Sam is wholly mesmerised by the completely out of control runaway train that is Elodie's ramble-rant. He'd be hard pushed to remember ever seeing anyone grab quite so much rope with which to proverbially hang themselves. It is truly a glorious sight. Yes, Annalee seems to be snapping out of his control, and perhaps he should be paying more attention to that but she seems to be heading for Timmy and that is fine besides just look at Elodie!

Despite himself, a smile begins to spread on his lips, revealing vampire fangs and plastering a much too lighthearted and happy look on his face than he really would wish, so lost is he in the utterly jawdropping show that is Elodie. The moment she pauses for breath, seemingly running out of steam, the thought- no, the desire- to do it again, to her specifically, simmers up in his shoulders and his nonbeating heart and he realises that he's completely been overlooking an absolute star. Annalee is good and all, reliable. Faithful. Like a trusty Labrador. But oh, Elodie, you are a sight.

"You don't need him for that," Sam said quickly and reaches to catch any hand Elodie might be reaching towards Timmy with his own. "I mean... the huma is cute and all but he can't hold up to a werewolf. One tiny spat between the two of them and you have two werewolves anyway, and no more cute human. If it's two werewolves you want, just go and get one right away. Forcing the poor human to become a wolf against his will seems... cliché. Not to mention it will cause paperwork and questions from his family." Sam shuddered at the thought of the extra aggravation.

"You and Margot sound like you have a lot to work out, discuss, discover... experience. I happened to overhear that there's to be a small-scale room allocation re-shuffle due to some, uh, damage, caused the other night. If you ditch the human I would feel inclined to repay the favour by visiting the admin office and shuffling some room allocation cards favourably for you. Say... you and Margot in an intimate Room For Two? And sure school rules and all but I'm not one to snoop though keyholes, or windows." That last bit added with a brief but pointed glance towards the aforementioned human.

[Spending my shiny new string on tempting Elodie to openly dump Timmy in exchange for tasty XP (and an exciting new roommate)]

JEALOUS
DEFINITELY HEXED
CRYBABY

Timothy listened to the entire soliloquy from behind a raised hand of modesty. He gawked. He gagged. He coughed. But he did not say a word. Not until she was finished. Not until Samael had started talking.

Timothy took a long, deep breath. Shuddered. And spoke.

“Right then.”

And for those of you who failed the Queen’s English, a translation into Standard Teen:

“k”

Hard stop. No punctuation. A notch above being left on Read.

[Rolling to Shut Elodie Down: 1 + 5 + 1 = 7, go ahead and lose another String on Timmy.]

“Sir?” Timothy interrupted. “If you’re too busy now, perhaps we could discuss your...proposal, at a later time? There was other schoolwork tonight that needed doing…”

And that was it. He trailed off, and that was it. Yes, he was beet red behind his hand, and yes, he was visibly trembling. But that was it! That was all he had to say for himself! Look, look, the lad’s clenching his fist, but doesn’t even have the decency to throw a proper tantrum. Let him stew for as long as your patience lasts, you'll not get another peep from him. No, this was the full extent of Timothy Oglevee Crompton’s grand protestation. Bask in the disappointment, ye mighty, and despair.

SECOND PLACE
WEREWOLF MAGNET
OUT OF STRINGS ON TIMMY

Out. Out out out out. The room is closing in on her, the walls are shrinking, she’s being packed in a box that’s going to be shipped to Margot and Timmy— Timothy is never going to speak to her again and “the vampire made me do it” is such a lame excuse and, and her throat is tight, the room is hot and tight and small and Annalee and Timmy are together and she’s still stupid second place went too fast tried to catch him before he left her behind but now it’s over it’s done she can’t ever have the picket fence because she’s broken and stupid and the room is spinning and where’s a door where’s a door she knows the knock where is the door

Elodie Faucher shrieks. It’s the shriek of the ghost standing behind you in the mirror. It’s the shriek of Death abjured by a doctor. It’s the shriek of rusty hedge trimmers and shed hinges in a field that’s never finished the harvest. It is a dead shriek, and when she turns and flies to the window it is with the jerky motion of a thing that is not alive.

