#baronyofthesilverwolf

"I did trust you to face Blaine in the art fair. You've really been leading the project against him. Proud of that"

Her mouth turns downwards and she shrugs.

"And I've said the wrong thing again. I always do" She sighs

"Why do we always have to talk about him?" Scowl.

She starts after the bobbing wisp, shoulders tense.

The wisp is a sputtering, flickering thing - more like the colorful end of a sparkler than a candle flame. It meanders, with two nevers spinning and dancing around it as it goes. A bit conflicted, it seems to want to hold close to Thistle as well as follow it's charted course, so she must follow in order for it to continue.

She does follow! Gwen? Well, Gwen can make her own choices.

"We don't always talk about him" She says "and he has to be stopped. But.. ooh" her eyes light on the wisp

And she follows, of course

The wisp floats gaily along as it bobs down the road, and around a corner. It ducks under the arm of a fellow who leans against the wall in an alleyway. He blinks blearily as he follows the path of the light with his eyes. "Huh. Expected it to be an.. a nelly... anellph... a packy-derm."

A quirk - the drunk can see it? Interesting!

But she can't dilly-dally!

Gwen nods to the guy and keeps following

Citron buzzes curiously into his face - "Chime?" He doesn't seem to notice her... and soon is back to his previous occupation, which seemed to be taking strength from the cool feel of the brick against his cheek.

Even as they exit the far end of the alleyway, they hear a companion calling over to him, "You okay, Jim?" "Yeah, jus' watchin' the pretty colors."

Gladiola makes a note to maybe drop by and check on these guys later. She's no Liam, but she suspects they'd be easy prey for Ghasts

Thistle squints, heading down the alley, round the corner... this is not the best neighborhood.

No it isn't. Gwen's spear is ready.

And yet, they move onward. Out of the alleyway behind the bars and restaurants, and through a perfectly normal subdivision - Schip and Citron pause for a moment to play in a sprinkler that someone has forgotten to turn off, gleefully cavorting in the water drops that reflect and refract their colors. The wisp spins more brightly as they continue, excited, as they turn around a corner and approach a playground. It's adjoined to a middle school - the elementary is a couple blocks over, and their own school in the other direction.

With the nevers dancing and sparking, they are not likely to have any element of stealth.

Nope. Thistle isn't trying to be sneaky.

Gladiola pats Ivan, "Becareful, boy"

It's dark. A new moon, in fact - no light shining but for the pinpricks of stars, and a flickering security light that only wanly points towards the front entrance of the school - nothing to light up the playground. That is, until the wisp flies in - it suddenly speeds up, as though the target's presence finally overwhelms the magnet pull of Thistle, and with rebound energy it zips over and smacks right into it's target! There is no physical affect, but the sudden burst of light as it crashes into the back of Briar silhouettes the childling, and a few other forms as well. In various states of recline on an old roundabout that could use a fresh coat of paint. The type of equipment that is no longer installed in new schools due to possible safety hazards.

"the FUCK?!" Briar's voice is heard as a squawk, even as the wisp vanishes, and they are left in the dark again.

"Hey Briar."

Thistle and Gwen would be a distance away still - say on the other end of the play ground. They heard Briar yell, and saw some vague silhouettes showing she wasn't alone, but they're, maybe, 30 feet off. She could call over...

"Kee-rist! Is it cops?"
"Fuckin' hell..."

Sudden conversation, not all of it audible, and the creak of metal.

It's very dark, and hard to see details. Ivan's back goes up, and he growls, he can't quite help it.

Gwen pulls out her cellphone and makes it a flashlight. Yay modern era

Gwen gets a glimpse of other forms - one... two.. three? Hard to say, as they are now scattering into the night.

Citron lights onto Thistle's shoulder, while Schip zips forward.

"ARGH - why, you - " Briar, shown for a moment through the shaky beam of light, lunges for the Never and just barely misses with a snap of teeth.

Ivan paws at the dirt, he wants to chase after them, but he waits Gwen's command.

"Good work, Briar, you lead us right to them" Gladiola says, then points to one of the ghasts "Get em, Ivan"

Ivan bounds forward, and...

Thistle hangs back slightly, less than certain.

/roll 7

/roll 4

Ivan bounds forward and is blindsided as Briar dives on the dog that weighs as much as she does. Normally he would shrug free easily, but he was not expecting an attack from that direction, and is blindsided. "Arghhfckkkkkk!" A garbled yell without much context from Briar as she and Ivan go rolling into a grapple.

"Treachery!" Is a hiss called back, even as Briar's ill-met companions flee into the night.

Gladiola's eyes darken as her dog is attacked by her friend

And she grabs her friend , by the back of the neck and pulls her off her dog , hoping to avoid teeth

Ivan scrambles to his feet and hesitates, not sure if he should continue pursuit or... he knows he's not supposed to hurt Briar. The poor dog is confused, but unharmed.

Gwen is tall and long armed, muscular and used to heaving around heavy things - like Ivan - and easily holds her up by the scruff of her jacket, despite Briar's flailing.

"It's okay, Ivan. Heel"

"Whargle blargle! Wharghghghh!" Briar sputters in indignation as she dangles.

"Thistle i think the bad guys get away this time"

"Lemmedaaaaaaawn!"

"The Baron wants to talk to you" Gwen says

Reaching up and back at the awkward angle to try to scrabble at the arm holding her, but it's an awkward angle and her fingers lack purchase on the stone skin. "FUCK THE BARON! And.. and fuck you too!"

"Uh. Yeah, I don't think I can fight the vampire dudes."