Day 2: Evening

[wizardseason]

Evening: 5:00pm - Midnight

[ IRL Timeframe: April 14th - April 22nd, 2019 ]

Unfortunately for everyone, the second day's events are far less rewarding than the first day's. Now that things are starting to get real, there are consequences for what's taken place. Both monsters caused a bit of damage and a mess with their departure, but the locals on the island are trying to stay positive. Sometimes things just get messy, they've dealt with this for forty years it's fine.

But the heroes are sure to have a lot on their mind. Injuries mean it's less of a game and more likely to sink in as real. How will your hero cope tonight? The Princess and her two knights are due for a rendezvous with the Protector and, on the other hand, there are some evil-allured knights due for some private time with the Wizard. What will come of that?

---

The Weather

• Still.
• 61°F / 16°C
• An eerie calm has fallen over the island.

---

Prompts:

• 05:00pm Clean-up Crews: Both Bamborough and Craydon were left with big neon-green splashes of blood that aren't going to just wash off. Numerous locals in both areas are hard at work cleaning up after the second monsters, scrubbing at buildings and assessing the damage to the island. In Bamborough, the locals are hard at work trying to salvage the damage to the boardwalk or put up caution tape around the destroyed areas. Is your hero lending a hand in all this? Is someone else helping? Bond over picking up the pieces, but hey... it could be worse, right?


• 5:30pm, Craydon: Despite being largely untouched by the monster's arrival, the citizens of Craydon have dropped by the train station to check in on the heroes. Anyone in the area will be given a small care package of items and offered a free coupon for any restaurant in the area. Will your hero go alone and run into someone who was craving the same food they were, or will they team up with their fellow heroes to drop by a restaurant together? Everyone needs to unwind, after all!


• 5:30pm, Bamborough: Despite the boardwalk damage, the Bamborough oceanfront diner is offering 'monster margaritas' tonight. They're set up as an open-air bar tonight, doors and windows open to let in the cool sea air. Every hero gets their first monster margarita free if they can stomach the bright green color, and they've got deep fried bar foods for half off. Come in, indulge, have a drink to get your mind off of the events of the day, heroes!


• 5:30pm, Far Haven: The Far Haven clinic has advertised that its doors are open to any hero injured, or just in need of a check-up, for the rest of the evening. They want to check in on all the heroes and make sure they're okay. Did your hero come alone and run into someone here? Or did they come together to get stitched up? Or maybe they just need to be reassured that everything will be okay.


• 8:30pm, 9:05pm, 9:40pm, Train station(s): As always, Social media is incredibly quick to report Wizard appearances. At 8:00pm they report that the Wizard is waiting for the train in Bamborough station. She does, in fact, board the train at 8:30pm and they start theorizing where her destination is. Social media points out that her train will be arriving in Craydon at 9:05pm, then it will get to Far Haven by 9:40pm. If a hero tries to find her when the train arrives back in the Bamborough station at 10:15pm, though, the train will be empty. Where will your hero find her? Bamborough between 8 and 8:30pm? On the train in Craydon at 9:05pm? Or when she disembarks in Far Haven at 9:40pm?

---

Procedure:

Reply to the appropriate toplevel comments for events below. Indicate if a post is a private conversation with "Private" in the subject otherwise all threads should be open to interaction with others. Plan OOCly how you'd like to toss everyone around.

Comments

[daddykong]

If they don't roll out the red carpet for a Knight, they're probably not worth your time. [ He's more than willing to think it's just shitty customer service or a lack of mints as expensive as diamonds on the pillows. Seriously, they're saving the fucking world, they shouldn't need stress from wherever they're living! ]

But I'm out in Far Haven, and Matilda, the Dog Knight, she's literally across the street from me. [ He nods, clearly happy about that. The pedestrians who hear them shouting at each other from across the road? Notsomuch. ] I love having guests, so my door's always open! [ Well, except when he's sleeping, but if he gets woken up then a locked door is the least of everyone's problems. ]

If you're lookin' for the best pies on the island, you gotta go to Mawli's. [ Garrot nods, and he starts grinning! ] Most of their ingredients are from scratch, the prices are good, and there's even outdoor tables! [ But then he pauses, looking up at the ceiling before continuing. ] The lines were always big around breakfast and lunch, but if people know you're a Knight they'll probably get out of your way!

[ Beat people aside with your status, Olivia. There will never be repercussions to something like that. Nope. ]

[disguiseself]

There's like, a bunch of abandoned houses and such there, yeah? Maybe we'll be neighbors, then.