She slams it open, and the darkness of The Forest is on the other side. You know the one. The Black Forest, Sherwood, Mirkwood, the Hercynian. She flings herself through, into the underbrush, and flees. Her wail is almost immediately choked out by the thickness of the wood.

She is going to be in very big trouble when she is found, but she doesn’t care. What else can they do to her? Lock her up with Margot until she’s properly tamed and has an appropriate relationship? Ha, joke’s on them, that’s going to happen whether or not she wants it!

[Looking Glass, 12. She can make her way back whenever she wants, and nothing comes back Through.]

CREEP
WHIPPED
TRUANT

And there goes Elodie. Timothy, being useless as ever (well, not entirely true, Elodie clearly cared, but he wasn't moving which was the critical action right now). Annalee has already edged nearer to him and away from Samael. A lot is racing through her head. The way he treated her, used her. The way he made her look like his tool, embarrassed her. She wasn't his to use that way. She wasn't any man's to use that way and her Baba had taught her better than that. It was mortifying, and worse it was a failure on her part. Well, no more.

Annalee grabs Timothy by the hand, not so much as a word, and pulls him out of the room. Samael had forced her to bring him, but he hadn't said a word about keeping him and she'd had plenty of time to adjust her bracelets and charms, so just let him try that foolish hypnosis of his again.

She stops at the door though and looks at Samael. It's a look that says I know what you did. Is he going to get his butt out of his chair for once and do anything about this? She highly doubts it.

SECOND PLACE
WEREWOLF MAGNET
OUT OF STRINGS ON TIMMY

Out. Out out out out. The room is closing in on her, the walls are shrinking, she’s being packed in a box that’s going to be shipped to Margot and Timmy— Timothy is never going to speak to her again and “the vampire made me do it” is such a lame excuse and, and her throat is tight, the room is hot and tight and small and Annalee and Timmy are together and she’s still stupid second place went too fast tried to catch him before he left her behind but now it’s over it’s done she can’t ever have the picket fence because she’s broken and stupid and the room is spinning and where’s a door where’s a door she knows the knock where is the door

Elodie Faucher shrieks. It’s the shriek of the ghost standing behind you in the mirror. It’s the shriek of Death abjured by a doctor. It’s the shriek of rusty hedge trimmers and shed hinges in a field that’s never finished the harvest. It is a dead shriek, and when she turns and flies to the window it is with the jerky motion of a thing that is not alive.

She slams it open, and the darkness of The Forest is on the other side. You know the one. The Black Forest, Sherwood, Mirkwood, the Hercynian. She flings herself through, into the underbrush, and flees. Her wail is almost immediately choked out by the thickness of the wood.

She is going to be in very big trouble when she is found, but she doesn’t care. What else can they do to her? Lock her up with Margot until she’s properly tamed and has an appropriate relationship? Ha, joke’s on them, that’s going to happen whether or not she wants it!

[Looking Glass, 12. She can make her way back whenever she wants, and nothing comes back Through.]

Nothing disturbs you, Elodie. A forest like this one is a dark and twisted place that is full of life and energy and adventure, but forests are also places of privacy and silence. You are free to run, and scream, and strike the earth and none will interrupt you for some time still. Time enough to lose yourself, and subsequently determine your destination - or decide on who would make a good travelling companion to drag through with you.

JEALOUS
DEFINITELY HEXED
CRYBABY

“Sir?” Timothy interrupted. “If you’re too busy now, perhaps we could discuss your...proposal, at a later time? There was other schoolwork tonight that needed doing…”

SECOND PLACE
WEREWOLF MAGNET
OUT OF STRINGS ON TIMMY

Elodie Faucher shrieks. It’s the shriek of the ghost standing behind you in the mirror. It’s the shriek of Death abjured by a doctor. It’s the shriek of rusty hedge trimmers and shed hinges in a field that’s never finished the harvest. It is a dead shriek, and when she turns and flies to the window it is with the jerky motion of a thing that is not alive.

She slams it open, and the darkness of The Forest is on the other side. You know the one. The Black Forest, Sherwood, Mirkwood, the Hercynian. She flings herself through, into the underbrush, and flees. Her wail is almost immediately choked out by the thickness of the wood.

