Caleb emerged from the bathroom and closed the door behind him and stood defensively in front of it.
"Bathroom clear," he said firmly. It was obviously not a room that he felt anyone should inspect next. In fact, for a few minutes, perhaps nobody should enter that room at all. He cleared his throat and moved away from the door to avoid further association and over to one of the other Ares Chosen, Ed, who had just knocked over a backpack. But as soon as he got close, his face twisted into a cringing revolution.
"Oh, ******** dude," he groaned in whisper at the foul smell. And he thought he was the one to be embarrassed. "Did you just take a piss in that bag?" The look of judgment was harsh.
Beejoux
Character Name:Caleb McCloud Brief description of character: Caleb is a strong and silent type, but when he does speak, he's probably being an a*****e. But he's got a hell of a jawline, so he's got that going for him at least.
Deity: Ares Weapon: Greatsword HP: 50
Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 12:23 am
Once Mercy had decided to stay at the camp, she stayed quiet in order to hear what Griffin had to say, then frowned while she walked off away from the group to start searching on her own behind the check in counter. When she found nothing in particular, she moved on, finally paying attention to who was around her. She spotted a couple of unfamiliar faces, but it wasn't anything she couldn't solve by introducing herself [something she missed when everyone was chatting], later. For now, she casually made her way towards a familiar head of long black hair, hugging Misha from behind briefly.
"Fancy meeting you here m'lady~" She winked, then made her way towards three familiar faces, one she was more familiar with than the other two. She noticed Caleb emerging from the bathroom, looking suspicious but maybe that's because he found something in there that wasn't really worth telling? Probably something from someone who didn't flush the toilet. She saw the familiar short black hair of Asher, giving him a small wave, instantly making a face at the smell of piss coming from Ed's direction.
She didn't think he took a piss in the bag but someone or something sure as hell did. She gave Ed a sympathetic look and kept her distance from the bag, moving a bit closer to where Asher was currently. "I don't think he would've had the time to piss in the bag, but I'm sure some poor animal did...Or some poor chosen must've pissed themselves before running."
[WC: 260]
and be blue
Yo~
Beejoux
Poor Ed XD
Silent Spy
Ewww Caleb~
ShortGreen
Hey you~
Character Name:Mercedes Adams Brief description of character:Mercy is a hot-headed nerdy ball of awesomeness that will totally kick your a** in old school street fighter. She is a fun loving individual that loves to practice her fighting skills as much as she enjoys having drunk gamer night with her friends [Has a temper from hell though....Beware!].
Deity: Ares Weapon: War Hammer HP: 50/50 Minicert:
Finally, something actuall engaged Asher; drew him away from poking through some poor sap's supplies and instead made him take two steps in past Mercy toward Ed and Caleb to see what they were examining. It made him feel like an elf among giants, the pair of them towering over Asher as he peered down into the backpack -- and snickered at Caleb's comment.
He cut a brief look up to the man, the judging look on his face, and the laugh came out harder. He nudged Ed just a little.
"I'm sure you could have taken a break to go find a tree, man." He didn't even nudge the bag with a stick. There was no way he was getting any closer to that.
beejoux
silent spy
viva viola
Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:27 am
grasshopper pie
"Okay, this is gonna sound insane, but... when did you lose contact? And when was the last full moon?" He already felt like a fool, but what else were they supposed to do but postulate? There was enough evidence to ask, and if he was right? If he was right and said nothing, they'd be under-prepared-- no. No, no. Someone else would just come up with it first, he wasn't all that smart.
He stood from his crouch and began to search for human or animal tracks first near the broken window, then back toward the main area of the room, then over by the door...
"The last full moon was on August eighteen. We lost contact about ten days ago." Griffin didn't discount Brian's idea, but he did at least know the date of the last full moon and when they'd officially lost contact with the other Chosen.
His search for tracks would find some-- a confusing mishmash of prints, though, most heading for the woods, and nothing that looked like a wolf, or even much like a dog's prints. Some of them were curiously muddled, though that might have been from other animals.
