---

"... You sure you're safe there?

"I'm fine, dad. I ain't doing anything dangerous." Charlie leaned back in the uncomfortable motel bed, wincing at the loud creak the worn springs made underneath her. She didn’t like lying, especially not to her dad, but what else was she supposed to do? Tell him she was in a town searching for a person he didn’t remember where a bunch of others had died? Yeah, that wouldn’t go down well. She shifted her phone to the other ear before continuing. “I’m just on holiday.”

“Well y’know what America’s like, what if-”

“Dad, I’m fine,” Charlie interrupted. “Stop worrying so much.”

“Kinda a parent's job. If you didn’t leave in such a rush I would’ve come with you.”

“Then it’d be no fun. I’m an adult now, I can look after myself. I’m with… friends anyway.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop nagging.” Her dad chuckled on the other end of the phone. "Your mum's been asking why you're not answering her messages. I know you're angry, but you gotta stop ignoring her."

"I'm not angry." She's just not my mum. “I’ve just got my data off most of the time. I got a cheap phone to use here… Y’know, the one I’m calling you from now? I’m not ignoring her on purpose.”

“Can I give her this number then?”

“Sure.” Charlie didn’t want to give her fake mum this number, but it was easier than arguing with her dad. She glanced at the time. 2am. Yeah, probably time to finish this up. “I gotta sleep. I’ll call you when I can.”

“Alright. Sleep well, Charlie.”

“Night.”

Charlie discarded their phone beside the bed, lying back with her eyes closed. Not quite sleeping, just trying to relax. Speaking to her dad, nice as it was, only made her more motivated to find out what had happened to her mum. It was her mum, after all.

There was a lot to think about.

She’d barely had a chance to process everything Dr Harkness had said, because it had all seemed so ridiculous. Why was everyone (well, two people) so insistent that magic was real? She couldn’t wrap her head round it. There was no way magic was real. Sure, it would explain the whole situation with Eleanor Black… but she couldn’t believe that. Magic was a thing of stories, something she’d maybe believed in as a child, but it wasn’t part of reality.

At least Dr Harkness had given them something useful. The last place Charlie wanted to go was the swamp, but if that was where they had to go for clues… so be it. She didn’t believe there were any monsters out there, but it certainly wasn’t safe. That was just a typical swamp thing, right?

Charlie yawned, her sleepiness getting harder to ignore. There was no point dwelling on it. She’d sleep, then think about it more in the morning.

---

July 20th, 11:29am
Interactions: : The Group and Jen

---

Today, Charlie wasn’t going to repeat yesterday’s mistakes. She had a large bottle of water on the table in front of her that she’d bought for an absolute rip off price at what she assumed was the only food store in this town. Generally she’d drink tap water, but doing that here seemed less safe than risking heat stroke.

It was also just as hot today. Sure would’ve been nice if she miraculously developed a heat tolerance overnight, but alas, it wasn’t to be. Yet another point against magic being real.

What Jen said wasn’t really groundbreaking, but it was relieving to know other groups had gotten the same leads… Dr Harkness wasn’t sending them to their deaths, probably. Or everyone they’d talked to was. She’d rather not think about that.

“No, not just missing: dead. Dead, Jennifer. Dead.”

Neko looked exhausted, and was talking rather erratically. Rattled by, well, loads of people before them dying. Most people would be. Should be, rather. Charlie was too, she just wasn’t showing it. Keeping up a calm expression while forcing herself to be calm and think logically was rather easy.

Well, it helped she’d been trying not to think too much about the deaths.

”Dr Harkness said they were dead too,” Charlie piped up, expression neutral. Yet another point in favour of the doctor telling the truth… The most positive light Charlie could put it in. ”I’m staying too… Wait, uh, people are missing, I didn’t-”

Charlie cut herself off before she said more, mouth half open and eyes widening. Way to make herself look bad. To be fair, it was a large group of people she’d only met yesterday. She only distinctly remembered three - Lily and Carl, cause they’d been together longer, and Neko because she was also related to Eleanor.

Maybe Jennifer just hadn’t remembered everyone in the group. Charlie didn’t say this, because she barely knew her too. Maybe she had purposefully not told them. Best not to take a side. ”I’d quite like to know who Eleanor Black is to you too, Jen. Just, y’know, for clarity and all. Only fair after we all said yesterday.”

”Uh, I do think going to the Black Manor is a good idea, all that aside. Even if we gotta go through the swamp to get there. But we should go soon,” Charlie said, tapping her fingers against the table. ”We don’t wanna be in the swamp when it gets dark. We should also get weapons… In case there’s some alligators or something, better to be safe, ay?”

She rubbed the back of her neck, grimacing at damp sweat there. At least she’d scraped her hair back into a tight bun today to help keep cool.

”Or something else. Dr Harkness seemed to think there were various kinds of monsters out there. Insane, I know. But better to be prepared an all.”

---

Interactions: Neko (@Atrophy), & Charlie (@FernStone).

---

“Yesterday, you told us some girls went missing. Later, we heard from Mr. Thornton that people who came to Quintin to look for Eleanor have gone missing over the past two months. No, not just missing: dead. Dead, Jennifer. Dead. It’s not right to tell everyone that things are hunky dory and that we’re doing a real bang up job when there is actual serious danger involved. Life threatening danger.”

”Dr Harkness said they were dead too, I’m staying too… Wait, uh, people are missing, I didn’t-”

"I, uh... what?" Jen tilted her head at Neko in genuine surprise. Her jaw dropped as Neko spoke more and more... but what didn't add up was that there were more people than the five girls that went missing a few nights ago. It didn't make sense to the Caspin girl, but then again she was only here for a few days - and she hyperfocused on Eleanor Black and only Eleanor Black. She looked at Neko, then looked over to Charlie, before settling back on Neko, as she answered, "I honestly.... I didn't know. I was, uh, only here for a couple of days."

"... Now, let's not get ahead of ourselves," Jasmine finally spoke up, she did not so much as raise her head from her coffee. She was stirring it around with a shiny spoon, one that appeared to have been recently washed as it still had little bits of water on it. She still didn't make eye contact with Neko or Charlie, "Do we have anything concrete besides the word of some redneck? One that is trying to get us out of their town as fast as possible?" This was when Jasmine raised her head, tilting it at Neko.

Jasmine remained completely stoic and monotone as she said, "Do not get me wrong, I don't trust Jen anymore than anyone else at this table - and if she's using us for her own end...." She turned towards Jen as she took a sip of her coffee, maintaining eye-contact that felt like it was long as hell. "... It will not end well for her."

Jennifer's eyes shot open, her heart started racing, she looked at Jasmine as she trailed, "I... just..."

“Where are Harmony and Eugene? We should inform somebody if they're missing.”

"I did notice,"

Jennifer gave Neko the side eye when she said this (strangely, not stuttering), that was when she pulled out her cell phone and brought up the text message that Gene sent to her. She placed the phone on the table, screen-up, and then slid the screen across the table so Neko would see it. "I was, uh.... going to get to that, Neko. But... but it just doesn't make any sense, and, uh, anything I sent afterward doesn't reach him... Harmony, or Harmony either."

She then closed her eyes as she said, "Ummm... I want to go, and um... look for them, but, um, I have no clue where to start."

"I'm not alone when I say I want to find Eleanor and leave," Jasmine injected, looking down at her coffee again. "If they got lost, or did something stupid, that's their problem." Jasmine then shrugged.

"... I, uh, bet you would want us to help you out if you were in trouble."

Jasmine was silent.

"If you want to, um, look for them, that's, um... your prerogative, I won't stop you - nor will I stop you from leaving," Jennifer finished.

“Oh, and who is Eleanor Black? To you, I mean.”