SAVAGE

"No," Samael Hale says, his eyes returning to Timmy after seeing Elodie disappear out the window. That was fine. He could pick things up with her later. Right now he wanted Timothy really, anyway. His work on her was, for now, done. "A window just opened. I have nothing but time." He grins a wide self satisfied smile at his own pun and, yes, Annalee, he is out of his chair.

"I rather do this now, Mr Oglevee Crompton. You are... a somewhat trickier student to track down than I expected. You're here, I'm here, Annalee... why don't you get some rest? You can take my bed if you like. No one will disturb you there. You have my word. You've done fantastic work tonight. You've earned it. And Timothy here isn't going to tell-tell, is he?" Have you ever heard anyone sound so reasonable?

"So first of all," he said, finally getting to the point, "I wanted to clear the air after the other night. I was... out of line." The grin faded and his face falls serious. "I understand that I frightened you and... that's good, I'm a vampire, you're a human, feeling fear for me means you've got some smarts. But I didn't need to feed that flame the way I did. What... I'm trying to say is, I... won't go for your blood again. I might ask. Politely. But I won't corner you like that again." The still shirtless vampire stepped in close to Timmy and looked deep in to his eyes, his voice dropped deeper and once more velvet soft. "In fact... I don't want anyone to corner you like that again."

He looked at the hand-holding going on between Timothy and Annalee and then back to Timmy's eyes. He doesn't move to break them, in truth he has little against these two getting attached, but he clearly wants you to stay Timothy, but isn't deploying any of his manipulations to make you do so, save for simply asking. "Will you hear me out?"

SECOND PLACE
WEREWOLF MAGNET

{SCENE — the Mountain Summit, overlooking the Forest in every direction—
Time, Morning Tea—
ELODIE alone upon the cliff.}

ELODIE: The friends that I have made have all abandoned me;
the fault, my own, despite the vampire’s spell.
Now soon I shall be dragged back to Sleepshy;
already I hear the toll of its monstrous bell.

Timothy! I love you—
no, you saw the truth, I may not lie.
I love that which you are symbol of:
a mortal life for you and I,
the smell of pastries in the oven,
the flowers growing strong on the sill,
the silly human sport of watching football,
making the cashier wait for change at the till.
A life with permanence and stillness,
one house, one town, one lover true,
instead of a life spent ever traveling,
draped in death’s sepulchral hue.

Shall I then abandon my mad quest?
The ground yawns warmly far below.
One step, and I shall be in my father’s arms,
to drown in his profession’s undertow.
I could, with a step, abandon my mad dreams:
my pastels, my garden, my human boy.
I could return, disgraced, and resign myself
to life as that athlete’s cute chew toy.

It is but a step—
Little more—

But then what shall all of my dreaming have been for?

My dreams... they are of sunlight,
and flowers that do not wither at my touch,
and being held by the one that I love,
and keeping rabbits in a tiny hutch.
I again deny my father and his name!
I again refute the underworld’s call!
Although I do not know the way,
I abjure the Furies one and all!
I will live—
I will live!
Do you hear me, Father?
I will live!

Then by the power of my heart,
the monstrous power held within my bones,
I speak a word to command her to appear,
spoken in dominating tones.
Gaia! Mother Earth! Rise from your stony bed,
shake off the slumber of the season hence!
By she who bears the blood of Death,
appear before me, heed my request!

Show me what dread power I may call
to unshackle my blood’s destiny
from the paths that lead to underworlds
and doom me to their misery!

I care not for the price!
I care not for the pain!
I care only that I,
I’ll see sunlight again!

Come forth now, come forth!
I will not be denied!
I bring the winter,
and winter shall die!

I shall be the spring!
I shall be its airs,
I shall be your maiden,
I shall take up your cares!

Come forth! In your aspect,
of maiden or wolf,
come forth by my word
and show me my truth!

{ELODIE falls senseless. A voice can be heard in the Incantation which follows.}

[12 on Gazing into Abysses.]