ShortGreen
She shook her head and watched Brian searching in silence for a moment. Then she forced a smile at Beth before twisting to share it with Griffin. "So did everyone carry ID on them when you sent them out? We should be finding those at least. What about their Chosen badges? Don't those protect us against enchantment?"
"Our badges offer some protection, but they can't protect against everything. Like an umbrella-- good for rain, but won't keep you dry in a hurricane." He nodded at Misha, somewhere between approving and encouraging. "Some Chosen carry their ID with them, and some prefer not to, in case of them getting lost." Or, though Griffin didn't say it, some people didn't want to be identified, and so didn't carry real-world identification on them for an outing like this.
Mercy's abrupt hug in the middle of a fairly breath-holding moment came as both a surprise and a relief. Misha smothered her urge to yelp and quickly reached out to squeeze the other woman's hand as she passed after the surprise contact. She watched her join Ed and the two unknown men but perked up and refocused her attention on Griffin when he answered her questions.
She smiled at his approval, reflexively charming. Then she frowned a bit, head tipping to one side as she considered the new information. She did not want to remember the Alps and how badly some of them had been hurt and she was careful not to glance sideways at Beth as the thought niggled at her. However, the thought was sobering when you realized you took your magic for granted. Misha exhaled slowly.
"Weeellll, going by past experience then, I hate to say it but, if something got them - magic or getting beaten up or whatever - it had to have been more like a hurricane. Ugh." She wrinkled her nose at the weaponsmaster. "You sent people to Louisiana during hurricane season, Griffin!"
xelhaspixiestix
yekaterin
viva viola
WC: 1002
Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 3:16 pm
Brian sighed, and it was with relief. You know, he should have realized that there was no blood in this place. That would have been quite obvious. It was even better that the tracks were not especially human or canine, nor all that big.
Good. Probably not werewolves. Especially considering the distance of time between the last full moon and the time they lost contact. Besides, weren't werewolves kind of an English thing? Damn. He really had to do some more research on all of these Greek myths.
"Okay, good." He was glad that the people in were woods were much, much less likely to run into a werewolf. "What about other transformation myths, then?" He stood straight and looked to Griffin, hoping he had the answer. "Are there any myths concerning people being turned into animals against their will?" Werewolves aside, something had still struggled out from inside of those clothes, something had broken the window from the inside, something had peed on the bags in what he could only assume was territorial markings, and he doubted that an army of Louisiana marsh critters bum-rushed the inn and carried the Chosen out a la the Looney Tunes. To him, the clues still pointed toward transformation, just not necessarily as drastically as werewolves.
"You know, if they turned into something, they might have just been trying to get to their supplies." He eyed the backpack that he had rifled through. There had been no food in it, and thus no reason for a plain old animal to try and break in.
He turned to Beth then and laughed, shaking his head. "I feel like a crazy person."
Yekaterin
Character Name:Brian Watterly Brief description of character: A passionate, competent leader-type with a bit of difficulty expressing the emotions he feels. Deity: Zeus Weapon: Bow (balanced ranged) HP: 47/47 Minicert:
bobaTJ
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Beejoux
Wrathful Demigod
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Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 3:53 pm
Now, who the hell was this? Edward's head came up, expression puzzled as he glanced back, and up. He certainly didn't look friendly, in fact, that cool, judgmental sneer made Ed look down right cheery.
Mercy, whom Ed hadn't noticed up to that point, spoke up in the bouncers defense. It earned her a roll of his eyes, but his lips twitched a little in something might might have been a smile, if the circumstance were a little different. He didn't think he needed the back up, but he appreciated it all the same.
And of course this was the thing that managed to drag Asher out of his mood. Pale eyes leveled on the shorter man, unamused, as an elbow prodded into the side of his ribs. "House broken, but thanks."
