If her contact is right about this vault... actually, does it have any implications for the work? It’s not clear how to operationalise the knowledge. Maybe let sleeping vampires lie. 13:08 <tom> I don't like what you're suggesting. As long as she kept the toluene away from the ammonium nitrate it should be fine. 13:08 <banana> Anyway, Aster should be here soon, and Mari’s already reached out to set up the meeting time. 13:08 <Crion> Aster will arrive five minutes early, which is on time. 13:09 <Crion> He's black slacks, black shoes, a white shirt, and that black light half-trench thing he's taken to wearing afterhours, which vaguely approximates a lab coat but more stylish. 13:10 <tom> Bob frowns when he sees his workstation's been re-arranged, concludes that Richard has been over his stuff, then remembers Willie's little nervous tic. He'll shrug. He didn't bother taking off his jacket, he's not planning on staying long. 13:10 <Crion> "Bob. Good evening." 13:10 <tom> He's fucking with his ODIN, of course, as he buzzes Aster into the safehouse. "Sorry for the short notice, we're kinda on the clock on this one." 13:10 <Crion> He sets his work briefcase down on the counter of his workstation and gathers one or two things. "Are we now." 13:11 <Crion> "Was I correct not to bring the Glock?" 13:11 <tom> He'll wave, insisting: "Ah, no no, that's great. I wasn't gonna make you throw down on the guy." 13:11 <tom> "I'm hoping you can help me come up with a plan, see," 13:11 <Crion> Aster: "Right. I'm unclear what I am to you, in this...meeting?" 13:11 <Crion> "With an 'elf.'" 13:12 <Crion> "Am I to be your advisor? Your bodyguard? Your valet?" 13:12 <banana> The address Bob’s been given is northwest, a little way up the Irwell. There’s a tiny little wilderness preserve north of salford, an area called Kersal; you’re to meet Mari’s contacts in the Kersal Wetlands, under Harry’s Hill. Some time before 11PM. 13:12 <tom> He'll pick himself up out of his chair. "What? Nah man, you're uh... I'm allowed to get help for the trial." 13:13 <Crion> Aster: "Evidently. What I want to know is: at least for tonight, what kind of help are you asking for?" 13:13 <Crion> "Tell me I'm not your lawyer." 13:13 <tom> "It's like," he takes a deep breath. "I mean, if you can take a look at the guy and be like, yeah, throw some salt at him while doing the Lord's prayer. That'd be neat." 13:13 <tom> "But specifically." 13:14 <tom> "Exactly twenty-four hours from the meeting, I gotta hide for twenty-four hours from... whatever we're about to see." 13:14 <Crion> Aster sighs. "Advisor, then. What in the world have you gotten yourself into?" 13:14 <Crion> "Tell me on the way." 13:14 <tom> He'll nod on his way out the door. 13:14 <tom> "It's out by Irwell." 13:15 <Crion> Is transportation being provided by Bob's mysterious malefactor, or is Aster driving? 13:15 <tom> Shit man, Bob was gonna take the bus. This is a little embarrassing. 13:15 <tom> I really need a car. 13:15 <Crion> He has a precise appointment. That's not being left up to the whims of Manchester public transportation. 13:15 <tom> But he certainly wont refuse if Aster lets him take shotgun. 13:16 <banana> If you’re actually driving, you’ll be there in plenty of time to spare. 13:16 <Crion> Aster is already putting the address into the maps function of his phone. "What is this creature you keep euphemistically calling an elf and why are you attempting to hide from it in a ritualized children's game?" 13:16 <tom> He's staring straight forward in the car, trying not to fidget in front of the detective. "You're the only one who could uh, I think, provide helpful out-of-field expertise on this. Maybe Rolf could, but, uh, yeah." 13:17 <tom> "It's the last step of blooding in with the sadness committee, apparently." 13:17 <tom> He specifies: "The Winter Hill." 13:17 <Crion> "The Sadness Committee. Is that a formal name?" 13:17 <Crion> "Ah." 13:17 <tom> "Gotta do it before Samhain." 13:18 <Crion> "Well that does have ritual significance. Please be straightforward and precise with names and descriptions, Bob, I learn better without figurative language. Which can be an issue with the 'changelings.'" 13:19 <tom> "Sure I just... don't... remember... cus I wasn't. Like, paying attention." 13:19 <banana> It takes a bit of fiddling to get a route. You have to go around by the A576 and then take a long road up the promontory, past cleared land and informal football fields to a loop of the Irwell surrounding remnant forest. The roads actually become dirt, and expanses of it are all you’ve got to park upon. 13:20 <Crion> Christ Almighty. "Well. Okay. Basics, then: You are being accepted as a mortal member of a changeling community...why? Is this at the behest of your partner?" 