JEALOUS
DEFINITELY HEXED
CRYBABY
CRUEL

Timothy lowered the Hand of Modesty from his face a necessary smidge. Just enough to see his eyes, and little else. Eyes framed in a still-flushed face, carefully looking at Samael without looking at Samael. Especially without meeting his gaze.

This close, can you hear the thunder of his heart, vampire? Oh, is there any heart like our Timmy’s? Who else can stand so long on the precipice of fight or flight? You won’t find a soul so steeped in sweat, adrenaline, blood, innocence, ignorance, life! How delectable! How precious!

“It would seem,” he swallowed hard. “That the smart human who feared vampires would know better than to trust one.”

He did not move for the door. The simple, unspoken response: Why on earth should I believe you?

Annalee? Or is it Annie? Which do your lovers call you? Whoever you are, your Baba must’ve taken you near some frightful places during your education. It’s important, you know! Being afraid of the dark. So, so important. Baba didn’t forget. I doubt you did either. Won’t you tell us what you felt then? When your body tells you to run before your eyes can tell you why, what’s it like? Won’t you tell us?

CREEP
WHIPPED
TRUANT

Being a Witch isn't about fight or flight. There is magic that one can do in a panic, and all the range of emotions that one can feel when overwhelmed. But this is the thing you don't understand, Timmy. Being a witch, being a Baba of the Sockolov family, is about mastery of such things. Do you not know the old legends? Maybe you don't, you'd prefer not to know them, to pretend the world is all tea and crumpets, soft things and nothing waiting out there in the night, is that not so? But you are here, Timothy Oglevee Crompton. You are here, and it is time to learn something of that.

When you are afraid, you master that which you fear. A witch can't ride a broomstick, much less a cauldron unless she has the strength (and the thighs) to enforce her will upon it. Annalee isn't there yet, see how she shrank from Samael and served him at the first sign of violence? Her strength and her magic all crumpled and he played with her. That cannot be allowed to stand. What spirit of hearth would take her seriously, knowing that she might wilt at a mere slap? What old devil of cold winters and warm vodka would care for a witch that doesn't have the muscle to back up her magic?

"Timothy" she says, and it's probably the first time you've ever heard her use your full name. "Let's go. A vampire respects power, you are not a person to him. Even if he tells you utter truth in this moment, it means as little as the time it takes his whims to change. Face that now. Only power that can match his is worth anything at all, otherwise you're nothing but a plaything and he a savage."

[I am rolling to Shut Down Samael. 6+2+2+1(for invoking Savage)=11. Take the condition MERCURIAL]

JEALOUS
DEFINITELY HEXED
CRYBABY
CRUEL

“It would seem,” he swallowed hard. “That the smart human who feared vampires would know better than to trust one.”

He did not move for the door. The simple, unspoken response: Why on earth should I believe you?

SAVAGE
MERCURIAL

The human clearly knew how to hold a grudge. Fine.

The long game it is.

Samael bows his head as if in concession and takes a step back, palms open and held wide.

"A mutually beneficial agreement. A deal, if you like. And a negotiable one. I offer you my protection. I believe that might be worth something to you. When you're ready to discuss the particulars and of your end of it... you know where to find me. If not tonight then... I'm certain life at Sleepshy Rise will have you reconsider before long. I have that feeling. Just don't wait too-"

CREEP
WHIPPED
TRUANT

"Timothy" she says, and it's probably the first time you've ever heard her use your full name. "Let's go. A vampire respects power, you are not a person to him. Even if he tells you utter truth in this moment, it means as little as the time it takes his whims to change. Face that now. Only power that can match his is worth anything at all, otherwise you're nothing but a plaything and he a savage."

Samael's eyes quickly shift to Annalee and there is obvious surprise on his face. He searches her expression and the light in his eyes changes. He looks genuinely taken aback. If genuine is a word that can even apply to him. Could it be she actually caught him off guard?

"Ana..." he breathes, his voice much less certain than a moment ago "...what is this? Are you... breaking up with me?"

Elodie!

