#rivervale_lodge

On the roof, a better look and symon sees it ... it looks a lot like a D&D ghoul, with a long tongue lashing out as it drinks blood and brain matter from a chimerical skull of someone or something... this nightmare kens unpleasant.

Unpleasant to many, but Symon is more intrigued. But... this looks dangerous. A glance around, as though hoping that backup has suddenly appeared, and he fingers his phone, wondering how long it might take a friend to show up...

Thinking back on the advise from... Ms. Dee (Devil? Delight? he should have caught her name!), he hesitates before taking action, watching what the Ghoul does. Maybe they are not so different, he and it?

And, somewhat curious about that skull. If he just eats the matter and leaves the bone intact....

SLURRRPPP

okay, if that bothered Adam's ears, one can imagine what it does to a sluagh

Ugh, that's UNPLEASANT. He winces, but remembers, it Takes All Sorts... this is a PBS special now, right? And he decides to attempt Diplomacy. "Greetings to you, night stalker." A hiss from the edge of the roof.

It looks over at him, and grins with deformed lips and jagged yellow teeth "Waz dis? mmm de meat fresh but not de run run?"

A gulp, but he continues on. His fingers drum a faint tun on the edge of the gutter - a funeral dirge? Nah, it's part of the theme from Castlevania. Nerds. The shadows around him form up, lending the scrawny lad a bit more presence, like a dark cloak or cowl.

"I think we might have a mutual interest..." A pause, and he moves more to his Dirk Translation mode. "I think, I help you, you help me, we both get good."

(Meat, what meat? This one is all scrawny bones and probably slimy.)

"You want kill zomone? share their hopez?"

The creature seems intrigued. Clearly it's not used to folks taliking to it

A shake of his head. "You like the soft bits, the tasty ones.. the warm slides around inside their bellies... tender in the heads, yes? Me, I like the leftovers. The skins, the bones. I make things from the hard bits, not the tasty ones. If you promise to hunt only the critters, not the Talkers or People, and only those not protected... I'll trade you the good squish for the leftovers."

"Mmm " It bends its head, cotemplating, then "or.. mesa eat your soft part... drink you know know, then me know know... and hunt easy. do what want. better idea yez?"

"Me? I'm all nasty sharp bones, will poke right through your guts, and no meat - my brains are poison. And, can't you smell the blood of an Eater on me? I keep one at home, and HE will look out if I don't return, and he'll eat YOU up, skin and bones and all."

"Capz? Capz is greedy pig no leave nuthin for nobody..." HISS but it does seem to back up a bit. Poison brains AND a cap friend? Ugh.

"You gotta be careful out here. There are Trolls, big one, all cold and ice and lightning, and they protect the critters in the forest around here. They might not like to find you hunting on their grounds. But me, I'm good at finding the things that already kicked it. And the squishy brains, I have to throw away, because I don't eat 'em. All those nice pink bits, down the drain. Such a waste."

"Wazte" It a agrees, "Yez, careful... drink hopes and zanity and blue ones come... the blight face.... the grimhand.... the relentless oak... the profiits... they all hunt those whatz just suck a few mortalz down. Uhmf"

"Tell you what, a little advice, free - stick to the critters that are dumb dumbs, easy to catch. They don't talk, and don't belong to the Fae." And, a grin creeps over his tin froggish mouth. "You know the streets? There's a house, over that way, with two large trees to the side and grey slate roof?" He describes... Mrs. McGillicuddy's house. "I'll toss up whatever skulls I have from what I find, up on there, and you can have the insides. Just for not hanging out on this roof, because one of the people inside here belongs to the Trolls now."

"Dum dumz don't hope, don't dreamz... wait, you want me eat old lady dreamz and zanity?" It doesn't seem that bright

He pauses, suddenly realizing that maybe he has misjudged this creature's intent, and focuses on it, with his fae senses.

And then Symon gets a good long ken on the... oh shit. The skull is humanish..a representation of what this thing does to people. This does not dine on lesser chimera.. it pulls out the skull of dreamers as they sleep and it drinks away their hope first, and then slurps on their sanity. This is the sort of creature that creates violent psychosis over time. Sure, there might be night mare glamour, but increasingly the humans would be burnt out where only by hurting, themselves or others, could they feel real.

A swallow, but he doesn't show fear. Hopefully. Instead, he nods, and in another hiss over says, "Oh, yes. The old lady? She's secretly full of delicious dreams. She just hides it away, like a squirrel hoarding nuts, so no one knows. You should check her out." And his hand sneaks down into a pocket, to tap frantically at his phone. Hoping that they are awake...

The creature grins... "I goez see" And it ambles slowly to leave

group text to Sylvi, Siv and Dagmar. SOS. Adam. cn u come?

He holds his position on the ladder, watches the Ghoul until it's out of sight.... not taking his eyes off it.

txt: 🧟 💀 🧠

It may be a few seconds later that his phone buzzes. Chances are he can't look at it though.

((At the Lodge, Sylvi slips out of her room and taps very quietly on Siv's door. "Coming?" she whispers.))

Siv wakes "What is the lodge at war or.." SHe wakes more fully, then looks at her phone "Shit... yes yes.."

Sylvi's got her blade and her spear with her, and Flopsy hops along in her wake as she tries to make a quiet exit. She shushes the dogs if they stir as she goes downstairs.

Siv dresses sloppy and fast... and goes down after...

Bzzt On our way

If Symon looks at his phone, he's got the same message from Sylvi.

Sylvi whispers to Siv as they leave the house, "Sounds urgent, should we take your car?"

"Oh yes...let's go.." Siv says and to the car they go.... "Mind if I go faster than my dad would like?"

If the Ghoul takes his leave, Symon swings down to see if he can find Adam's window.

It has...

and Adam appears to be waking up.. as the imp introduces herself

He pauses, crouched outside, and waits.

"Punch it," Sylvi says, then adds, "Just don't get us killed."

Siv huffs "Always a proviso... take extra dross, let us know where you're going... oh, and my personal favorite... don't drive on the traintracks" A snort

The car speeds off