13:20 <tom> Streetlights, or are we actually in the dark here? 13:20 <banana> You’re in the woods in the dark - despite being well within the city limits. Manchester is not uniformly urban. 13:20 <tom> "You're gonna get mad at me if I say," he sighs ruefully. 13:21 <tom> "It's like you said. You guys got cases to close." 13:21 <banana> This area is unlike the trees along the Ship Canal or in ex-industrial Trafford, though - the small forest here is old, trees that predate most settlement. They’re broken up by oddly shaped excavated lakes, which don’t; those are mostly artificial, filled occasionally by a slipway out into the river. The whole region was probably used to do river engineering of some kind, at some point. 13:21 <Crion> Aster will have sprung for something with at least moderate off-road or harsh terrain capability. Over here that probably tops out at a Range Rover. They'll have expected the rich American to go for something like that, however. 13:22 <tom> "But she's still in danger." 13:22 <tom> "And I wanna learn as much as I can." 13:23 <Crion> To Bob: "You're not a twelve-year-old boy and I'm not your parent. And even if I was, it can hardly be worse than bringing firearms into the Manchester art museum." 13:23 <tom> Bob is scanning out the window with his reticle as they drive. 13:23 <tom> "Allegedly," 13:24 <Crion> Aster: "So you're ritually re-enacting the process of becoming a changeling. Not the taking, but the escape." 13:24 <tom> "I think that's basically what it is." 13:24 <tom> "Of course you know I'm not gonna play it that way." 13:24 <Crion> "And this is a meeting with a...someone or something...to set boundaries." To that last, annoyed: "And why not?" 13:25 <tom> "Because I'm not magic?" 13:25 <tom> "I think I'm gonna have to do a 'Oath'." 13:25 <banana> Footpaths as well as roads lead away from the dirt parking area. There’s one slightly-paved path that heads east, up the hill that surmounts the promontory, but the way you want to go is north and down. Into the woods. 13:25 <tom> "Already got one of those done. If I say- haha, almost got me, Paul- I'll get instantly fried." 13:25 <banana> There is absolutely nobody out here. 13:26 <Crion> Aster glances over from him very briefly, since this road is tough. "Do you need to have magic to hide? Does a newly...born, I suppose...changeling have magic to hide?" 13:27 <tom> "Mari told me the basics. They're very good at running and hiding in ways that I definitely can't match." 13:27 <tom> "So we're gonna have to cheese it at least a bit. More on that after we meet the 'guy'." 13:27 <Crion> Aster parks and closes his eyes. "So you're going on the attack." 13:27 <Crion> "Aren't you." 13:28 <tom> Bob gets out of the car, and offers the detective of a smug smile and a quirked eyebrow. 13:28 <tom> "It's my skillset." 13:29 <Crion> Aster: "Generally speaking, I've found that those who invest incredible emotional and religious significance into ritual behaviors don't find it cute or funny or endearing when people make a mockery of them." 13:29 <tom> He doesn't pull out a phonelight, or anything. His ODIN has the infradiant ambient detection module. 13:29 <Crion> "Where are we headed from here?" 13:30 <tom> "Where else?" He starts off down the path into the spooky woods. 13:30 <tom> "On the one hand, I hear what you're saying, you are heard." 13:30 <tom> "On the other, I reckon they respect the hustle, and their shit is all about bending the rules." 13:30 <banana> The wetlands aren’t that large; you should be able to get to the swamp-peninsula Bob’s been told to reach if you just keep going in the same direction for a few hundred metres. 13:30 <tom> "Just not too far, you know." 13:31 <banana> Down the track is a grove: https://limits.thomascastiglione.com/media/wetlands1.png 13:31 <Crion> Aster: "Is it really." 13:31 <banana> Through the grove is a stream: https://limits.thomascastiglione.com/media/wetlands2.png 13:31 <banana> Past the stream is a plateau, with engineered and natural wetlands blended together: https://limits.thomascastiglione.com/media/wetlands3.png 13:31 <banana> The whole place would be quite pretty and relaxing in daylight. 13:31 <tom> "That is genuinely the read I got. I had to convince my girl that she wasn't breaking the Hippocratic oath to cut out my chip so I could turn it on." 13:32 <tom> "Like, on a meta level." 13:32 <tom> "I really need someone with a bigger brain on my side." 13:32 <Crion> Aster: "That signifies a tremendous amount of respect for the rules and their letters to me." 13:33 <tom> "Yeah, and there's no rule that says a dog can't play basketball." 