"Oh darling, my darling, you were never going to defeat Death with mundanity. Don't you see? He makes his living bringing death to the suburbs, places of stillness, sitting ducks. There's no way out in those coffins of the plains. You can't live by killing your own desires and instincts. He comes for those who are corpses already, who carry stillness in their hearts and rotting bodies sealed inside their castle walls. The way to defeat Death is to live!"

The roots, the leaves, the vines grow all around you, wrapping you into a sheaf of living wicker and crowning your head with flowers that do not wilt. You feel the embrace of Mother Earth, strong and steady and so vibrant. Everything is used. Everything is processed. Death is not death here - there are no tombs and no graves. Every strip of bone and mouthful of flesh has purpose and nature forgets that they ever were.

"You know what Death is? He is waste. He is cancer. He is the removal of precious resources from the cycle of the world, sealed within boxes, burned within fires, stolen away from me - as you were once, Elodie. Sleepshy is his realm even though the people in it are alive, why? Because they are wasteful. They do not recycle. They keep their skeletons and zombies and vampires in a state of unliving stasis where they do not go forwards and do not go back. Do you want to change things? Do you want to escape your fate? Then start by breaking the chains in your mind and allow yourself to live."

JEALOUS
DEFINITELY HEXED
CRYBABY
CRUEL

SAVAGE
MERCURIAL

The human clearly knew how to hold a grudge. Fine.

The long game it is.

Samael bows his head as if in concession and takes a step back, palms open and held wide.

"A mutually beneficial agreement. A deal, if you like. And a negotiable one. I offer you my protection. I believe that might be worth something to you. When you're ready to discuss the particulars and of your end of it... you know where to find me. If not tonight then... I'm certain life at Sleepshy Rise will have you reconsider before long. I have that feeling. Just don't wait too-"

A flurry of emotions ran through Timmy's eyes. Anger. Suspicion. Confusion. Was that a trace of curiosity? Maybe only a trace. But he settled on relief. Finally, this awful night might end.

Samael's eyes quickly shift to Annalee and there is obvious surprise on his face. He searches her expression and the light in his eyes changes. He looks genuinely taken aback. If genuine is a word that can even apply to him. Could it be she actually caught him off guard?

"Ana..." he breathes, his voice much less certain than a moment ago "...what is this? Are you... breaking up with me?"

...you know, he really ought to know better by now.

"Annie..." Timmy glanced to the door (on the other side of Annie) and back to the emotionally distraught vampire (on the other side of empty, unprotected space). "Are you breaking up with him?"

CREEP
WHIPPED
TRUANT

"That implies we had something" she says, her voice is steady, calm, hiding a restrained fury. "I thought we could have something, and you abused that trust and manipulated me when I tried to leave. But I brought you Timmy, and now your little trick has worn off. I already broke up with you, bastard, you just couldn't accept it the first time."

She has a hand up and she looks ready to cast a spell, as the other is pulling on Timmy to start moving and leave with her. Samael, you take even one step across that room, even one step towards her and she'll do it. No more being caught unawares.

SECOND PLACE
WEREWOLF MAGNET

Of course. It all makes sense. This is what she was looking for, all along! Not dumb white picket fences and pies cooking in the oven! Before her eyes unfolds a vision of the world where everything turns in a great wheel. The seasons turn, and life turns to death to life again! Why should Big Underworld get their soul portfolios stuffed with ghosts? Why should psychopomps have to ferry humans to their eternal reward every second of every day? If Mother Earth had her way, it would all be part of the cycle! Life turns to death turns to life! Numinous awe fills Elodie up to the brim, and tears prick hotly at her eyes.

She wiggles like a happy sardine in the sheaf.

"Yes," she cries out, in a way completely unlike she might cry out with her arms wrapped around any hypothetical boys. "Yes, yes, yes! I want to change! I want to throw my life in the garbage can and recycle it, I want to be the person turning your wheel!" She reaches up and touches the flowers, and they don't wilt away! This is fantastic! "Is there, like, a prayer I have to say, or-- how do I break my mind chains?" She tries imagining a chain and then snapping it! Wait, is snapping the right action? Maybe there's a specific way she's supposed to destroy her mind chains. Is there a twisting motion to it, maybe?