It did smell foul, though. Grimacing, the former bouncer took a step back. If the rest of them wanted to hang out next to the pile of soiled packs, let them.
and be blue
silent spy
Viva viola
Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 4:47 pm
All of the pilling evidence made Beth think very hard. She knew that the answer to Misha's question was a resounding yes, but the specifics escaped her. And not because she was being distracted by the humidity. ('My hair, my hair, my makeup,' was a running refrain in the back of her mind, but she pushed it down, trying to conjure of helpful questions that might help them get to the bottom of the mystery.)
After a moment, she gasped, "Oh my god, I think I've read this book series!" She turned to Brian wide-eyed. The joke (regarding the explicit nature of the books) she was about to make died on her lips as she saw how sheepish he looked. "At least you're contributing to the discussion! Both of you are!" She nodded to Misha, indicating their mutual friend. "If you don't suggest it, we can't consider it. Kissing frogs and waiting for princes and all that." She smiled brightly up at him. "Werewolves are shapeshifters, so I'd say you were close enough! This whole thing does seem a bit...outlandish. I think I would prefer Misha's suggestion. A party gone a bit too wild!"
She laughed a bit and took the opportunity to stand. She wavered a bit, but managed to make it to her feet without falling forward. Looking around, she wondered what the other half of their group had found exactly, though judging by the stench, she should be happy to stay where she was.
Beth surveyed the ground floor, frowning a bit. She stepped gingerly to follow the various tracks, trying to make sense of them at all. She tried to isolate pawprint types from one another visually, at least to inventory and pare down the list of animals who had blown through like, well, a hurricane. She wasn't exactly a wilderness expert, but she felt confident enough in her ability to discern between shapes. A fox would look different from an alligator would look different from a...deer? Did they have deer?
grasshopper pie
shortgreen
xelhaspixiestix
Character Name:Beth Almasy Brief description of character: A sweet but skittish beauty who's lived in the lap of luxury her whole life, Beth doesn't quite know what she's doing. She's always willing to support and cheer on her friends, mostly so she doesn't actually have to lift a finger.
"Lions and tigers and bears," muttered Misha but she still smiled warmly at Beth. Her head might be starting to fill with worries (and she could not decide if she blamed Brian for that or not with his infectious seriousness); however, she would be damned if she let the others know. Instead she mimed a deliberate wink after the smile. "Oh, my, Beth."
She started to take a deep breath but immediately checked the impulse when the stench of Edward's find hit her before she could get very far. She fought the gag reflex masterfully. Licking her lips, she cast her eyes towards the floor in mimicry of Beth. None of it made sense to her, though. She had no hope of making heads or tails of the confused prints in the dirt and dust.
Instead she opted to start a slow pace along the perimeter of the room. Her small feet moved easily, delicate and exact so as not to disturb anything. Grey eyes catalogued numbers - backpacks, pairs of pants (everyone wore pants!), sleeping bags. Eight Chosen. How many pairs of pants? Was every single Chosen now running around somewhere naked as a jaybird?
As she passed Brian, Misha's hand slipped out to tangle with his and squeeze briefly. The action comforted her and she sent him a more natural, sideways smile as she moved on again until she stood beside Edward, counting the items near Asher and the dark-haired man who had emerged from the bathroom. "Hey," she murmured. Her fingers brushed Edward's wrist for an instant, an unobtrusive way to draw his attention. "I think you want to be more downwind."
"Why don't we go out on these adventures with walkie talkies at least?" she asked the room in general in a louder, lighter voice.
Yekaterin
grasshopper pie
beejoux
and be blue
silent spy
xelhaspixiestix
xiestix"]
WC: 1300
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 9:28 am
grasshopper pie
"What about other transformation myths, then?" He stood straight and looked to Griffin, hoping he had the answer. "Are there any myths concerning people being turned into animals against their will?"
He rocked on his heels a little, thinking. "Myths...? Many. Metamorphoses are a common theme in Greek Myths." Griffin actually looked a little... uncomfortable? "There are a myriad of reasons why people would be forced into animal shapes. As punishment... or to save their lives."