13:33 <Crion> Aster: "There absolutely is, now." 13:33 <tom> It's like a marsh, yeah? Bob will be careful not to get swallowed by quicksand or, worse, take another dip in the river. 13:34 <Crion> Aster: "I can help you out with things. I can help you out with background, tactics, approaches. I can't help you with people." 13:34 <Crion> "You're on your own with this...'elf.' It is a person, yes?" 13:34 <tom> "That's basically my understanding. You treat the goblins like people even though they aren't, or whatever." 13:34 <banana> As it is, the raised marshland is dark. There are a couple of street lamps around its eastern edge, where the spillway goes underground toward the river that separates Salford and Manchester, but they’re off. 13:34 <banana> The only other sign of civilisation is out in the middle of the swamp where three figures are gathered on a peninsula, visible by the light of a heavy-duty 6 volt torch. 13:35 <tom> "You know, like talking to a cat." 13:35 <banana> Bob will recognise one of the silhouettes as Mari. 13:35 <tom> Yeah well, that'll be them. 13:35 <tom> "Hi hun," he mutters weakly, far out of earshot. 13:35 <banana> Do you have a light of your own? 13:35 <tom> He points and heads for the light. Bob doesn't, he's going off night vision like a weirdo. 13:35 <Crion> Aster: "You know, none of this would be the slightest bit different if they meant to wrap us up in a rug with some concrete boulders and drop us into the water." 13:36 <Crion> Aster has a pen light. 13:36 <tom> "That has been every meeting I've had for the last three weeks." 13:36 <tom> "It's starting to lose its edge." 13:36 <Crion> He'll make sure not to shine it in Bob's eyes. 13:36 <Crion> You'd hope the visor could handle it, but. Government contractors. 13:37 <tom> Bob lights a cigarette. Sorry, kid. He'll try not to blow smoke in their faces. 13:37 <tom> He checks the timestamp in the corner of his interface. 13:37 <Crion> That makes Aster want a smoke, but two of them doing it would be a bit much. 13:38 <banana> You walk and occasionally splash your way to the heart of the wetlands. Bob gets a message before you’re really in yelling range - <Sup honey. Who’s the colleague again?> 13:38 <tom> <thats squidward> 13:38 <tom> <aster> 13:38 <tom> <hes cool> 13:39 <banana> 10:30. Vampires could be out, but they’d get wet. You make your away around via the neck of the peninsula, which gives Aster plenty of time to see: 13:39 <banana> - A young woman in a heavy coat, with glasses and a pony-tail, olive-skinned; she’s watching you approach, or at least watching Bob. 13:39 <tom> Bob is glad he didn't bring Willie. If she fell in the swamp it'd probably be a whole thing. 13:40 <tom> Hope that's not the hunter. She gets a trackcheck, though. 13:40 <Crion> Doesn't take a field agent to know that's Bob's woman. 13:40 <banana> - An indian gentleman - there’s no other word for it, he has a worsted silk jacket and vibrant tasselled pants, all tailored. Little bits of brass jewelery. 13:41 <Crion> A bit Hanna-Barbera here, aren't we? 13:42 <banana> - A man with a spiked collar and a bulging shirt who’s the only one not wearing glasses; shoulder-length dark hair and ripped jeans. 13:42 <tom> The other gentlemen gets the trackcheck. 13:42 <tom> "Hey Premson. Mari." 13:42 <Crion> None of them look particularly 'elf.' 13:43 <banana> The two changelings Bob’s named step forward to greet him. Mari gives Bob a brief hug, then moves away from the others and greets Aster. “Mari Medwar. I’m a med student at the city university.” 13:43 <Crion> Once again Aster feels like Bob would be better served by Willie here. 13:44 <tom> Spike-collar gets a long, wary look. Does anything stand out on the ODIN before Bob clicks 'record' on the Trackcheck? 13:44 <Crion> "Aaron Aster. Aster Biologics." He'll shake a hand if offered, but only if offered. 13:44 <tom> Premson gets a handshake, in any case. Not sure if it's warranted. Doesn't matter. Bob's got nervous energy. 13:45 <banana> The others step up; Mari stays back. She doesn’t have a role here other than to watch and worry. 13:46 <banana> “Premson lal Yadav. It’s a pleasure.” 13:47 <banana> The TrackCheck is coming through quickly tonight. OUR PREMSON - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgwmnCMpGKw 13:47 <banana> “Out of time is out of mind, and that’s just fine.” 13:47 <banana> Spiked-collar guy doesn’t show up weirdly on Bob’s visor, but neither does anyone else here. 13:48 <tom> Well, it was worth trying. Thanks Raytheon. 13:48 <banana> He doesn’t shake anyone’s hand, but introduces himself to both Bob and Aster, grinning. With artificially sharpened teeth. 13:48 <banana> “Cvlt. Cvlt DeathWish. I’m here for your protection.” 13:49 <Crion> Aster doesn't physically react. 