( open ) liberate your sons and daughters the bush is high but in the hole there's water

[synergismus]

Who: Everyone!
What: Events around the city, any time.
Where: Everywhere in Baedal.
When: Whenever you’d like.
Notes:

• Behold, your all-purpose open game log. There are a couple pre-written starters to help you generate new and open CR, and you may also use this post to start your own group activities or planned threads. GO WILD!
  
• No one is late to this post. You may use it forever.
  
• The companion thread for this post is right here!
  
• DON'T THINK TOO HARD ABOUT IT JUST RP.
  
• Helpful links: Neighbourhoods, City Map.
  
• Lucky Pastry Advice for the Month of Velldaren: A truly rich life contains love and art in abundance.
  

Warnings: Zombie horrors in the appropriately titled ZOMBIES! thread, otherwise TBA. Please put warnings in subject lines of your comments if content warrants one.

Comments

[blooddrinker]

It's a little later in the evening that Dren walks in on the scene. He's still exploring the city, trying to get his bearings before he decides to commit to anything--or, at least, that's the reason he'd give. Maybe he's just exploring for fun.

He's of two minds on Syriac Well. On the one hand, everything does look very nice. On the other, it also all looks very much the same. He could see himself getting bored of the place rather easily. Then he becomes aware of a horrific noise. Someone seems very upset about something.

He follows the sound, neither hurried nor dawdling. When he finally comes upon the scene in question, he frowns at it, taking in all the details.

Something about that house bothers him. It might be the ominous blackness inside, or maybe the fact that all the house's portals of entry have been thrown open. It's probably mostly because of the distressed figures in front of the place though.

Dren cautiously approaches the bellowing young man and prods him experimentally in the ribs with his cane. "What exactly do you want help with?"

[heardmermaids]

After a long, involved consultation with one of the local homeowners, Sebastian had planned to head home via the local Skyrail station before he was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of someone crying out for help. Rationally, he's reasonably sure that there isn't much he could do to help, but that's never precluded him from offering. He just can't ignore it and continue along.

Upon arriving at the house, Sebastian frowns and briefly commands Alley before pulling out his CiD and scrolling through the numbers there before getting to the city-wide directory and sending a text to the Syriac Well Sheriff's office. As he approaches the lawn, he can hear the man speaking to Dren and repeating himself over and over again.

"She's in there. She's still in there."

[blooddrinker]

"Well, that sounds unfortunate," Dren remarks blandly, then ignores the continuing repetition and eyes the house. There's something off about it, more than just the fact that it's got these poor people out front.

He wonders briefly if he could get any more information out of the jabbering man. For example, if 'she' is in trouble, or if 'she' is the trouble. It's not exactly an easy task to get information from hysterics though. He knows that from experience. And he does so dislike hard work...

He shrugs. "Eh, what's the worst that could happen? ...Something horrible, no doubt." He smiles to himself wryly. Then he finally notices Sebastian. "Hey there, you're not having a fit of hysterics. Do you have any idea what's going on here?"

[heardmermaids]

"Not off-hand, no," he replies while keeping an eye on the house and its former occupants. If one or more of them is (still) possessed, Sebastian would prefer to be prepared in case they advance. There's something to his posture which ought to convey the fact that he's either not easily spooked or he's had a great deal of experience with similar situations. "I've called in the sheriff."

At his side, Alley chuffs and remains watchful. Dren might be able to recognize the breed as one that was once popular among wizards. The Algar Dog is a fair-sized lurcher with a smooth grey coat, large grey eyes, and notably, dull grey teeth.

[blooddrinker]

Dren cocks an eyebrow. "This sort of thing happen a lot here? ...Think the sheriff will be able to handle it?"

He does notice the dog, and remember the connection. It doesn't prove anything, though it might be nice if there's someone else from his own world here as well... He continues to regard Alley curiously. "I can't quite recall ever seeing something with grey teeth before. Is he alright?"

[heardmermaids]

"By necessity, sheriffs here tend to be an adaptable lot," he replies coolly. If it's something beyond what the local gendarmes can manage, either the Militia or Hellsing will be called in.

After doing his best to reassure the man who'd been shouting, Sebastian stands and checks on the one who was still rocking back and forth. He won't respond to questions or commands and experience has taught him that he lacks the training to know if he ought to do anything further.

It's not that he's ignoring Dren to be rude, but that he seems whole and healthy while there are injured at hand. "He's fine." And not a 'something', but a dog. "How are you holding up?"

[blooddrinker]

"I'll take that as a 'yes' to both then."

His eyes flicker from Sebastian to the house, to the men, and back again. He's considering what to do. He really, really wants to follow one course of action, but he's also pretty sure that it's a bad idea. And besides, it's very few people that seem affected. He feels no obligation to help them. Well, hardly any. But...

"Hm, me? Also fine. So far, at least." He continues to consider for a moment, then abruptly asks the one-time shouter, "Does 'she' have a name?"

[heardmermaids]

At the mention of 'she', the Shouter starts to tremble but is able to get out a brief message, "I didn't, I didn't ask. We were a bit busy." A pause. "I think I'm going to be sick."

Sebastian frowns and gestures that the man ought to have a seat, before launching into the usual sort of patter that goes with someone in shock. Are you injured? What's your name? Is there anyone else left inside?

Hessu, formerly known as Shouter, relays that he and his two friends had just rented the house and thought that it was a good deal, but things kept going wrong. They started to see and hear things, but Kimmo kept reassuring them that it was just shadows, And now, now look at him, splattered on the ground. How will he tell his mother?

[blooddrinker]

Alright, that settles it. 'She' is the trouble, and not someone in need of rescue. All desire to rush into the house like an idiot gone now.

While Sebastian's busy with Hessu, Dren examines the catatonic one briefly, then moves on to Kimmo. After a brief overview, he pulls out his wand and mutters a few different incantations over the body. At each one, a faint aura of color envelops the body, which Dren inspects. Finally he shakes his head. "As for as I can tell, there isn't any sort of magic that affected him recently. I think he was simply frightened out one of the windows. I'm not sure about the quiet one--I don't know if these things will work on someone living..."

...Although they'd probably work on the house, come to think of it. Dren approaches the house and starts repeating the process. Almost immediately, the pitch black interior lights up like a neon sign and begins flashing a whole slew of colors in no particular pattern. Just as suddenly it returns to darkness.

He backs away again, trying not to make any sudden moves. He's not sure if it's possible to startle a house, but he'd like to avoid finding out.

[heardmermaids]

Alley doesn't growl when Dren uses magic, but his hackles rise and he moves to stand between his owner and the house. Sebastian frowns and suggests that Hessu get to the other side of the street while he tries to help Heikan, his less than responsive friend, do the same.

It's not his place to tell another man to stop flinging magic about, but he wonders if the spells cast were beneficial or if they angered the house. Sebastian spares a thought to wonder if this stranger had merely been trying to cover his own tracks. "Maybe we ought to leave this to the authorities?"

[blooddrinker]

"...Yeeeaah, I was just thinking the same thing." He finally turns around, with a disquieted expression. "If only because I have no idea how to even interpret that. Aside from, of course, 'there's something very wrong here', which I think anyone could have guessed."

He watches Sebastian trying to work with Heikan for a moment. "Maybe we should just carry him. It's not like it's very far."

[heardmermaids]

Sebastian walks with a slight limp, but he'd rather struggle a bit than get that close to some unknown wizard who'd just cast magic at a murder scene. "It won't be graceful, but we'll manage."

"I haven't got your name yet."

[blooddrinker]

Dren takes that statement as agreement, unfortunately; he tucks his wand away again and sets about helping get Heikan upright, finally slipping an arm under the young man's to help walk him across the street.

"Jacob Caine. And yourself?"

Sebastian may or may not recognize the name. Jacob Caine was also the name of an owl-order potionsmaker who'd been around close to three hundred years before Voldemort's rise to power.

[heardmermaids]

"LeMat. I work on and off with Hellsing." Otherwise known as the Guild of Battling Preternatural Horrors and a legitimate reason for his relative comfort with whatever is happening in the house.

As soon as they have Heikan sitting down on the opposite side of the street, Sebastian pulls back and motions towards his dog. Alley lopes over and keeping his eyes steady on the house, leans against his owner's legs. It's an odd behaviour.

[blooddrinker]

"Hellsing? Hm. I don't think I've heard of them yet. Still just a bit new in town, I'm afraid."

Dren watches the dog continue to be peculiar, without comment. Alley has grey teeth. He's expecting the dog to be odd now.

For his part, Dren squats by the curb, elbows on his knees and giving the house his own pensive look.

[heardmermaids]

"They're a private agency that works with the supernatural community." With a wince, Sebastian sits down on the curb across from the house and rubs his bad knee before offering Alley a scritch behind his ears. He is a good dog and did his job well.

"They do warding, help those who have special dietary needs, things like that."