"So, um... yeah! I forgot, my - um - bad, we were just in a rush to catch up to all these leads..." Jennifer trailed off as she chuckled. Suddenly, her dialogue (mostly) cleared up from all the "um"'s and "uh"'s. "So, um, I take it that none of you follow the Esports scene, but, uh, Eleanor Black and I were on our own Esports team... the Phoenixes!" She proudly and excitedly exclaimed the last one.

"Weeeeeeeeee.... we played games like Tyrant Shell and Nomadic Odyssey competitively all over the world! Eleanor Black was the star player, and, um, my, um, friend." She chuckled a little bit as her cheeks went bright red. "Then... well, you probably could guess what happened; Eleanor Black was replaced with Olga Walls.... except she... wasn't that, you know, good."

She shrugged.

"I, uh, looked everywhere, that's... uhhhh... what led me to make that, um, forum post.. uh, how we got here," Jennifer's demeanor quickly went back to her previous one.

”We don’t wanna be in the swamp when it gets dark. We should also get weapons… In case there’s some alligators or something, better to be safe, ay? Or something else. Dr Harkness seemed to think there were various kinds of monsters out there. Insane, I know. But better to be prepared an all.”

"That's, uh, a great idea - providedyouallstillevenwanttogo - how about we meet back at the summit motel in an, ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.. let's saaaaaaaay, hour? There might be monsters. There might be something worse. But, as long as we're out during the day, everything should be fine."

"But, I saw something at the motel..." Jasmine spoke, putting all the attention on her. "When... I was at the motel... I saw a woman, but there was something wrong with her. It was like she was a... ghost."

"... You may have seen an Apparition."

"Ya, that's what I'm saying," Jasmine rolled her eyes as she spat.

"I mean- uh, never mind. We'll, um, just meet in the motel in an hour?"

Ophrenia's mouth of was awfully dry when she got up in the morning. She and Z had hit the local bar to chat up the locals about where to find the old lady, but it hadn't gone as planned. There was a baseball game on and she got terribly distracted. She made several friends with the men at the bar, talking to them about different games that happened over the season. She drank her fill of drink, got treated to a few rounds of beer and treated in turn. It was a good night. A few of the guys gave them a ride back to the motel after sundown. She did remember Jen saying not to be out after dark. They were more than happy enough to drop them off after she said she knew Morton. Apparently the old man liked to watch the games at the bar, but all that traveling he did today must have worn him out.

She slept like a baby on the hard and lumpy motel bed. Drinking always put her right to sleep.

She got up the next morning and decided not to torture herself with hot clothing. She couldn't do anything about her suitcase being mostly all black, but she could warm something cooler and leave her beloved jacket in the room. She dressed in a tight black t-shirt with the anarchy symbol across the chest and red plaid and pleated mini skirt she tucked the shirt into. She'll have to suffer with her combat boots and invest in getting different shoes from one of the stores in town when she had the time. She didn't bother with her makeup and her hair was shriveled to hell. She wet it and put in leave in conditioner to get her natural curls bouncy, before leaving the room.

She got to the cafe just when everyone else did. Jen was already there with the map of the town out on the table. Ophrenia saw a sign that the cafe served breakfast, until noon. She was right on time to order french toast and bacon with a cup of orange juice. She sat at the table with her drink, waiting for her food to be ready. And there was way too much going on between Neko being mad at Jen, and Jen not knowing how to string together a proper sentence. She was losing the plot quick with all her 'ums' and 'uhs' and elongated syllables. And now she wants them to go into the swamp to deal with a place that's likely to get them dead? What the fuck did she get herself into. She didn't think Eleanor was worth all this trouble, but she's a messy bitch for drama and curious shit.

She sipped her juice, quenching her thirst. "Cool, so we'll go to the swamp, go to an abandoned house that's guaranteed to get us dead, and then...Guess I'm in. I take none of you brought of gun, because if you think bats and wooden planks are going to do anything against gators, you've got another thing coming." Or whatever the hell else is out there. She's got her gun license in Tennessee, but California's got the squeaks when it comes to conceal and carry. She could probably find a gun shop in town that wouldn't mind she's registered in another state.

The waitress sat her plate down in front of her. She smiled and thanked her. She'll need proper shoes, a gun, and she's got an hour to make that happen. Sounds easy enough.

Interactions: The Group // Jasmine@Punished GN

---

Charlie backing Neko up on her inquisition didn’t quite quell the hammering in her chest, but having the young lady on her side was enough to slow the bouncing of her knee. The table was spared from any further knocking and the rest of the group no longer needed to fear that their coffee would jump from their cup. Neko almost felt a tingle of pride course through her as Jen squirmed under the pressure, feeling that by putting their organizer on her backfoot it meant she must’ve brushed upon something. It was a feeling immediately squashed the second Jasmine interceded.

"Do we have anything concrete besides the word of some redneck? One that is trying to get us out of their town as fast as possible?" said Jasmine.

Neko smiled abashedly and lowered her head, her long brown hair falling in front of her face. No, no, in fact they did not have anything concrete and even though Mr. Thornton seemed hospitable but for all she could tell it was that same fake friendliness that was ingrained into the behavior of any true Southerner. She had just taken his word at face value because, weirdness aside, he’d been kind. She rested her elbow against the table and blocked her face with her hand as she shook her head ever so slowly in acknowledgment of her oversight, feeling every bit of stupid.

Her head was still down when Jen slid the text message into Neko’s view. It was from Gene, explaining neatly how he and Harmony were stepping away. A sense of unease crept over Neko as she read the text, eventually settling in her stomach and twisting. From what she gathered the other day Harmony and Gene had been total strangers. Wasn’t it strange that he mentioned her leaving but she didn’t even say anything? Or had Neko just binged too many murder podcasts on her trip to Louisiana?

“Right, um, sorry Jen,” said Neko as their organizer explained her connection to Eleanor, already feeling sheepish after Jasmine immediately brought about reasonable doubt to Neko’s argument. Her finger traced the rim of her mug as she gave Jen a weak smile and mumbled a low energy apology, “Didn’t mean to go off on you. Just, ya know, a bit overwhelmed lately. Haven’t been sleeping. It’s just…anyway, sorry.”

Hatchet buried or not, going to the swamp was still the plan. Charlie mentioned securing weapons and that the doctor had suggested there were monsters. Neko cocked her head at the young lady. She opened her mouth to question the term and then closed it. Neko remembered the times she told her crying daughter that monsters aren’t real. It was one of the first lies she’d told the girl, standing right up there with Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Monsters were real, but they didn’t look like monsters. They looked like people.

So Charlie was right: they should secure weapons. The others should, anyway. Neko glanced down at her bag. Neko had been ahead of that idea by approximately one entire Charlie lifespan, having carried some kind of knife on her since she was a teenager. She had never needed to use it, she was thankful that she never used it, and she wasn’t sure that she’d remember to use it if she ever needed it, but it was there. Perhaps it would’ve been smart to seek out something with a little more umph considering the high strangeness of the situation they found themselves in, but Neko didn’t trust herself with a gun.

“I’m not against us protecting ourselves, but it’d look bad if a whole mob of out-of-towners cleared off the shelves of the local gun store. I think I’m just going to go to the motel now,” said Neko as she stood up, rubbing her elbow. “I’ll ask around about Gene and Harmony while I’m there, just in case he—I mean, just to be—it’s just, sorry, that text’s just…anyway. Maybe Jasmine is right. Maybe Mr. Thornton was just trying to scare us off. Still, I think it’d be dangero-uh-unwise to do anything alone. So, um…”

Jasmine’s words finally registered with Neko as she crossed her fingers and hoped that some of the group were also not callous enough to let her go off on her own and get disappeared. “...I saw a woman, but there was something wrong with her. It was like she was a... ghost." She snapped her head towards the soccer star, Neko’s eyes that she had been struggling to keep open suddenly widening if she herself had just seen a ghost. She hazily recalled the drowned face she saw in the swamp water outside of Mr. Thornton’s cabin, its features obscured by the muck and the mire.