13:49 <tom> "That's so sick dude." 13:50 <banana> CVLT DEATHWISH - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_2D8Eo15wE 13:50 <banana> “On the move with days to go. Give me an inch and I’ll drive a mile.” 13:51 <tom> Here we go, now we're feeling it. 13:51 <banana> Cvlt: “Thanks. Took a while to workshop, you know?” 13:51 <banana> Mari: “I’m gonna leave you in Premson’s hands... if you’re sure you want to do this, Bob.” 13:51 <Crion> He could take him if he needed to. Probably. Depends who and what he's made deals with. Depends how the Talon module works on changelings. Been awhile. 13:52 <tom> He'll go to her, if that's allowed, and go for a quick hug. "Don't worry, kid. These guys have no idea what's about to go down." 13:53 <Crion> ...Those are gun holsters under his shirt. Maybe a bandolier? Aster's unsure how that affects the calculus. 13:53 <banana> DeathWish to Premson: “Tell me ya boy’s wrong about that.” 13:53 <Crion> His attention snaps back to Bob. Is that supposed to be a good thing? 13:54 <banana> Premson: “Indeed, I know what I’m doing, Cvlt. But we aren’t trying to intimidate our friend, and must in fact make allowances for his capabilities.” 13:54 <banana> Premson smiles at Bob. “It’s not a bad thing that you haven’t been invested with a seelie taint. So we won’t make it into a penalty.” 13:54 <banana> “Mr. Aster, are you here as a witness?” 13:55 <Crion> Aster could have told Bob that. In fact, he tried to. 13:55 <tom> Hah, taint: "You guys don't need to hold back, it's all good." 13:55 <Crion> Aster: "Something like that." 13:55 <banana> Premson: “Tonight is merely a meeting.” 13:56 <banana> “However. Once I begin, we are committed.” 13:56 <tom> "I'm all-in." 13:56 <Crion> Aster has a very bad feeling about this. 13:56 <banana> Cvlt steps back a bit and gestures Mari to do so as well. He places the big torch down on a rock and starts pacing out a small circle, getting the sense of it. 13:56 <tom> Bob flicks the dying cigarette into the marsh. Fsshht. 13:57 <banana> Premson: “You can go all-in once you’re informed, Mr. Goreman. So here’s the information.” 13:58 <banana> “Tonight, I will call a hunter to scent you, and you may take his measure in turn. Once you’ve completed considerations, you will have exactly one day to prepare - to hide yourself away or make ready to get out.” 13:59 <Crion> As long as it's not a beautiful woman. Anything but a beautiful woman. Hell, let's not even risk it. No women at all. 13:59 <banana> “You can do whatever it takes to evade the hunt for another twenty-four hours. If you get hurt, you lose. If someone else is hurt in your defense, you lose.” 13:59 <tom> The squirrely man in the coat is nodding along to all of this. 14:00 <banana> Premson: “Get away, and we’ll invite you into Winter. But there is no shame in a loss. You are of this world. Exclusion is not disconnection, nor must it be a final word.” 14:00 <tom> "I'm ready to rip." 14:00 <banana> “This is something you may do if you want to be all the way in.” 14:01 <banana> Cvlt: “Accepting advice?” 14:01 <tom> "Mhm?" 14:01 <banana> Mari’s waiting silently by the edge of the water, watching Aster curiously. 14:01 <Crion> He's watched the proceedings with no expression. 14:01 <Crion> Bob seems actively, genuinely dedicated to losing this contest as soon as possible. 14:02 <banana> Cvlt: “I’d do it. You’re accepting obligations you don’t even understand, but it’s worth it - nobody and nothing has your back to the extent of the Mancunian Hills.” 14:02 <banana> Premson raises an elegant eyebrow, but doesn’t disagree. 14:02 <tom> "Thanks man." Really. 14:03 <tom> He looks around, rolls his shoulders. Is he supposed to do something? 14:03 <banana> The silk-coated gentleman rubs his hands together a little against the cold. “Under the sight of the Tree, then. You’d better ask any questions you have.” 14:04 <tom> "Is it against the rules to cripple the hunter?" 14:04 <tom> He certainly seems serious about it. 14:05 <banana> Premson: “No. At worst, you’d incur one being’s grudge.” 14:05 <Crion> Not the question to ask. Instead ask: 'Can the Hunter be crippled?' 14:06 <tom> "Hm. I'll send chocolates afterwards or whatever." 14:06 <banana> Cvlt goes out of the torchlight for a moment, down the peninsula and then returns dragging a dufflebag. He opens it and begins to remove bundles of freshly cut wood. 14:07 <tom> "Will it stop if I hurt it bad enough? Without killing it?" 14:07 <Crion> Better. 14:07 <banana> Premson: “Probably. Predators know their limits.” 14:08 <tom> 'Probably' is good enough for Bob. He'll give Aster a look before continuing: "Is it rude to use banes against it?" 14:08 <Crion> Again Aster dislikes the tone of these answers. Premson seems in control of the ritual...but not in control of the enemy. 