#darkgatefortress

Symon pops out of the trod from Rivervale. At least it’s not in the Birth Control aisle any more. He thinks to himself gratefully, As weird as Anne Marie has been lately, she’d have a conniption fit.

Oh yes. Boom

He looks around, checking for a guard or anything… then slinks off, hands in his pockets, hood pulled over his hair. Heading towards the Fortress.

Looks like the patrols here aren't constant. Heck, not everyone knows about this trod

he approaches the fortress... it doesn't look as grim as before, still stalwart sure, vigilant, but that sense of doom and crumbling is gone.

Satyrs ruin everything.

A sigh. Sure, it wasn’t the kind of dark you can deal with, control, harness…. Or maybe it was. He’ll never know now. Wasted chances.

He sees some guards, does he try to slip past them unseen, or just wave and go on in?

Why not. He tries to slide past them. He’s a bit early, so he can take his time, waiting for them to be distracted, perhaps, or a change of the guards.

The change of the guards happens, and they exchange niceties, thus proving Nice is DUMB. Our hero..err anti hero (And let's hope that's as far as it goes) weaves his way past them.. and by the time they're resettled, he's entered into the hold proper. Trolls aren't big talkers, so there's not a lot of conversation going on

He’s been here a few times… and heads for where he remembers there being a certain statue. It annoys HIM a bit to have a statue to himself. But… he can only imagine how much it will annoy NADEEN. And so, that’s where he sends the text for her to meet him, in that room.

There's the statue of him...

why is there a statue of Zane there too? Oh god, now his statue looks Social.

He pulls off a long, smelly sock from one foot and dangles it over the head and nose of that other statue, wihh th a smirk.

Fits right on the horns onto the nose

And then Nadeen shows up, sees the statues and rolls her eyes but she also says something that might surprise him "Thank you"

“Uh. Yeah. So. What’s up?”

"I need your help, of course, I said that" A look around "is it all right if I put up a ward to help block prying eyes or ears?"

“Nah. Go ahead.” He watches, curious to see if the Fort has some sort of trigger warning if someone casts cantrips. It could be fun.

Much to his frustration, it works without sending alarms

Strike one, got past the guards. Strike two, no tracking cantrips. He should let Colton or someone know.

“You good now?”

He leans against a wall, hands in his pockets.

"No, I'm not. Symon, What do you know about ghosts? "

THAT surprises him a bit. He wants to ask if she’s serious… but her expression doesn’t show amusement.

Far from it

“Uh. Well, I’ve dealt with more than one. We can see them. Sense them, hear them. Normal folk, unless they’re mediums, they don’t hear ghosts. Slugs do, all of us. If we want to.

There was one… Anne Marie, she bought a vase from a resale shop. Turns out it was an Urn, and the occupant wasn’t really keen that she used it as a vase. I had some talking to the spook, convinced her that she had a good deal. Y’know, rather than sit dusty with family who’d forgotten her and donated her ashes, she gets a nice window view, and fresh flowers every day. How many graves you think actually get flowers every day?”

Perhaps a touch uneasy, he’s talkative.

"I'm starting to think not enough. You see now why I've turned to you. There are said to be mediums among other kiths but they're rare... your kith seems to dabble into the land of the dead just by wishing really hard. Which suits," For a moment Nadeen looks utterly lost. then "The ghost in question is Connor's mother"

He scoffs. Then, looks at her. “You’re serious.”

“sorry. Just. Weird. Okay. So, Ike you said, normal Joe’s can’t see a ghost if it sh - if if stood right in front of them. What makes YOU think there’s a ghost? Let alone, this one?”

"Because she's strong enough she made herself heard, and I spent enough time out of the hold to know it's not bedlam. Whether she knew it or not, Calanthe had her sister's soul trapped. Now I've helped Free Dahlia, but she's... insane. From rage or loss or captivlty I don't know. I have reason to believe she temporarily possseed my handmaiden into almost kidnapping her own child. Dahlia leeched glamour from a pooka childlilng. I need help in restoring her sanity and sending her on her way. I think Connor's the key"

Symon frowns. Not at Nadeen, this time, not his distrusting scowl. He seems, bothered.

"Symon you're not a Gwydion and you have no reason to believe me, let alone trust me but I swear it's all true."

“I’ve never heard of a ghost that leeches glamour. Possession, sure. That’s old hat. But ghosts…” He looks at Nadeen. “Tell me exactly what you remember from seeing this thing.”

Her turn to make a frown, and it's not just distrust for him. Aiden may never forgive me, but if it helps save Dahlia and him both, so be it. Varich aren't supposed to get the guy anyway, not their love , are we?

And she tells him, the encounters, the whispers, the chills... right up to the latest breaking in and theft of, and destruction of the object she herself broke

Thoughtful frown. And then he narrows his eyes, and snaps his fingers. “No… That’s not it. Ghosts…” He shakes his head. “They have some rules. Not really at liberty to share. But something doesn’t fit here. The glamour. That’s… not right.”

"It's a chimera.. It's her"

He nods. “Maybe this Sister of his is punking you. But, me? I don’t think it’s a ghost. I’d have to see it in person to be sure. But that’s my guess.”

He paces a little… getting intrigued in this despite himself. It’s easy to be interested in a mystery when it’s not YOUR life and love on the line, after all.

“What it really comes down to, is your omen. It said that Connor is the key. Or, you and Connor. Tht’s my guess. Cute alliteration. But Son, that’s him, and Sun, that would be Varich, you obviously. So ghost or chimera or Scooby-Doo lights and rubber mask? Sounds like you need the kid.”

A small, mirthless smile. “so you may be out of luck.”

"Thank you... so much" Her eyes light up for a second dangerously then she closes them...and buries her face in her hands her breath catching

“Uh.” He looks baffled at this reaction. “Not really what I expected from telling you you’re SOL.”

"I'm.. trying.. not.. to cry" Through her teeth

“Aw, shit.” He frowns at the wall, not looking directly at her. “It’s just, you know Dagmar. She ain’t going to let you use her squire in these power games.”

Something is squirming unpleasantly in his gut. Not like a nice tapewormy feeling. This is a bad feeling. She’s crying, and it’s not even because of something he did on PURPOSE…

with effort, she draws whatever tear threatened to thaw and looks at him, no rage, "I am aware. And if it were for anyone but Aiden I wouldn't consider asking. But I am in contest with a memory warping rival, a ghost one of the only kiths can see doeesn't believe in.. and the man I love is damned to be a pu..." A breath "I am having a very bad week "

“Hey. Maybe I’m wrong. I ain’t no seer. It could be, you know. If Fate says he’s going to be involved? Maybe he IS fated to be. You don’t wanna fuck with da’an like that. If he’s gotta be there, tell Dagmar to make it on HER terms. Or else Fate might make it happen some way no one’s gonna like.”

A look at him, then a thought "Symon... do you have an art that might help you get a read off the glass bits?"

He looks cagey. “Maybe..”