“Wait, really? Yesterday at Mr. Thornton’s cabin I looked in the pond and saw a, well, I don’t know, I thought it was a drowned girl but when I looked back she was gone. I thought my mind was just playing tricks,” said Neko, the hairs on her arm rising despite the heat. “What did she look like?”

@FernStone@Punished GN
Webb Family Coffee House

---

Clay quietly gulped down mouthfuls of caffeine while the group engaged in the discussion around their next plan.

The Doctor's words were stuck in his head.

Magic?

The jar that Lily had taken reminded him of those homeopathic treatments he'd seen too many fall into alongside the rest of the New Age bullshit. He wrinkled his nose. It reminded him of a bad case he'd seen a long while back, some mother who'd tried to treat her kid's near-terminal illness with another snake oil solution.

But if she `was what qualified for a doctor around here, maybe that set the example for what to expect. For all he knew it was a local recipe, a key to a bad trip.

He blinked it off, focusing back to what he was supposed to be here for. Where the group were going, this old rotting family mansion that may or may not have had what they were looking for, and how it related to what he came here for in the business. One loose end, and a retirement plan.

There were a few snags to his plan.

One. That was assuming his retirement fund was there.

Two. Finding the fund, and getting it out. Assuming Black, or whoever she was, hadn't already split it up and buried it in different parts, he had to figure out how to work around the others.

All they knew was Carl - a First Responder looking for his wife, or at least that's the story they'd been sold. Whether they bought it, well... he wasn't sure, but he'd not given any indication otherwise, or at least he didn't think he had.

Three. Black herself, or whatever name she was going by. The Black he knew, the wily bitch who, as far as he could tell, had turned on her fellow badge and ditched town with a share of something that was rightfully his, was no louch. She'd be trouble to deal with, if she was around. And if she wasn't, if she'd already ditched town, with or without the retirement fund, well - Clay wondered if he wanted to spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder.

Cross that bridge when /I/ get there, he figured, glancing at the others.

Most of them were kids anyhow, and he didn't want them getting caught up in his business - that was a headache for him, and he wasn't interested in seeing them hurt. Yeah, he did things his way, made sure he got his dues, but he wasn't a monster.

Monsters, Werewolves and Ghoulies, huh. He snorted at the thought, almost interrupting the conversation that was taking place. Maybe it was them who got that 'Gene and the other one. They were apparently responsible for the girls that had gone missing, now that struck him as something off.

And judging by the point they'd caught up to....

"-hour? There might be monsters. There might be something worse. But, as long as we're out during the day, everything should be fine."

"But, I saw something at the motel. When...- I was at the motel... I saw a woman, but there was something wrong with her. It was like she was a... ghost."

"... You may have seen an Apparition."

"Ya, that's what I'm saying, I mean- uh, never mind. We'll, um, just meet in the motel in an hour?"

Neither Clay nor 'Carl' could argue with that. He threw her an affirmative expression, motioning to finish his coffee while the others slowly filtered out.

---

It was the waiting that had him thinking as he stood over the back of the car.

He glanced over his shoulder, a little wary. Keys were in his pocket. If the other two had cut their losses and run, then there was nothing stopping him.

Something kept his interest, either way. And deep down, he couldn't be honest with himself and say he was only here to tie up loose ends, right now. A part of himself he had figured was buried under years of apathy, weariness and paperwork.

"Ain' a badge anymore, just don't know it yet," he chuckled, almost bitterly, then shrugged, "Gonna get my ass chomped by Nosferatu."

Still, they were out in the ass-end of the swamps, real society miles away. He wasn't chancing it. Between the locals, the wildlife, and all the rumours, there usually wasn't some smoke without fire. Odds were, this town had a nasty problem with tweakers, and he wasn't taking any chances there. He popped the trunk, then pulled back a sheet to check he'd got everything he'd need. A pair of rugged boots, gloves for when he needed to handle some extra wear and tear - or otherwise ensure he didn't leave anything behind - and a dufflebag with a couple of tools that'd come in handy. After all... one thing he'd learned was a degree of self sufficiency, and the motto 'If you're gonna do it, don't half-ass it.'

He did carry a maglite, too, which was probably good for smacking a junkie in the face in a pinch, but under his waistband was where he'd come heavy.

One last thing to check, before the other showed up. He dropped the trunk, then circled around to the driver's side of his car. He knelt, felt underneath the wheel well. Yep, there we go.

It was about as ready as he was going to be.

Time for self-reflection would have to wait, as Erik held his tongue the women lashed out and some did. Jen was a suspicious character, who vanished off to nowhere while they were searching. Only revealing a likely connection to Eleanor Black when prompted but not doing so at the start, maybe she was Eleanor Black just leading them along on this shaky adventure to find something within Quintin. Leading lambs to their slaughter, he wanted to shake the feeling but couldn't find the courage to do it. It gnawed in the pit of his stomach as he made his way over to the group, leaving his 'corner' of solitude it was his time to rejoin the group in full.

"We'll make it through this, but we'll need to be prepared for this journey. Silver is useful, plentiful in bullets or solely in a knife. If we're fighting ghosts, it'll be a bit different but I think there's more here than we've seen thus far. Jen you'll be coming with us, I think it's best if we stick together after what was happened don't you agree?"

He asked, but it seemed before his intervention most seemed keen on getting to the bottom of this. Of course, there were concerns about dangers that lurked, but no sentient person would try to kill them unless they had no other choice. Thankfully, Erik prepared for both but a creeping feeling had him questioning if he'd find a friend or foe in the swamp. Everything hinged on success, he couldn't leave the town empty handed.

@Punished GN

---

---

“Right, um, sorry Jen. Didn’t mean to go off on you. Just, ya know, a bit overwhelmed lately. Haven’t been sleeping. It’s just…anyway, sorry.”

"... It's fine."

Jennifer lied. It wasn't, but she would instead focus on the task at hand, finding their girl, then bickering, if she had to be honest. She knew that the group didn't trust her, given the constant subtle jabs thrown her way, but they didn't have a problem with all the leads she was providing them. So, did they really have a problem with Jennifer? She scanned every one of their faces for an entire moment before sighing. Guess not. At least not for now.... but what were they really going to do? Make her walk the fucking plank and feed her to alligators?

"We'll make it through this, but we'll need to be prepared for this journey. Silver is useful, plentiful in bullets, or solely in a knife. It'll be a bit different if we're fighting ghosts, but I think there's more here than we've seen thus far. Jen, you'll be coming with us; I think it's best if we stick together after what happened, don't you agree?"

"I will be,"

Jennifer said as she looked up at Erik; it was clear that he knew something about the world of the Paranormal. This was strange because, as far as she could tell (from their various reactions to experiencing slight supernatural activity), she was the only one with a certain... proclivity. She had to probe more... hopefully, he has an abstraction! Which would be more beneficial than any firearm against the things in Quintin. However, they needed to get a move on because Jen would love to be back in the motel by the time the night fell.

And not trapped in a swamp.

"Alright... let's.... uh, meet in the parking lot of the Summit Motel in an hour? Right?" She said, placing everything into her backpack and getting ready to leave. The rest of the group trickled out one at a time.

---

Unlike the rest of the group, Jennifer did not look for a weapon and instead just stocked up on supplies such as water - it was going to be hot and humid, and it was unlikely for the Black Manor to have running water. Even then, she would rather shoot herself than drink Quintin's tap water. She was the first person to arrive there, and she awkwardly stood in the middle of the parking lot as there were little to no cars.The Summit Motel was not a very welcoming place... but Jennifer wanted to get a motel that was anywhere but the place where those missing girls stayed. It was only Jen's paranoia, but she didn't know who would be creeping around and didn't want the unwanted attention.

Eventually, just the person she wanted to see showed up,

Erik.

With an excited smile, she walked over to him with her backpack straps and said, "Erik, I... wanted to talk to you," She started, "Um... You clearly - I hope - know something, that something the, um, others... uh.... don't."

She stumbled through that sentence as always before she said,

"Uhhh... just... what do you know about the Paranormal? Just so we're... on the same page, yeah?"

---

---

To the surprise of no one, poor Neko did not have one more peep to say. Jasmine half-smirked... there was the urge to gloat, but the pride of "winning" over Neko soon was overtaken, and she quickly went back to mindlessly stirring her coffee. Unlike others, she was less focused on the swamp itself and more on the Old Black Manor that rested in the swamps. The swamp was probably full of alligators that, if they weren't going through the water like a bunch of morons, should serve as an easily avoidable obstacle during the day. What was on Jasmine's mind was what exactly happened to those girls when they went to the mansion. Is the threat still there? Can they handle it? Jasmine could, but she would rather not be alone in the middle of Redneckville...

"Cool, so we'll go to the swamp, go to an abandoned house guaranteed to get us dead, and then...Guess I'm in."

Though some of the other group members irked her with their lack of situational awareness.... she almost visibly cringed when Ophrenia spoke, probably trying to be "funny." With a roll of her eyes, Jasmine turned towards Ophrenia and said,

"You realize we're in the boonies, right? One that is full of racists? It is not like whatever is at that mansion is more dangerous than what's here." Jasmine rolled her eyes. Jasmine would love to get her German ass back to Florida, where she can pretend she had a purpose in life that was more than taking pictures of her ass to put on Instagram.

“Wait, really? Yesterday at Mr. Thornton’s cabin, I looked in the pond and saw a, well, I don’t know, I thought it was a drowned girl, but when I looked back, she was gone. I thought my mind was playing tricks. What did she look like?”

Now, that caught Jasmine's attention because she thought that she was going crazy (well, crazier) because Erik didn't seem to notice the things that Jasmine saw. Well, for some "investigator," he certainly seemed a bit slow on the draw (missing the ghost twice), but Jasmine did give him the benefit of the doubt. Something was going on here that was deeper than they thought... more dangerous than possibly an Alligator. She was getting off track as she turned towards Neko and answered,

"I could not get a good look at her... She was like a silhouette, but when she came, I saw like... static in the corners of my eyes," Jasmine started... before Jen spoke.

"Alright... let's.... uh, meet in the parking lot of the Summit Motel in an hour? Right?" She said as she placed everything into her backpack.

"Hmph," Jasmine made the noise as she got up, walked over towards Neko, and gave her a little tap on the shoulder as she leaned in and whispered, "Let's go for a walk... I'd rather we talk in private anyway; gamer-gal here seems to talk like she knows something."

---

Unlike the others, Jasmine did not get a firearm... she was a bit caught off guard that America allowed you to carry around a knife where German knife laws were a lot stricter. Jasmine longed for home because she did not have to worry about getting stabbed by some junkie, but... she thought about what Charlie said yesterday and remembered just why she exiled herself. She walked to the parking lot of this dingy motel... there was not a single car here, and she could see the nervous husbands peaking out the windows at them, scanning to see if any of the group were their wives. Before returning to their mistresses, Jasmine looked disgusted at them as she walked to the parking lot with her new "friend" Neko.

Jasmine was silent as she kept the combat knife in her pocket... she didn't trust her ability to shoot (the Americans would likely have all the firepower), and she was more concerned about having proper food and water. This was the first time that Jasmine embarked on such an adventure, and she made sure to buy a backpack and stuff it with food and water.

---

---

Lily was silent during the meeting because she got high as fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

She wore sunglasses that hid her red eyes... though she still reeked of the stuff. Lily knew that the majority of the group was white, but she still didn't give a fuck. The only magic was the magic ganja she smoked before she walked into this lame-ass coffee shop (again) and her magical coochie. She had to conserve what she had because there was no chance she would get more weed in this awful, awful, awful town. Though, even though she was high enough to steal a plane...

"We'll make it through this, but we'll need to be prepared for this journey. Silver is useful, plentiful in bullets, or solely in a knife. It'll be a bit different if we're fighting ghosts, but I think there's more here than we've seen thus far. Jen, you'll be coming with us; I think it's best if we stick together after what happened, don't you agree?"

... She could still tell that people were talking crazy. Lord, they step into a spooky town for a minute, and everyone starts losing their head! If another motherfucker goes on about magic... though, she couldn't stop herself from smiling as she picked on Erik a little bit.

"... And don't forget to bring a sword and shield in case there's a dragon out there, holmes!" Lily's Spanish accent was ramped up to the point where it sounded sterotypical, but afterward, she broke out laughing. "I know your first thought is to grab weapons, but make sure to stock up on some baby wipes, ladies! You're going to be reeking." She spoke to the rest of the group.

She chuckled again as she walked out around the time everyone else did...

---

Lily bet she was the only one who brought some medical supplies rather than just stocking up on firearms... Yes, she had a pistol in her cute little backpack that she should probably stuck in her waistband if she wasn't wearing leggings. Everyone probably thought they would brute force their way through the swamp, but what if they got caught off guard? What if they fell and got hurt? Nobody's infallible, and Lily doesn't want to see anybody get hurt. She was no EMT, but she was good enough to make sure that, at the very least, they could probably get back to Dr. Harkness... which didn't bode well because the closest hospital was probably in Lafayette, a thirty-minute drive at minimum.

However, Clayton was already here, and Lily waved to him - not getting too close because she didn't know the guy! and shouted, "Papi!"

Ophrenia rolled her eyes. She didn't need some foreigner telling what's what about the country she was raised in. "Sweetie, you probably can't tell where I'm from by my accent 'cause you not born and raised in the States, but racists don't scare me. I grew up in a small town several miles away from a Confederate Cemetery. The people ain't no different from home. What you should be scared of is 'gators and what's been killin' people. 'Cause I bet the racists here ain't lynchin' the white folk that gone missin'." She purposely pronounced her Appalachian accent to prove a point that she shouldn't comment on nothing she don't know nothing about.

She hoped ol' foreign girl wouldn't need her gun when it came down to it. She ate her breakfast, rushing through it so she could make her stops in under an hour. She left a tip for the waitress, and headed out the cafe. The first place she stopped was the gun store. It looked like any other one she's ever been too. Guns in cases, on walls, and on racks. What she didn't expect was Morton, the old man that gave her a ride into town.

"Phrena! Good to see you again," Morton called out. In the time they spent talking about anything and everything, he never mentioned what he did for a living.

She didn't mind he got her name wrong. It's a little cute nickname. She'll take it. She walked up to the counter and pulled out her gun license from Tennessee. "This good here?" she asked.

Morton looked at it. "Depends. What you huntin'?"

"Don't know yet. Group and I are going up to the Black Manor in the swamp."

Morton gave her a look like she was crazy, but didn't question it. He grabbed a gun on a rack behind him. It was a shot gun, then pulled a pistol out of the case. He gave her three boxes of ammo each. She wasn't sure how she felt about two guns when she came for one, and three boxes of ammo she couldn't possibly get through.

"People goin' missin' lately. You'll need it."

He rang her up, the price under what she knew all that would cost.

"Given me a discount?" she asked.

"Don't worry about it."

She paid with her credit card, then walked out with each gun loaded. The pistol tucked into her skirt and the shot gun thrown over her shoulder by the strap. She carried her goods to a thrift store down the block and got a pair of black running shoes that were well wore, but in good shape. They were already broken in, so that saved her feet from new shoes pain. She bought a small crossover she could stuff with ammo. She arrived at the motel with a pep in her step and a smile on her face. She was ready to go. She made a quick stop in her room to drop off her boots and the extra ammo. She didn't imagine she'd run through all six boxes in a day. She took one box of each, organized what she could in her purse, then met the others outside.