14:08 <banana> Cvlt calls Mari back over; she blows a kiss to Bob and goes helping him to remove sticks and logs. They’re already tied together with whipping twine. 14:09 <Crion> Aster finally breaks his silence: "Please interpret Bob's 'may I's as 'can I's." 14:09 <tom> "You're doing great!" He shouts back. 14:09 <banana> Premson: “What, do you care whether it’s rude? You’re being hunted.” 14:09 <banana> He smiles a little at Aster. “Thank you.” 14:10 <tom> "Well look, if I'm going all-in, I don't wanna drop cold iron on a guy I have to share a water-cooler with... do I?" 14:11 <banana> Premson: “If you’re caught? And the alternative is getting hurt? I did.” 14:11 <tom> "Cold as ice." 14:11 <Crion> "Iron." 14:11 <Crion> "Cold as iron." 14:11 <tom> He nods. "Then I'll just say it. Does it have any banes other than iron?" 14:12 <Crion> It wouldn't be any fun if they just told us. 14:12 <tom> But it would still be rank incompetence not to at least ask. 14:12 <Crion> Well, phrase it better then. The answer is 'yes,' without elaboration. 14:13 <Crion> Aster's itching to see this thing. 14:14 <Crion> The posturing and braggadocio is giving him anxiety. 14:16 <banana> Cvlt has set up a pair of sturdyish logs, hammering them down into the soft ground. He and Mari each have an assemblage of sticks and twigs tied to the end of one log and balance them precariously, connecting together at the top to form a kind of lintel. 14:16 <banana> It doesn’t stand up under its own power; the two changelings have to stand on either side of it, each with an arm outstretched, holding the frame in place. But it is recognisably a door. 14:17 <banana> Premson: “I’m afraid that is part of the trial.” 14:17 <tom> "Haha, yeah, can't blame me for trying." 14:18 <banana> Without further ceremony he turns to the door-to-nowhere. Wind gusts from it, ruffling his coat, then Bob’s. 14:18 <Crion> Aster shakes his head. "Read the stories and you'd be surprised." 14:19 <banana> Cvlt: “Yeah, they play fast and loose with information. Stories are...” 14:19 <banana> Mari: “What we’ve got.” 14:19 <banana> You can’t see what Premson does with his hands. The door goes somewhere, now; a transition that’s dizzying if you’re peering through it. 14:19 <tom> I came here to bleed, not to read- 14:20 <Crion> Aster makes a point of looking off and above. 14:20 <Crion> Just enough to keep equilibrium. 14:20 <Crion> What is that. 14:20 <banana> On the other side is marshland with a wood at its borders. City lights in the distance. Really, the only thing that’s different is that you can see the haunches of some sort of dog in-frame - maybe a golden retriever? 14:20 <Crion> A portal to where. 14:20 <Crion> Is that a dog? 14:21 <banana> Premson: “யார் நல்ல பையன்? எங்களிடம் உபசரிப்பு உள்ளது. We have treats.” 14:21 <Crion> Christ. What are they meddling with? What are they meddling in? 14:22 <banana> The animal perks up and turns around, coming fully into view at the edge of the doorway. It’s golden-furred, but the shape of the head is more like that of a wolfhound. More urgently, there are the antlers. Vast and car-denting, the plumage of an elk. 14:22 <banana> The Horned Hound pants and smiles, tongue lolling, as it steps toward the threshhold. 14:22 <Crion> Well. It's not a woman. 14:22 <tom> "Hahahaha-Ha Yes!" 14:23 <tom> Bob's still got some residual chuckles in him as he's pretty much instantly kneeling to pet the dog. 14:23 <banana> Kneeling does not work in his favour. 14:24 <banana> Premson steps out of the way, beckoning. The Hound trots forward - and rears up, crossing the portal on its hind legs. As it emerges onto this side, it becomes a man. A snout passes through the doorway and there’s a nose, then a huge head with shaggy golden hair. 14:24 <tom> "Oh, fuck-" 14:24 <tom> Well, he stops that right away. 14:24 <banana> A well-proportioned body follows. The man is still grinning happily. He reaches down for Bob. 14:25 <banana> Looks like it’s going for a hug?! 14:25 <tom> He opens his arms. 14:25 <tom> "Bring it in, man." 14:25 <Crion> Aster is somewhat dumbfounded. 14:26 <banana> “Oh, yeah! This is going to be so good, man!” The voice is not his own, but oddly it is American. A California accent. 14:26 <banana> The Hound seizes Bob, friendly - a little too friendly, to be honest - and buries his face in Bob’s shoulder, breathing in deep. 14:26 <Crion> And that would be him getting your scent, Bob. 14:26 <banana> He can see Mari’s eyes widen, but she catches herself and avoids dropping the stick that’s holding up her side of the doorway. 