Yekaterin
She tried to isolate pawprint types from one another visually, at least to inventory and pare down the list of animals who had blown through like, well, a hurricane. She wasn't exactly a wilderness expert, but she felt confident enough in her ability to discern between shapes. A fox would look different from an alligator would look different from a...deer? Did they have deer?
If Beth just went by distinct shapes, there were maybe around a dozen or so. Some of the shapes were strangely blurred, or overlapping, or vaguely similar to other shapes that she'd already counted, further complicating it. Some must have been overlapping previous tracks, because a couple seemed slightly like human ones on one side, and more animal on the other.
ShortGreen
Instead she opted to start a slow pace along the perimeter of the room. Her small feet moved easily, delicate and exact so as not to disturb anything. Grey eyes catalogued numbers - backpacks, pairs of pants (everyone wore pants!), sleeping bags. Eight Chosen. How many pairs of pants? Was every single Chosen now running around somewhere naked as a jaybird?
"Why don't we go out on these adventures with walkie talkies at least?" she asked the room in general in a louder, lighter voice.
Eight Chosen... and there were eight pairs of pants, and eight sleeping bags. Apparently all eight Chosen, unless the clothes here were not clothes that they had been wearing, and maybe the clothing of innocent bystanders?
Griffin snorted quietly, but some of his earlier unease lingered. "Because, my dear, who would you being using it with?"
xelhaspixiestix Crew
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bobaTJ
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Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 4:48 pm
To save their lives. That was... ominous, at the very least. He also noticed the look on Griffin's face. What was that? Concern? Or knowledge the others lacked? Somehow it seemed beyond his standing to ask. The higher-ups knew the details of the case. However:
"Do we get to know what they were sent out here about in the first place?" Probably not, he assumed.
He did not go too far then, but did slide out the front door and around to the outside of the broken window. Was there blood? How about some better tracks?
Character Name:Brian Watterly Brief description of character: A passionate, competent leader-type with a bit of difficulty expressing the emotions he feels. Deity: Zeus Weapon: Bow (balanced ranged) HP: 47/47 Minicert:
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 8:01 pm
"Should have gone into town," was Asher's sour response to the mess and the piss and the abandoned clothes. Shaking his head, his attention was drawn away from teasing Ed and instead to one of the piles of clothing. Slowly, carefully, like he expected a live animal to come scurrying out, he dropped to a crouch and picked up the shirt, opening it up to examine the size and to see if, perhaps, it had a identifying badge on its lapel or something.
Wherever the Chosen went, would they have the marks of their Gods with them? Or had they been abandoned here, at camp? His eyes skitted away, back to Caleb and Ed, distracted for a moment before he looked back to Griffin.
"If something got your more experienced folks, why the hell did they send us?" More gripe than question. "Seems like we'll just get our asses kicked, if they did..."
Character Name:Asher Zimmerman Brief description of character: Asher is a kinetic young man who has a hard time sitting still for long stretches of time. He is impulsive and dismissive, and covers up any self-consciousness with sarcasm.
"Do we get to know what they were sent out here about in the first place?" Probably not, he assumed.
He did not go too far then, but did slide out the front door and around to the outside of the broken window. Was there blood? How about some better tracks?
That was easier ground, and Griffin nodded. "Unusual magical activity combined with missing persons reports. The combination was enough to require investigation."
Brian's examination of the broken window wouldn't find blood -- but he'd find more of those multiple animal tracks, heading for the nearer edge of the woods and swamp.
and be blue
Slowly, carefully, like he expected a live animal to come scurrying out, he dropped to a crouch and picked up the shirt, opening it up to examine the size and to see if, perhaps, it had a identifying badge on its lapel or something.
Wherever the Chosen went, would they have the marks of their Gods with them? Or had they been abandoned here, at camp? His eyes skitted away, back to Caleb and Ed, distracted for a moment before he looked back to Griffin.