"It's a good day to die hard."

While some in the peanut gallery would want to see this mission fail, Erik set out to get whatever supplies he could before their venture into the 'mansion'. The poor souls that followed him had reason to fear there would be death and despair going forward, there was valid reason for such concerns. Hope prevailed though, Erik and the rest of these damned suckers didn't end up in Quintin on their own, they were led there. Coralled by that online post, all like lambs to the slaughter. Erik didn't mind the thought as he rummaged through the scrap yard, finding his weapon of choice.

Now felons couldn't go and run into a gun shop and buy a firearm, and the one he had was stolen by Chomp. He carried a foot-long piece of steel rebar, he rested it over his shoulder. Walking into the motel he took a long drag from a 'reacquired' cigarette as he walked back into the lot, looking over his shoulder for the sheriff. That's when she showed up, Jenny Jen Jen Caspin, he blew some smoke toward the short-stacked dork. He felt like a giant as he towered over her, his hand gripped on the rebar as he raised an eyebrow to the line of questioning being poised towards Erik.

"Want me to show my hand?" He said exhaling smoke from his nose, he'd drop the cigarette stepping on it and smushing it out with the heel of his shoe. "All I can say is there's a lot of unknowns in this world, and we only have scraped the service. While there are traditional unknowns, Eleanor's case transcends that."

Erik briefly graces Jennifer with the Lexicon of the Occult, he opens it and shows her a page with a CIA letter head of sorts with a sprawling hand-drawn diagram.



"All I know is this place is dangerous, but do you have my back Jen? I bet you don't cutely stutter when you're gaming, so I'm going to need your best when we go in there. Focused, on the ball and switched on. Like you're a Wolfhound, you know from Tyrant Shell? Best of the best, and nothing less. You ready to venture into the unknown?"

It was a lot to ask, but if she was worth a damn she'd say yes. If he got anything less than that, then she was the enemy. What role she played, he didn't know though maybe an investigation in E-Sports finest would show him where Jen, a bunch of misfits and Eleanor all came into play.

@Punished GN

Interactions:Jasmine@Punished GN Ophrenia@silvermist1116

---

Neko sat upon the yellow bumper of an empty parking spot with her arms wrapped around her knees as she waited for the others with Jasmine. She watched the curtains draw shut as litter tumbled through the empty lot, lighting the end of a fresh cigarette with the final breath of the previous one before dumping the corpse out into the empty lot with a flick of her fingers. She used to try to limit her smoking, a little guilty reward for making it through the day, but the exhaustion and the frustration and the confusion and the disappointment and the unbearable weight of feeling useless had broken her restraint.

Her little investigation into Harmony and Gene had turned up nothing. The desk jockey working the motel was adamant in their ignorance, even going so far as to show Neko the guest registry probably in hopes that she would then be satisfied in her questioning and fuck right off. She saw no sign of Harmony or Gene checking in on the list that held little more than a block of familiar names amongst the columns of John Somethings with same-day check outs. Given how little the others seemed to worry about the lack of check-in from Harmony, Neko had begun to convince herself that she was just being stupid and unreasonable. They got spooked, they left, end of story.

Unless…Neko waved away the thought and focused her attention on Jasmine. The woman had shared her experience with seeing a ghost to Neko at the other motel and in return Neko had told Jasmine of the events at Blake's cabin, omitting one tiny detail that never needed to be thought of ever again. Neko didn’t know if she believed in ghosts or not anymore, but she believed that Jasmine wasn’t just making up some story for attention. Plus, even if Erik hadn’t seen her ghost he could verify the thing about the orb. However, there was one thing about Jasmine that Neko did not understand.

“Hey Jasmine, can I ask you a question?” said Neko, before she almost immediately began to wave the question away, the ember of her cigarette dancing frantically. “You don’t have to answer it and I’m sorry if this seems like I’m prying but it’s just, you know, I get Charlie wanting to look for her mom. I get Carl wanting to look for his wife. But if it wasn’t my daughter who’d gone missing but somebody who was responsible for an awful moment in my life I wouldn’t go looking for them when they suddenly got replaced by a different person. I definitely wouldn’t go looking for them in a dangerous swamp with a bunch of trigger happy strangers. I'd probably still be hungover from celebrating.”

“So, um, why?” said Neko, the question barely out of her mouth before the burning ember fell out of her cigarette and onto her clothes. She jumped to her feet and furiously began brushing herself off, her swears drowned out by the roar of Z’s motorcycle as the others began to gather in the parking lot. Neko’s eyes widened as they fell upon the shotgun slung over a way too excited looking Ophrenia’s shoulder. The distraction offered Jasmine room to wriggle out of the probing question as Neko pinched the bridge of her nose, shook her head, and then shouted to Ophrenia, “Oh god, please hide that before we get shot!”

---

When Charlie suggested weapons, she had been thinking along the lines of bats and the like. Not guns. She'd completely forgotten that guns were a thing you could just get here. Knives too. Would she be able to as a foreigner? Probably not. She really shouldn't. Charlie had never held a gun in her life, and the only knives she'd used were in the kitchen. Sure she was very efficient chopping up an onion, but that skill wouldn't help her here. And just like with most of her skills, it had taken practice. She basically had no experience in self defence.

She'd leave the use of weapons to the Americans but she didn't trust near complete strangers to actually protect her from... Whatever was in the swamp. Some kind of knife would be better than nothing, at least she could wave it in front of her to ward away any danger if needed.

Maybe one coated in silver, if the nonsense Erik was spouting had any truth to it. Doubtful. What was this, twilight? Maybe she should bring a garlic necklace for the vampires along with the silver for werewolves.

Charlie arrived in the motel car park feeling far more skint than when she'd left the cafe - having hit up various shops in the town. Not that there were many, but she was able to buy a new pair of decent shoes that wouldn't immediately get drenched in the swamp. She'd not exactly packed with swamp trips expected, and her canvas shoes were comfortable but not durable. Her well worn but thankfully strong backpack was filled with various other necessities (in her eyes) - bottles of water, basic medical supplies (bandages, painkillers and the like), a light change of clothes and cans of bug spray (she was not going to get eaten alive by mosquitos). She’d shoved a combat knife she'd reluctantly bought in her shorts pocket. She carried a stick she'd found while going from shop to shop - a cheap hiking stick equivalent, and she'd stepped into a bog far too many times back home to want to risk it here. Swamps were like bogs but with a higher chance of taking a step and disappearing into the depth... Probably. She hadn't really been into a swamp, but she assumed they’d have to watch their step.

Could never be too prepared.

She was one of the last to get there, it appeared. And perhaps underarmed going by the fucking shotgun Ophrenia had over her shoulder. That couldn’t be legal. Or was it? It was a complete culture shock for Charlie.

"It's a good day to die hard."

”Don’t think it's ever a good day to die,” Charlie snorted. ”Rather stay alive myself.”

She shifted her attention away from the probably crazy girl to the others. There were a few conversations going on, and while she naturally wanted to gravitate towards Neko (who was friendly and sort of her grandmother), she didn’t want to interrupt. She could just wait where she was… but there was something she was curious about.

”Hey!” Charlie approached Lily and “Carl” who… seemed to be crouching beside his (presumably) car. Strange. She gave them both a bright smile, as if they weren’t going towards their probable deaths. It was fine. Glancing behind her at the others, Charlie lowered her voice before continuing - talking to Lily more than Carl. ”Do you, uh, have that jar with you? I don’t believe any of that magic shit, but maybe it’s some kinda super swamp disease cure… Whatever it is, it’s better than nothing.”

---

---

Jen's eyes briefly went towards the piece of rebar at Erik's hand, and she tried to keep her facial expression neutral as he was hoping that he wasn't relying on that. At the very least, he had a hidden card up his sleeve, as Jen could tell that the group didn't fully trust each other (or like each other). That was fair, but Jen hoped nobody stabbed each other in the back while they were out here...