14:26 <tom> Muffled, speaking direclt into his shoulder: "Oh dude, I am so sorry about what is about to go down." 14:27 <tom> "Please don't be mad." 14:27 <tom> directly 14:28 <banana> The Hound raises his big dumb face, chuckling. “No way would I get mad at you guys. We’re going to have so much fun.” He’s still holding Bob, and.. trying to palm his ass a little. 14:28 <Crion> Aster harrumphs. 14:28 <banana> Premson: “...கீழ். Sit.” 14:28 <banana> The large and hairy man pulls reluctantly away and sits cross-legged before the Door. 14:29 <tom> Bob squeezes the dude a little hard. 14:29 <Crion> Responds to commands. Bound in some way? 14:29 <Crion> Is the man wearing a collar? 14:30 <banana> Premson: “We have a couple of minutes, then it’s unfair to these two. Humerus tension.” 14:30 <banana> Mari: “It’s more of a deltoid thing.” 14:30 <Crion> This is academic, given Bob. But might as well try to figure out what his banes are and how to evoke them. 14:30 <banana> There’s no collar. The Horned Hound, in human form, is nude - but presumably he could put clothes on, if someone provides them. He seems reasonably dextrous in either body. 14:31 <Crion> Aster casts his eyes around. Any object he can touch that would allow him to psychometrate. Any item. Fully naked?! Come on. 14:31 <banana> Aster’s in luck, though he has to strain to see it through the fur. There is something around the guy’s ankle. 14:32 <banana> It looks like a shackle - broken, customised for padding, then worn like jewelery. 14:33 <banana> The Hound: “Can you run fast, man?” It’s kind of a combination of the surfer ‘maan’ and, well.. an inhuman creature calling you ‘man’. 14:33 <tom> "Pretty fast. I bring some other stuff to the table." 14:33 <banana> “...food?” 14:33 <tom> "Maybe we can catch a burger after the trial?" He grins at Mari. 14:34 <Crion> Aster will walk up then. "I am your, ah, intended's second. I find your ankle...jewelry...fascinating. May I touch it?" 14:34 <tom> "What about you? You got any cool tricks?" 14:35 <banana> The Hound: “No taking away. I’m a big skinship guy, but no taking.” He actually stretches out his leg to rub it, shackle and all, against Aster’s. 14:35 <Crion> That's fine. He doesn't want to take it. He wants to reach out and touch it. 14:35 <tom> Time to give this weirdo the Trackcheck. 14:38 <banana> The Hound: “Yeah, yeah, good tricks. They’re all secret.. but I can show you? Tomorrow?” 14:38 <banana> Premson: “Yes, tomorrow.” 14:38 <tom> "I can't wait," he beams. 14:39 <Crion> It only takes an instant of contact for him to read it, then he stands back, eyes closed. It has been some time since he's done this. And never on a worn item of clothing. He hopes the data isn't overwhelming-- 14:41 <banana> There it is. The background music Aster’s been missing. happiness comes white pearls but yellow and red in the eye 14:42 <tom> The Elkdog-Man seems nice, at least. There are worse haters to lose to. 14:42 <banana> He sees: a vast and primeval city. The fallen trunks of ancient skyscrapers tower over and shade the understreets. 14:43 <banana> He can no longer run. Bound, trapped; tied up outside a shop. The birds inside chitter and scrape as they exchange endless transactions. The master is taking a long, long time. 14:43 <banana> Time passes. The sun. His leg hurts and he wants to bite. Head heavy without vitamins. 14:44 <tom> "Oh man, this is a dumb question dude- are you a goblin?" 14:44 <banana> Then, there are men. Sun-blocking, head-lifting, chain-cutting. They make p r o m i s e s. 14:44 <tom> He pulls out a pen. 14:45 <banana> One of the men is the size of a rat and the other has stars in his hair. He agrees, he agrees, he agrees, he is free. 14:45 <banana> Hound: “I’m a cool guy! I have fun every day.” 14:45 <tom> "Hell yeah brother." 14:45 <Crion> Aster is standing stock still, eyes closed. Wait -- rapidly moving beneath his eyelids. 14:46 <banana> The visor buzzes with a track list update, but you’ve got limited time here. 14:46 <Crion> Is there anything the Hound fears more than being chained again? 14:47 <banana> Light in the sky and the shaking of the air. Every dog knows to fear the storm. 14:49 <Crion> Is there anything the Hound loves more than rightful Masters' commands? 14:49 <banana> Yes. 14:50 <banana> Premson has a pocket-watch out. He’s counting under his breath, quiet enough that you can’t hear it. 14:50 <Crion> What's the strongest emotion here? 14:50 <tom> "Oh- oh yeah, I guess I should ask, how bad do you gotta fuck me up if you get me?" 14:51 <tom> "Just not the face, okay? My baby girl will leave me if I get any more fucked up." 14:51 <banana> The strongest emotion in the vision Aster saw came from the miniaturised man (changeling?). He was filled with the righteous insistence that thinking beings must not be pets. 14:52 <banana> Mari: “Hey-” 14:52 <banana> The Hound: “I love to bite and gnaw on a bone! Oh, man.” He’s drooling a little, eyes as happy as ever. 14:52 <Crion> Was the Hound once a mortal boy? 14:52 <banana> No. 14:52 <banana> More sprawled-out than crosslegged now, it looks comfortable but sloppy. 14:52 <tom> "It's fair if I give as good as I get, right man? You won't be mad?" 14:52 <Crion> Aster returns from the vision, eyes clearing and opening. 14:52 <tom> He's keeping up the light banter, but he seems a little troubled. 14:52 <Crion> Incredible. 14:53 <banana> The Hound doesn’t understand. Is this guy saying he’ll be.. hurt? He cocks his head, frowns. 14:53 <tom> Oh hey, he's back. 14:53 <tom> "Hey look, if anything bad happens, I'll make it up to you later, okay?" 14:54 <banana> Premson, to Bob: “Quick as you can, now.” 14:54 <banana> The Hound: “Yeah, great! Let’s play whenever we can!” 14:54 <tom> "What? Oh, no, I'm done. Aster?" 14:54 <banana> He looks excited, ready to spring into action. 14:54 <Crion> Aster: "Yes. Done. Thank you...Hound." 14:54 <banana> Premson nods. “Stand, please, Hound. And... shake.” 14:55 <banana> The hobgoblin’s on his feet in an instant. He reaches out for Bob’s hand with both of his and yanks it up and down enthusiastically. 14:56 <tom> He returns it with enthusiasm. How strong's this dude's grip? 14:56 <banana> Pretty strong. Doesn’t crush your own, but he looks muscled and lives up to it. 14:56 <banana> The Hound leans forward into Bob’s face and.. growls, deep and mean. Just for an instant. He’s already turning, chuckling and waving goodbye. 14:57 <tom> He gets a snarl in return. 14:57 <tom> He can't maintain it, and it turns into a giggle as he goes. 14:57 <Crion> Aster's face is even more impassive, somehow, bordering now on severe. 14:57 <banana> Cvlt turns his head away a little as the creature passes through the door and falls gracefully onto all fours. You only see a moment of the tail held high, waggling above huge antlers, before the Door becomes a door. 14:58 <tom> He pumps his fist. 14:58 <tom> ...Then he'll go over to help Mari; she's been holding that heavy log up for a while now. 14:58 <Crion> To Premson, quietly: "You keep that young man as a pet?" 14:59 <banana> Mari sets her stick down hurriedly and massages her arm. “Protect and bless us,” she mutters. 14:59 <tom> He's happy to help her work out the knots in her shoulders. "Hey, I'll be back for a bit tonight, then... I probably won't see you again until after I pass." 15:00 <banana> Premson’s relaxed for the first time since you arrived. He tugs at the shirt of his coat to resettle it a little, the answers Aster. “Wouldn’t dream of it. Mr. Hound charges a reasonable fee for his friendship.” 15:00 <banana> Cvlt: “He’s not paid in peanuts, is he?” 15:00 <tom> "I wanna go back with you- but I gotta plan with Aster, okay? He's got brain powers." 15:00 <banana> Mari: “Yeah. Do come home tonight, or I’ll... call you.” 15:01 <banana> “And ask why you haven’t come home.” 15:01 <Crion> Aster's eyes narrow slightly. That's not quite an answer to the question, is it, Premson lal Yadav? 15:01 <tom> "I'll bring some burgers with me, okay?" His heart flutters. 15:01 <Crion> To Bob: "Let's go. You're on the clock." 15:02 <tom> He puts his chin on her forehead, hugs her close, and he's gone. 15:02 <Crion> Aster started his own watch the moment the Hound stepped through. 15:02 <tom> They're striding back through the dark marsh. "...What'd you get?" 15:02 <tom> "What'd you get?" 15:02 <banana> The other two changelings each raise hand and wave. DeathWish is already turning to ask questions about you guys now that you’re gone. 15:03 <banana> It’s unclear how many answers Mari and Premson will have between them, but you’re clearly a topic. 15:03 <banana> Here’s one thing you’ve both got. 15:03 <banana> THE HORNED HOUND - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y92D4pzZsiU 15:03 <banana> "Hey, man! Hello, man! Hi!" 15:04 <Crion> Aster: "Little of direct use. The Hound is not a changeling, obviously, but is not a mortal who has totally lost his humanity over on...that other side. He was made, and likely made to have the nature of the creature you met." 15:04 <tom> "Wow, you got all that from touching his ankle?" 15:05 <tom> He's checking Huntr now. He'll turn down the volume and give it a listen while they make their way down the path. 15:05 <tom> He talks while it plays. "I wonder if iron even works on him, then?" 15:06 <tom> "I guess it should." 15:06 <Crion> "At some point his owner abandoned him...somewhere. Familiar story, dog left tied up outside a shop; fantastical setting. He was found by a group of men -- changelings, I think, this time, but one was merely the size of a rat or hamster, so it could be a mage in there -- freed from his collar and leash...and, I surmise, enmeshed in a series of 'promises' and 'agreements' that leave him 15:06 <Crion> functionally still a pet, but one who receives payment for his work and, hopefully, able to say no." 15:06 <Crion> "The tiny man in this vision objected strenuously to the idea of leaving him in this state. I did not get to see how the argument ended." 15:07 <tom> "Wild," is all he can say. 15:07 <tom> "So does he got stealth, or teleport-" 15:08 <Crion> "Cold iron should work just fine on him. In the sense that you could indeed kill him with it. I was unable to discern any additional useful information from the anklet; sadly, his greatest emotional moment that resonates within it isn't a workout of him running down all his moves and abilities." 15:08 <tom> "Rip." 15:08 <Crion> "Given that he wears the anklet as stylized jewelry, I tentatively surmise that collars and shackles are not contrary to his nature like iron." 15:09 <tom> "Anything I can use against him?" 15:10 <tom> Bob will offer the guy a cigarette, at least, as compensation. 15:11 <Crion> Aster sighs. "He seems fundamentally good-natured and straight-forward. Not guileless, because no hunter is, but he is a dog and not a wolf, and he has aspects of a prey animal -- the horns. The horns are also a sign of virility, usually. You probably noticed when he started playing grabass. But you don't have the heart to brutally murder him and you're not going to fuck him, so." 15:11 <Crion> Aster will take the cigarette. 15:11 <tom> He puffs on his own cigarette. "I'm flattered, really. He's pretty hot." 15:12 <tom> "Probably crazier than I am, though." 15:12 <Crion> He has his own lighter. "He may just be in rut. Depends how much he's embraced that particular narrative conceit." 15:13 <Crion> "There are a number of places research on this subject could go. But none get you to a tactical advantage within...23 hours, 42 minutes." 15:14 <tom> "Man, I feel so bad. I'm gonna fuck that guy up but good." 15:14 <tom> "What'd Willie think? I'm just beating up weird naked guys?" 15:17 <Crion> Aster: "So my advice is...think dogs. What are dogs scared of. Lawnmowers. Storms. Willie and other Lucifuge. I don't know." 15:17 <tom> "Storms," Bob repeats. 15:17 <Crion> "If he's really committed to the bit, you'll hit something there. Or you won't, because this isn't a science. It's barely even an art at this point." 15:17 <tom> "...You said he was in a cage, somewhere?" 15:18 <tom> "So you have proof the stuff I was talking about, it's real. The place they take people?" 15:18 <Crion> Aster: "No; leashed and shackled, like a dog on a walk. I mean maybe he had a crate. Dogs usually learn to love their crates though." 15:19 <tom> "Shit, man." 15:19 <banana> Aster’s not sure ‘place’ is the right term for the somewhere he saw. 15:19 <Crion> Aster: "Oh, I never doubted it was real. It's been fifteen years since I've glimpsed the other side of a door like that, but it's real." 15:20 <Crion> "But situating it is very...figurative. No maps. Hell, no territory." 15:20 <tom> "I wish we put all the money we put into Iraq into invading that place instead." 15:20 <Crion> "'Here there be monsters' over a bunch of clouds." 15:20 <tom> "Give those assholes a real surprise." 15:20 <tom> "All those people were, you know." 15:21 <tom> "I've seen em naked a few times." Wait: "I mean-" 15:21 <Crion> Aster: "That seems like less than a bad plan. It seems like an incoherent one." 15:21 <Crion> Aster: "For the record I'm just politely ignoring you, every time you talk about seeing people naked." 15:23 <tom> "No, dude." 15:23 <tom> "I mean without the camo." 15:23 <tom> "They can see it, all the time. That's what Mari said." 15:24 <tom> "It's like, the horndog turned into a person when he stepped through, right?" 15:24 <Crion> Aster: "Yes." 15:26 <tom> "They're all like that. One of 'em is like, what if a pillow was angery." 15:26 <tom> "...Another got turned into a spider." 15:26 <Crion> Aster: "The changelings, you mean." 15:26 <tom> "Yeah." 15:26 <Crion> "They have an essential aspect they hide, and it's not a figurative aspect or a personality trait. They're creaky puppets and spider-queens and so on." 15:27 <Crion> Aster sighs. "That would explain some very odd things from the five minutes VASCU had one in custody." 15:29 <Crion> As they head back to the Range Rover: "You'd better have something up your sleeve more impressive than cold iron, though. He knows that's coming. And he wins if he hits you, not if he downs you." 15:29 <Crion> "And if not...then I suppose we'd best get to work." 15:29 <tom> Bob grins.