SECOND PLACE
WEREWOLF MAGNET

Of course. It all makes sense. This is what she was looking for, all along! Not dumb white picket fences and pies cooking in the oven! Before her eyes unfolds a vision of the world where everything turns in a great wheel. The seasons turn, and life turns to death to life again! Why should Big Underworld get their soul portfolios stuffed with ghosts? Why should psychopomps have to ferry humans to their eternal reward every second of every day? If Mother Earth had her way, it would all be part of the cycle! Life turns to death turns to life! Numinous awe fills Elodie up to the brim, and tears prick hotly at her eyes.

She wiggles like a happy sardine in the sheaf.

"Yes," she cries out, in a way completely unlike she might cry out with her arms wrapped around any hypothetical boys. "Yes, yes, yes! I want to change! I want to throw my life in the garbage can and recycle it, I want to be the person turning your wheel!" She reaches up and touches the flowers, and they don't wilt away! This is fantastic! "Is there, like, a prayer I have to say, or-- how do I break my mind chains?" She tries imagining a chain and then snapping it! Wait, is snapping the right action? Maybe there's a specific way she's supposed to destroy her mind chains. Is there a twisting motion to it, maybe?

"There is," declared Gaia in the voice that was the creaking dark of ancient trees and the spine-thicket guarding wild blackberries, "no time. The fox does not contemplate or learn how to live, the fox just lives - and it is your duty to live as the fox. My abundance is yours. My power is yours. My voice will be with you. My presence will be with you. There are no ranks or tombs or books or pyramids or societies or any of the dead-while-living architecture. There is no how. There simply is. Act! Act, do as thou wilt, do as I wilt, do all as now safe in the knowledge that if you step off the path I will destroy you. Simply speak and I will grant your desire, and when you listen you must grant mine."

CREEP
WHIPPED
TRUANT

"That implies we had something" she says, her voice is steady, calm, hiding a restrained fury. "I thought we could have something, and you abused that trust and manipulated me when I tried to leave. But I brought you Timmy, and now your little trick has worn off. I already broke up with you, bastard, you just couldn't accept it the first time."

She has a hand up and she looks ready to cast a spell, as the other is pulling on Timmy to start moving and leave with her. Samael, you take even one step across that room, even one step towards her and she'll do it. No more being caught unawares.

SAVAGE
MERCURIAL

He didn't move towards her, he barely moved at all. That eerie vampire stillness falling over his body as he just stood and watched her, letting each word take its punch. His face though, before it resumes its usual blank stoicism, passed the vicinity of both sadness and contrition before evening out to a beautifully honed stone mask.

"Well. You've made yourself perfectly clear this time, Miss Sokolov." His eyes turned to Timmy, "My offer stands, Mr Oglevee Crompton. You're right to be cautious around me, but just because you've correctly identified me as the most powerful monster in your current vicinity doesn't mean you'll be quite so clearheaded in seeing all others around you." A glance went very pointedly to Annalee. "Whatever you think me capable of, I always make good on a deal made and I don't stab my own in the back." His eyes rested on Ana's face at the last few words.

He didn't close the door or walk off, just waited for the two of you to turn your backs to go.

If you dare.

CREEP
WHIPPED
TRUANT

"We're done talking" she says, pulling Timmy forcefully by the arm towards the door. She's not turning her back on you, Samael but she is leaving so long as he doesn't try to pull away. She is leaving right now, pulling Timothy as fast as he'll move, keeping one hand raised and ready, and moving herself out to the library where there are other students, where you might have a reputation to uphold you see.

She's not sure if that's a gambit worth making, but she's hoping that Samael will treat dragging her back to him again with a level of difference if he's performing in front of an audience than he did when they were alone and he attacked her. If he comes ravaging after them in the library proper, it will turn noisy. There will be shouting in tongues and books flying every which way perhaps, and ideally Timmy screaming like a tiny girl. If that happens, which anyone with half an ounce of discretion would know and therefore avoid.

Really that's the ideal, this confrontation should be put off. Annalee needs a few moments alone with her things for the day. No Elodie dropping in unannounced, no being flung out of towers by a werewolf, and no vampire bypassing her magical wards. For a witch, a little time alone is power, after all.