"Want me to show my hand? All I can say is there are a lot of unknowns in this world, and we only have scraped the service. While there are traditional unknowns, Eleanor's case transcends that."

"Yes, that is true..."

There was a trace of thought that Erik was in the know; how he talked suggested he was a Paranormal... just like her! She knew this because her Eleanor was Paranormal, and Jen knew that anyone Paranormal was instinctively drawn to others like them. Then he opened the book, and Jen's bespectacled eyes glanced up and down the page; he showed her...

... and her jaw dropped.

It was some weird ass diagram featuring nonsense and rubbish that wasn't even close to the truth (and she wondered if he got this from some tabletop game). Not a word escaped her mouth as she stared at the paper and saw things like "Satan," "Ben & Jerry's," and other nonsense... and suddenly, she felt a little bit stupid for assuming.

"... All I know is this place is dangerous, but do you have my back Jen? I bet you don't cutely stutter when you're gaming, so I'm going to need your best when we go in there. Focused, on the ball and switched on. Like you're a Wolfhound, you know from Tyrant Shell? Best of the best, and nothing less. You ready to venture into the unknown?"

"... Uhhhhhhhhhh.... sure! Yeah, suuuuuuuuuuure!" Jennifer put on a chipper smile as she didn't listen to what he said and just agreed. She noticed that people were trickling in individually and found her easy way out. She awkwardly waved Erik goodbye as she quickly moved to the middle of the parking lot. She raised one hand straight into the air and said, "Um... Can everyone gather around?!" She shouted as she knelt down and gently placed her backpack on the ground.

She turned around, bent forward, opened her bag, and rummaged through it, looking for her map; the second she found it, she picked it up and placed it on top of a silver Audi Q8 with a California tag (that was definitely not hers). She gestured for everyone to come closer and then pointed at the X she had scribbled with a red marker.

"Okay, um, so... we're here," She started. From the X, a blue line through the swamp directly to a circle suggested a pretty quick walk. Then there was a black line that followed the roads above the old black manor, then went straight down.

"So, the blue line would be the quickest way there..." Jennifer started as her finger followed the blue line, then quickly shot back to the X and traced the black line. "However, this one would be the safest."

She looked at everyone as she said,

"I'm... going to leave which route we take up to you all..."

---

---

---

It was a long day.

Sybil Angela Harkness went on her usual lunch break from twelve to one PM... though, since she finished her last appointment a little earlier, she left about thirty minutes before twelve. She casually removed her Doctor's clothes and switched to her regular clothes because she didn't want to get germs on everything. What was notable about her outfit was the leather duffle bag that she kept slung over her shoulder. It was a time-consuming process that Sybil thought was necessary, even though she would only walk down the street to the Webb Family Coffee shop to grab a coffee and relax for a little bit. Then, return to inspecting Old Man George's balls for the third time this month. Sybil walked in and scanned the coffee house as she always did...

... and saw Carl, Lily, and Charlie, with a giant ass group of people.

Dr. Harkness turned on her heel and walked out of the coffee shop without hesitation. It was not out of disdain towards the trio that grilled her yesterday, but she was not going to spend her lunch break getting examined by an even more considerable amount of people about those girls that went missing (at best). Keeping up this trend, someone should come to her office today to ask about them. She snorted and chuckled at her joke, uncaring that people were out here watching her. So, Dr. Harkness would spend her break in her house today, and she walked up her stairs and put her hand on her doorknob. She dug into the pocket for the key...

"... Hi!" Sybil turned to the side to see Odessa Maxwell holding her flower basket in both hands with a wide and unnerving smile. Sybil put her keys back into her pocket and instead unzipped her duffle bag slowly, asking,

"... Can I help you?" Sybil asked as she finally had enough of her duffle bag open to get at one of the glowing jars she kept.

"You can!" Odessa stepped forward, and Sybil quickly pulled out a mason jar full of a glowing yellow liquid.

"Alright, don't step any closer!" Sybil warned, "This stuff is acid!"

"Relax, friend," Odessa stepped back. "I mean you no harm! I just wanted to ask a few questions!"

"Oh lord," Sybil sighed, "Shoot."

"Well..." Odessa's eyes trailed off to the side, then she giggled. "... When will you stop leading people to their deaths like lambs to a slaughter!?" Then she laughed some more.

"What do you mean?" Sybil lowered her jar.

"Simple!" Odessa raised a finger, "You tell those poor five girls about the old Black Manor; they don't even make it to the next morning!"

Sybil narrowed her eyes as Odessa just tilted her head.

"... What do you honestly think is going to happen to them?!" Odessa chuckled. "Eleanor Black is not real. And out there in the swamp is slaughter! And death! And pain. And even worse."

There was a brief pause before Odessa continued.

"Only a being like me can survive out there," Odessa began laughing before that smile went flat, "... And you know this, so tell me..."

Then, there was another pause.

"... Why did you tell them, knowing it was dangerous out there?" Odessa started, "That makes you - and only you - responsible for whatever happens to them!"

Sybil was utterly silent during Odessa's rant... even after the rant, she was silent. Just a few moments before, the Doctor shrugged and said, "They asked for my help, and I gave it to them - I told them how crazy things in Quintin were. If they get hurt, that's on them." Sybil said as she put the jar away and then adjusted her glasses.

"Is it really now?" Odessa laughed at the notion. "You could have just - you know - turned them away! But you didn't!" She held her flower basket behind her back.

"You can make excuses to try and convince yourself it's okay, that you had zero part in it... but the truth is, your role was the most important of all!"

Then she smiled, and Sybil was quiet.

"... You're not human, are you?" Sybil asked, "What stakes do you have in this? Why do you care?"

Odessa hummed a little song as her eyes drifted off to her left, and then they landed on that peculiar ring on her finger, and she said,

"... From a technical standpoint, I'm as human as you are!" Odessa began laughing, "You see, while I may have lost my humanity a very long time ago, I still act in the interests of humankind across all dimensions. As the balance of life and death, magic and mundane, survival and extinction is a very, very, very, very fragile one."

"I am human," Sybil said.

"Suuuuuuuuure, you are," Odessa rolled her eyes. "I'm just trying to figure out the Eleanor Black phenomenon before more people die. Then, I'm going to move on to the next place. Maybe spend some time on an island; that would be nice, wouldn't it?"

"Then..." Sybil trailed, "... We may have something in common. Because I don't want to see anyone else getting hurt because of this... Eleanor Black. Just what do you think is going on?"

Odessa shrugged.

"I suspect it's an Apparition or Aberration luring people here with fake memories, then eating them!"

"Why Quintin, though?" Sybil asked. "I grew up here and love this town... but if that's the case, then wouldn't setting up shop somewhere like New York make more sense?"

"Quintin already has a reputation for people going missing, perhaps that manifested an Apparition,"

"True," Sybil said, "What do you think we can do about it?"

Odessa shrugged.

"Simple!" Odessa answered, "What we can."

"I never caught your name,"

"Odessa Maxwell!" She answered and presented her hand, which Sybil shook... feeling how oddly cold her hand was.

"Dr. Harkness, Sybil Harkness," Sybil said.

Odessa turned around and then said,

"I'm going to make sure your little group of lemmings doesn't run off a cliff!" Odessa chuckled.

"Wait, here, take this!" Sybil said, rummaging through her duffle bag and pulling out a glowing green jar. "This will help if they need it."

"Why, thank you!" Odessa held it, standing completely still for a moment before casually lifting her robe enough to reveal her stomach (showing she was not wearing anything underneath). Then, her midriff converted into a mass of vines and wooden roots. It parted open, and Odessa stuck the glowing jar into the space and then dropped her robe. She turned around and skipped into the swamp without another word.