"If something got your more experienced folks, why the hell did they send us?" More gripe than question. "Seems like we'll just get our asses kicked, if they did..."
There was a badge on the shirt; Apollo. There was really no mistaking the lyre on the badge for anything else. Griffin lifted a dark eyebrow at Asher. "So if something happens to you, we should not send out a rescue party? I will keep that in mind for the next time something happens." Which, they might be beginning to realize, was probably going to be more often than not.
_________________
OOC NOTE:
As things are winding to a close, we're going to end this stage of the meta in all three threads tomorrow evening. Ask any final questions now, and keep in mind that in order to claim 10XP for this thread you need to have 500 words by the end, so get final word count in now!
grasshopperpie
Yekaterin
Shortgreen
beejoux
viva viola
silent spy
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 11:27 pm
"Oh, no. Please make sure to send out a rescue party." Misha smiled ever so sweetly at Griffin. She refused to answer his slightly dry comment about her walkie talkie suggestion. Anyone with a brain would realize that it would be nice to make sure the other two teams were still alive out there and, if cell reception was going to be a problem, radio might be a cool alternative. She looked back down at the floor in front of her, pressed her lips into a thin line, and inhaled through her nose. This time she didn't gag. Probably her unraveling temper helped there; she was starting to sympathize more and more with Asher.
Her mind was already filling up too fast with what might be happening to the other groups. All appearances around them indicated that something burst out of the inn and ran towards the bayou and the woods... Which was the general direction of the other two parties. She gave her head a little shake to banish the thoughts. Then, again seeking grounding in touch, any touch, she touched fingertips against Edward's wrist for the briefest of instants.
Then she picked her way carefully towards the door they had used to enter. She ran a hand over the surface thoughtfully, feeling for any textural differences. "You said missing persons reports," she suddenly said, though her gaze stayed on the door. "Were those reports just for our crew or were there others reported missing? People from that town Brynn went towards? Or from any kind of homesteads or something around here? How far back to those reports kind of lump up?"
xelhaspixiestix
beejoux
and be blue
Character Name: Misha Durand Brief description of character: Outgoing, over-the-top, and as shameless as a kitten - Misha is a people person that thrives on attention, both giving and getting. While she has wide streaks of both vanity and jealousy, she isn't afraid to back it up with hard work and wit and charm. Deity: Aphrodite Weapon: Buckler [agile defensive] HP: 56
This whole search seemed like it was getting them nowhere quickly, which saddened her just a bit. Mercy sighed and rolled her eyes right back at Edward, laughing a bit while she started moving away from the piss smell. Was it just her or were all the Ares men super grumpy? Meh, it wasn't something she was going to lose sleep over really. What did strike her as odd was Asher. He seemed a bit friendlier during the pizza party, which made her wonder what had changed between now and then. Or maybe he was always that way and she didn't pay enough attention...She shrugged, letting out a sigh of boredom.
Maybe she should've gone to the city or out into the forest...Her hand was starting to itch a little, she scratched it and decided to find a safe spot to sit down that didn't smell like piss or look like it had been ravaged by some animal. She really wanted to hit something or just do something that required her to think a little less. There was a bag near her, so she picked it up carefully, opening it up to see what was inside. While she was looking through it for anything important, a question came to her "Did any of the chosen bring weapons? I don't see any around here if they did." It would make sense to bring weapons regardless, given what they were, but then again...BB Cream and mascara...
[ WC: 521]
ShortGreen
and be blue
xelhaspixiestix
Beejoux
Character Name:Mercedes Adams Brief description of character:Mercy is a hot-headed nerdy ball of awesomeness that will totally kick your a** in old school street fighter. She is a fun loving individual that loves to practice her fighting skills as much as she enjoys having drunk gamer night with her friends [Has a temper from hell though....Beware!].
Deity: Ares Weapon: War Hammer HP: 50/50 Minicert:
