#bergen_county

(But end scene for now)

And, a Dagmar is sought out.

Simon heads down the trail that leads to Barn and Lodge alike, sending a text as he goes in case she’s not at home.

A ghostly-scaled snake curls around his neck.

the serpent licks the air

TXT: Sam, coming by. U around?

TXT: at home. what's up?

Txt: Sam, coming by. U around?

Test

Txt: b right there. Easier to talk

Sam waits for him on the porch.

And as promised, he arrives a few minutes later. Raising a hand to wave a bit when he catches her eye, until he’s close enough to whisper a greeting.

"Hey."

He tosses her a shopping back from the mall. “Here, got you a t-shirt.”

Brow. She catches it and checks inside.

It’s her size - dark red background and with a Nordic hammer - it says ASGARD UNIVERSITY, ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT

"Ha!"

“Funny, eh? There’s a dreamer that makes ‘em. Down at the mall. Dirk’s, if you’ll believe it.”

"Dirk's? Damn. I mean, good. But no, I wouldn't expect him to have a regular."

“s’got a problem though.” He sighs, reaching up to tickle the chin of his ghost-scaled snake. “It’s bugs again. Why is it always BUGS around here? Figured it was just fair to let you know before I go do something stupid.”

"Do I need to go get my weapon?"

“Not… yet? I don’t know, but I don’t think so.” He holds up two hands, about a softball’s distance apart. “Some sort of chimera mosquito, best as I can tell. Roaming the mall and it sucks the glamour right out of the necks of Dreamers, until they’re as good as ravaged dry.” A scowl.

"Sounds like a hunt to me."

“You’re always welcome if you want in. Wasn’t sure if it was worth Flyswatter’s time. “ A wry, toothless grin.

"Well, maybe I can smash it barehanded, but, well, it's Flyswatter."

“I figured I could see if Quetz here could track it down to wherever it’s lairing. It must stick pretty close to the mall, I think. According to what we found out so far, it has to hit a dreamer a dozen times to drain ‘em, and the two I know of are almost far gone.”

He tells her about the Willow Whisper. “Heading back to the mall to check after close. You in?”

She nods. "Of course! Can't let it ruin those two..."

“And the others we don’t know about. Ain’t ever that simple. You think something like that could spring up on it’s own? Pesky dreams of mosquitoes and biting bugs? Or think someone spawned it?”

Brow furrow.

"I mean, lots of weird bad stuff can crop up... but..."

“Just sayin. We should expect the worst, and then maybe we’re pleasantly surprised, right?”

She nods. "You know the magic stuff way better than I do."

“I know -my- magic…” He corrects. “And about 12 different gaming systems that don’t actually function in real life. If it was a chimera made of shadows, maybe I’d know how it worked, or an illusion… I don’t know squat about crafted living things though. That might be.. I dunno, Olgar might know some.” He nods.

"Well, you've used that D&D stuff for practical effect before."

"And you do the cool glowy-eye thing..."

He grins a bit. “Yeah. Some folk believe it enough. I’ve been working on veils too. Y’know, it’s kinda embarrassing that Dirk knows more Primal that me, but I’ll let him have it.”

"Mm. I see you more... cerebral? Chicanery and Soothsay and stuff."

"Primal kinda pulls on brawn."

“I am burdened by Glorious Purpose.” A smirk.

GRIN.

"Does that make me Thor?"

“Does the pope shit in his hat?”

A bigger grin, “Sounds like we’ve got a posse.”

"Dirk is so the raccoon."

“Let him think he’s Drax, though.”

"Oh, sure."

“Just the three of us, though. I don’t think I can veil much more.”

"Right. It's a lot."

“It helps that it’s not that different from Autumn cantrips. You see, the way the shadows wend…”

"Yeah?" She listens, even if she doesn't understand all of it.

“See, some of the arts, they’re kinda connected. Not really, but… similar magics, they can work in different…” He frowns, and restarts. “It’s like it’s more of an art than a science, which annoys me a bit. I like rules that state how things ARE. But I can’t deny it works. Like, your stormcrafting? Build up your skill in that, and I bet Primal summoning of air and water might come easier. That;s just my theory based on my own experience though.”