And Dr. Harkness just tilted her head as she watched this strange display.

"... Ooookay.... definitely not human."

Neko@Atrophy

Ophrenia laughed at Neko. "Chill. We won't get shot. I have a license." She watched Z pull up on her bike. She could tell the shape of the gun in the bag on her back. "I'm sure Z has one too." Just to tease her, she swung the gun into her hands and pointed it into the forest besides the motel. Gun safety rule number one, never aim the gun at a person you don't plan on shooting. She wouldn't make that mistake. She doesn't want to end up on the business end of Z aiming a gun at her if she thinks she's gone crazy.

She put her gun back where she had it and went to Jen, when she rounded them all up around a map, pointing at two paths they could take. Yikes. Both options are kinda meh. Either off into the swamp or take the long way 'round. "I don't think our chances look good if we take the short way. Why purposely run into gators when we can go 'round. I don't mind hoofin it on foot. I take it none y'all got a car?" She eyed Z's bike. It would only take one other person, but knowing how she know Z don't like people touchin on her, she don't think she'll offer a ride.

"Y'know if there's a car rental place in town? Car or no car, I vote we walk the road." Gator's aren't the only things they'll have to worry about. Leeches in the water would attach to her legs and stay there, until they could get her to a doctor to get them off. If there's leeches. She assumes there are.

Wow, it worked like a charm it always worked so well. Watching her jaw drop, Erik tried not to laugh as he closed up the book and put it away. It would serve a purpose another day as Jen diddly dallied off to rally the group to give her speech, he looked around and saw the weaponry some of these people totted. It was almost insane, shotguns and pistols, some serious time for these guys if the sheriff got their hands on any of them. Except Erik, sadly felons couldn't purchase the finest weapons in fact he was banned from possessing any weapon. So the rebar would have to do, but hopefully, this excursion wouldn't require any force. A quick in and out, like the port job if it had gone right. He huffed, exhaling a blast of hot air.

Upon hearing the plan, from the astute 'leader' Jen was he had some qualms with it. "So what's in the swamp, you say it's dangerous is there something we should be worrying about besides the crocs. Also what's on the road, the black path right? What's out there, I know it's longer but you need to give us more information than just two lines Jen."

@Punished GN

---

---

The German gal was not used to this.

Walking around with weapons - regardless of it being a pistol or a switchblade - was simply insane to Jasmine, but this was America... where people shot up schools on a near-daily basis. She lived in a state where people got high off bath salts and ran around naked. Maybe that combat knife she just purchased and (very poorly) stashed into her sweatshorts didn't seem that insane. Jasmine accompanied Neko in her little investigation, and, to the surprise of no one (probably), they never even checked into the hotel. They clearly got spooked and left, but Jasmine felt little need to dive deeper into the two. Jasmine was here for Eleanor and Eleanor alone; if they wasted time chasing after everyone that got spooked, they were going to go missing next.

And it was clear that nobody was going to look for them. Jasmine stuck around near Neko, unbothered by the cigarette smoke, when the latter dropped a particular question on her...

“Hey Jasmine, can I ask you a question? You don’t have to answer it and I’m sorry if this seems like I’m prying but it’s just, you know, I get Charlie wanting to look for her mom. I get Carl wanting to look for his wife. But if it wasn’t my daughter who’d gone missing but somebody who was responsible for an awful moment in my life I wouldn’t go looking for them when they suddenly got replaced by a different person. I definitely wouldn’t go looking for them in a dangerous swamp with a bunch of trigger-happy strangers. I'd probably still be hungover from celebrating. So, um, why?”

Nosy, American.

Jasmine mentally seethed; while she wanted to say it aloud, she didn't want to antagonize the group (Maybe Charlie later). Neko dropped a major question on Jasmine, which the latter would have dismissed if it wasn't because she didn't want to cast suspicion on herself. While Neko gave her the easy way out, Jasmine had her idea of the kind of person Neko was - the pushy kind that'd silently judge her - and knew she would be suspicious of her. Suspicion was not optimal, especially when Jennifer herself was the shadiest person in the world and lacked the social competency to realize that. Jasmine would give Neko half the story - only half because she didn't want to make things awkward by saying she had feelings for someone who could be her daughter.

"Closure," Jasmine started, "Me and Eleanor - my Eleanor - have unfinished business, and I would sleep much better at night if we resolved this." She kept it at one sentence, short and straightforward.

That was when Ophrenia showed up with a shotgun slung around her shoulder; Neko told her to put the damn thing away - which Jasmine would have agreed with, but it was pretty apparent that Ophrenia wouldn't listen regardless of how much logic you waved in her face. Then Ophrenia just have to show off - probably out of some lesbian desire for Z... who likely would continue to stand there. Jasmine shook her head as she walked over to Jen who suggested two routes... a quick route directly through the swamp and a long but safer route. Jasmine knew what the group would pick, but Erik asked if there was something else. Of course, Jasmine had just seen a ghost yesterday, so she wasn't that skeptical anymore. She turned towards Erik and chuckled. Ophrenia, in a moment of competency undisplayed before, suggested taking the safe route and Jasmine had to joke. She turned towards Ophrenia and said,

"... And here I was thinking you were itching to use your new toy." Then chuckled.

Interactions:Erik@EpicRoleplay Ophrenia@silvermist1116

---

Jasmine was lucky that Ophrenia had so successfully distracted Neko. If Neko’s attention hadn’t been split between the two there wouldn’t have just been further questioning. Instead, Jasmine would’ve gotten the full-on ‘parent angrily sitting in the dark to scare the shit out of their child who just got home several hours after curfew’ interrogation. Although Neko detected no malice in the way Jasmine spoke, it was rare for someone to ever use the phrase “unfinished business” to refer to anything someone would want their child involved in. Neko glared after Jasmine with a befuddled look on her face, the confusion compounded by Ophrenia’s wild belief that a piece of paper would ease the itch of a triggerhappy local.

Her hand reached for another cigarette but froze with it in her mouth when she looked up and caught sight of Charlie talking to the other members of Group Doctor. Neko heard the gagging voice of her daughter go ”Ewwww, Mooooom!” as she always did whenever she caught Neko sneaking a smoke. Nora would often add something about Neko living long enough to meet her grandkids as if it were an incentive and not even more things to worry about. Technically Charlie counted, right? Neko smiled and waved at her granddaughter via absurdity and joined the group gathering around Jen’s map, the smoldering cigarette crushed on the pavement by her boot.

Erik was questioning Jen for more information. Neko looked down, feeling a knot of guilt in her stomach and fearing that she was personally responsible for destroying their organizer’s credibility. As if it were a form of a more sincere apology, Neko took it upon herself to answer the question instead.

“Sorry, but shouldn’t crocodiles be reason enough to not take the swamp path? How about leeches? Snakes? Flooding? Getting lost? Look normally I’d agree with getting more information,” said Neko, trying to soften the harshness of her interruption. She wanted to verify a few things with Erik later and didn’t want to completely piss him off before getting that chance. “But if the choice is between that or risking a bit of traffic and a couple of potholes I feel like the road is the only option.”

“I have a car,” mentioned Neko, turning to Ophrenia. “Z has her bike, obviously. I’m sure we have plenty of other vehicles so we don’t have to hoof it or make two trips.” Neko smiled lightly and with a chuckle added, “Like, I’m sure you all didn’t do something as wildly dangerous as hitchhiking to get here.”

---

---

"Papi!"

That seemed to jar the man from whatever train of thought he was in, "Yeah?" Clay squinted, his expression briefly crinkling as he caught a whiff of the distinct herbal remedy Lily had inbibed ahead of their redoubt.`

“What did you think of Mr. Ghouls and Goblins back there!?” Lily chuckled, then playfully jabbed her shoulder into Clayton’s side.

Stiffly, he glanced her way, then relented with a smirk.