SECOND PLACE
WEREWOLF MAGNET
ABSOLUTELY FERAL

A beast makes its way through the woods. It sniffs at the wind. Whenever it notices something interesting, that is the whole world condensed to a single point. Russet ears twitch, the whole unseen world unfolded before them. The Forest is alive, alive, alive! When it comes upon the bones of a stag, it realizes at once that they are not stagnant, cast-off shells, but that they are being consumed and broken down to be remade in the nuclear furnace of a wolf’s womb or the incandescent workshops of a tree’s leaves spread to tear open rays of sunlight and pour them greedily down its branches, and that all life is a circle, life to death to life, and how selfish, how provincial of the underworlds to think that the careless cast-offs, the invisible soul, is anything more than a bit of dream and fluff that gets lost as the mushrooms turn meat to pulp and then are ground between the lips of those who graze upon them?

The beast throws back its head and screeches in delight. It flings itself headlong into jumping, scampering, cartwheeling, all its senses alive, lit from within by the fire of divine providence and inevitability. When it arrives at a stream it lowers itself to drink, and the cold sharp water is the best thing it has ever had. When a thing with a head like a snake and a belly full of baying hounds lurches beside her to drink, it offers the new guest scritchies and raspberries on its noisy tumtum. Then it wades into the water and lets the current wash its scent away, wash tomb-dust away, it scrubs at itself with its nails until it is fresh and clean and new.

It eats a really weird bug and doesn’t even care.

***

LATER

Time is nothing to a tree. This means that in sufficient quantities of trees, time goes quite queer. This is why people who live out in the woods are Like That.

An arm comes through the window. It is black with matted hair and mud, and its nails are long enough to scratch the wallpaper. The arm is connected to some sort of Woods Creature or Sasquatch with bright green eyes, which bounds in as if it owns the place, the ears on top of its head twitching. It sniffs the air.

It grins.

And it lunges at Sam like a wild beast, things like “this is a terrible idea” and “don’t I still have to get him to sign off on detention” completely forgotten. You’re stuck, vampire! Time to spin the wheel a little!!

Timmy, Annalee— do you recognize this wild, feral, Wood-mantled thing as Elodie? Don’t worry, either way, she’ll mostly be back to normal tomorrow. Probably. So feel free to just freak out and run for it.

[7 on Lashing Out; Thanqol gets to decide how bad the harm turns out.]

Annalee freaks the hell out and grabs Timmy to sprint for the exit. This just got extremely real and she is out of there.

JEALOUS
DEFINITELY HEXED
CRYBABY
CRUEL

I’m very disappointed in you, vampire. Confusing poor Timmy like that.

Did you mean to squeeze his heart until it burst? You did, didn’t you. I’ve seen your kind before. Always a game to play, always a string to tie. Never say what you mean, never quite mean what you say. “Protect him,” really! As if you were ever going to do such a thing.

But wouldn’t you know it! It must be a night for shattering plans, no? Here’s our Timmy, so prepared for a vampire to assault him, and now here’s some terrible beast of the night bounding towards him. There goes the shriek, there goes the punch meant for you, and there it goes a-whiffing through the breeze. Better luck next time, Timmy! You’ll certainly need it.

Then there’s you! You worked so hard to be the big, bad vampire, and now you’re getting ripped to itty bitty pieces. By a ditzy woodland creature who’s forgotten how to bathe. That’s going to leave a mark on your menacing reputation. Not to mention your exposed chest. Such a shame!

And then? There’s me.

I didn’t have to step in, you know. But you had to go and cross the line. You filled his head with lies of safety, then you got yourself mauled by a wild thing. So confusing, for such a sweet, innocent boy. I’m afraid this is all just too much for him, so now I have to make myself clear.

You aren’t going to protect him. You can’t protect him.

Because he’s got me.

[Rolling to Lash Out Violently at Elodie: 5 + 3 + 2 = 10, spending String on Elodie to make it 2 Harm]

Light streamed through the open door.

Timothy’s shadow stretched out over the creature.

And feasted.