"What, the part where people just disappear, or the whole... werewolf, alligator thing the doctor was talking about?"

Clay huffed a little and shook his head. "You'd be surprised how 'normal' folks can really buy into that shit."

“The weird dude, Papi... Think his name is Erik? Talked about ghosts before I walked the fuck out, Papi.” Followed by awkward laughter as people DO buy into that shit. This was around the time Mami came over!

“Do you, uh, have that jar with you? I don’t believe any of that magic shit, but maybe it’s some kinda super swamp disease cure… Whatever it is, it’s better than nothing.”

“Oh yeah!” Lily said as she dropped her cutesy Hello Kitty backpack, unzipped it, and pulled out the jar…. Glowing green, that only Lily could perceive. “It's glowing and shit… You two can see it. Right?”

"Uh..." 'Carl' leaned closer, his brow furrowed, "Looks like water to me."

Charlie squinted her eyes at the very dull, herb-filled and not glowing jar. "Uh, no… it ain't glowing.”

"You sure you ain't uh, y'know..." Clay sniffed, then shrugged towards Lilly.

“… You can come out and say it, Papi,” Lily answered, “Ya’ll think I’m a crazy bitch.” She looked at it and then back at the two…

… Then she shoved it into Charlie’s hands and walked away, rubbing her eyes.

“Wait!” Charlie ran after Lily, awkwardly holding the jar under one arm, and reached out to grab her wrist before she got too far away. “For the record, I don’t think you’re crazy.” Weird, maybe, but most of the group was. “Maybe it's the light or something… Or you can see something we don’t…” Charlie trailed off, laughing awkwardly.

Lily’s foot hit the ground, and she turned on her heel as she stopped stumbling around. She faced Charlie as she looked at the jar again. Then she shook her head, placing both hands on her cheeks as she said, ”It’s a fuckin’ glowing jar; there’s no mistaking it.” In the most monotone fashion she could. ”Ay, mami...”

"Or," Clay sucked in his teeth,"You can smell the herb a mile away." He shrugged. "Look, I ain' gonna judge, I'm just saying."

Lily was dead quiet before she said,

”It’s weed, Papi,” She started, “Weed doesn’t make you see shit, Papi… unless….”

'Carl' shrugged at that.

"Unless it was spiked with whatever that weird girl yesterday was high on?" Charlie suggested half joking. "Maybe she snuck some in while you weren't looking. A glowing jar is nothing compared to all that magic shit she talked about."

”Maaaaami, there ain’t no drug in the world that can…” Lily stopped herself because there was no way that spooky bitch could have done so. ”... Know what? You’re right, Mami. Let’s drop it.”

"Alright," Charlie shrugged, before holding out the jar like some kind of peace offering. "You want to take the jar, or will I hang onto it?"

“… Ehhhhh, how about YOU keep it?” Lily shook her hands from left to right. “It’s better in your hands, Mami.”

Charlie then glanced over where the rest of the group seemed to be gathering. "We should probably go see what that's all about."

“Ye-yeah,”

"I mean, you wanna hang onto the homeopathic stuff, be my guest-.... oh, you gotta be fuckin' wit' me." Clay's personable demeanor stalled midway through the conversation into an uncharacteristically sharp tone, his brow cocked at an acute angle, pointed towards Zeltzin and Ophrenia, "Jesus, man - I hope they know those ain' fuckin' toys..."

“Yeah, if you two psychobitches-” And Lily meant that playfully. “-decide to cut loose with those jawns, make sure I’m behind you!” She laughed.

---

---

Erik probed Jennifer, and there was that creeping thought to tell them what was out in the swamp. Jen didn't know what exactly was out there, but she knew it was crawling with Apparitions and Abominable. However, they would not believe her even though she had a feeling that they were beginning to catch on that this was no ordinary town. Fortunately, Neko cut in and gave Jennifer just a moment to gather her thoughts, and she replied,

"There, um... should only be alligators and the sort out there - but, uh... um, keep your eye out for anything else." And hopefully, that "anything else" would keep their distance and safely allow them passage through the swamp. After the two spoke, Erik was oddly quiet, and Jennifer nodded.

"Um... I... think? I think all we decided on the longer route, yes?" Jennifer spoke. "I, um, reeeeeented a... van all of us can ride in - if you want to - but the trip is veeeeeeeeeeeeeery short, like, uh, fifteen minutes to, you know, um, get there."

She looked among the group; some were armed, "Tiiiiiiiiiiime... we get a move on, ummmm... I'm going to grab the van, stay put..." Jennifer walked away, hoping her merry band wouldn't do anything too crazy out there.

---

Rain pounded against the hood of Jennifer's rented van, it was expensive, but fortunately, that Esports stuff was paying off. What was weird was that Quintin was suddenly barraged in a raging storm... that was not on the forecast for today. Or for the rest of the week. There was definitely something going on here that she wasn't prepared to tell the group about. She had limited knowledge of the world of magic, but she wouldn't be surprised if rain heralded something. Jennifer glanced at the mirror and saw the group that came with her in her van - all doing their own thing. She was hoping that she, at the very least, prepared for some inclement weather.

Jennifer drove through the empty roads of Quintin, which were ominous and flanked at all sides by woods or swamps. However, now and then, she saw a particular deer just staring at them as they drove by. When Jennifer thought she had passed it, it would just appear again... staring at them. There was that gut feeling that something was wrong, but maybe if they just passed through as fast as possible, there would be no trouble.

"In 300 feet; turn right." The GPS interrupted her reverie, and Jennifer spun the wheel in the instructed direction... Only to see that a metal gate (that was heavily chained) blocked the rest of the road - and there was a massive pool of rainwater on the other side of the gate. Now, Jennifer would have loved to keep driving; the best option was just to walk. Jennifer turned around, looking over her shoulder the best she could with a seatbelt on.

"Okay, ummmmmmmmmmm - grab your things, weeeeeeeee're... just going to walk the rest of the way..." Jennifer started before her eye landed on Ophrenia, "... and for the love of God... we're not supposed to be here. Do not do anything stupid like, ummm... shooting the lock."

---

Now this weather was a lot closer to what Charlie was used to.

She dug into her backpack, carefully shifting the strange jar and pulling out the rain jacket she’d had the foresight to pack (she was northern English, always a chance of rain). It was still hot and clammy, which made wearing any kind of jacket disgusting, but it was better than getting soaked. Sure, she had a change of clothes, but that was for in case she fell into the swamp.

Which she really hoped didn’t happen.

She’d squeezed in Jennifer’s van, since she didn’t have a car - or a licence. It was surprisingly spacious and would’ve been a comfortable, relaxing ride, with the sound of the rain calming… if only the whole place wasn’t so god damn creepy. She was pretty sure there was something watching them from the swamp, but she couldn’t see anything. Must be a crocodile. Yeah, definitely that.

”Sure thing,” Charlie nodded to Jennifer once they’d stopped. She was reluctant to get out of the sheltered van, pulling her rain jacket hood over her head in the hope of saving her hair from getting even more frizzy (fucking humidity). With one last check of everything in her backpack, Charlie hopped out of the van, feet squelching in a puddle right outside the van door. Lovely.

”Huh,” Charlie craned her neck up at the looming gate, then at the honestly over the top chains on it. It was in the middle of a swamp. There was literally no need to lock it so tightly. She got closer to it, inspecting it closely as if it’d just open if she stared hard enough. ”They must reallllly want to keep people outta there. So, anyone know how to lockpick?”

This was going to be Charlie’s first breaking and entering experience, and she was a little more wired than she probably should be. Risks aside, it was exciting. Just, she had absolutely not experience with getting through a lock gate. Maybe if they went further along they’d find a gap they could get through, but that’d mean going into the swamp.

Probably best to avoid that.

”Or are we gonna have to climb over it?”