[She wrinkles her nose a little at the Knight Entitlement™, clearly disapproving.] Hmmm, I don't know... the hotel was really pretty but it just - didn't seem safe, you know? And I don't mind waiting in line, I feel like... I don't think that my time is worth more than anyone else's, if that makes sense? [She looks down at her drink as she quietly shares her thoughts - she normally wouldn't, but here they are.

After a beat, she shrugs and looks up at him again with a little smile.] But if you think this place is good, I'll check it out!

[daddykong]

Your time might not be, but your business is. [ He's still smiling, and sounds like he's imparting parental wisdom. ] If Knights shop somewhere on the island, tourists go wild for the rest of the year! If you don't want the red carpet treatment, just don't let them know! [ Garrot points a finger to himself and just chuckles. ] I, uh... I don't really get to do that. [ He's clearly embraced being unavoidably high profile, but he shifts in his seat a bit as if changing direction. ]

And if you want to find a new place, make sure you check the property value online. [ He nods calmly, like an adult who knows things about real estate. ] Higher values probably have better security systems. [ A beat. ] But you might want to call the police first so they don't, you know, arrest you?

[ He has no idea what Olivia is capable of, but at least Garrot isn't shaming her for acquiring a new place. Even if his fire hose of advice was entirely not asked for, he's still smiling and pretty upbeat! It might be the drinks. ]

[disguiseself]

Oh~! that's so smart, I hadn't thought about it like that! We could help small businesses and - well, you and the other Knights could. Nobody knows what the Ox Knight looks like. [She smiles and, suddenly, a pale woman with short, curly hair has taken her place. She gives him a wink before dropping the illusion, clearly proud about her ability to have a low, low profile.]

That's good advice about the houses, too, but uh. I wasn't planning anything illegal, you know? [She laughs. Okay, maybe she had been planning something illegal, but he didn't need to know that.]

[daddykong]

Do I know what the Ox Knight looks like? [ Garrot is sly about the question, giving Olivia a wink of his own as he asks. ] I hope she's always this cute. [ Does he mean endearing or attractive? ...Does it matter? Not to him. ]

Look, every house belongs to someone, even the condemned ones. [ He's in parent mode again, and he's leveled a serious gaze at the girl. ] They might think you're a looter. Plus if you call them, they could call the owner of a place you like and see if they hid a spare key.

[ A beat passes, and Garrot stifles a laugh before just smiling. ] If I have to pay your legal bills, I might have to start charging the others for my services! [ Is??? He??? Serious??? He sounds serious about paying for legal fees at least. ]

[disguiseself]

[She can't help but snort at the compliment, giving him an incredulous look.] The Ox Knight is never cute; I think the Monkey Knight had one too many monster margaritas.

[She finishes her drink - how many is that, at this point? And is about to reply to his advice before he... laughs and offers to pay her legal bills? He's gotten harder to read as she kept drinking, but his smile is contagious, and she gives him one of her own as she leans a little on the table, hand under her chin.] You're a weird man, Garrot.

[daddykong]

It's not the margaritas, Olivia, everyone is weird when they reach my age. [ Absolutely false. He's rich, he's older, and he's successful, Garrot knows he can be incredibly eccentric and nobody can stop him. So he leans on the table, mimicking her posture with a hand under his chin. Garrot is still very big and tall, so he has to look down towards her. ]

But what's so weird about me? [ He sounds amused, and then a clawed hand casually dangles a mozzarella stick in front of his mouth and all those teeth. ] Is it the teeth? The claws? The eyes? [ Of course they're weird. The only whites in his eyes are pinpricks at his pupils- what would normally be white is a dark green, and his irises look almost black. He blinks, and instead of dark greens his eyes are teal, at least until he tosses that mozzarella stick into his mouth. Garrot doesn't look like he's talking with his mouth full this time, so poor Olivia's in the spotlight. ]

[disguiseself]

[Olivia gives him a look over as he shifts his position; her eyes are right at chest level so it's not like she can help it, right? Sure, she'll tell herself that. As her gaze move back to his face, she does notice the green to teal change. She raises an eyebrow as she watches his eyes curiously, waiting for any more changes.]

I wasn't talking about your appearance, although, yeah, everything you mentioned is... hmm, unique. [She grins up at him, and her teeth are now big an pointy like his. He didn't seem to mind her changing her appearance before, so she hopes he's alright with it - she has in the past, both accidentally and on purpose, made people uncomfortable with her little trick, but she really thinks his is a nice smile.] I was talking about you. [She points at him with a mozzarella stick as she speaks.] And it was a compliment, you know?

[daddykong]

[ Garrot's eyes go wide as Olivia's teeth change. He's caught off-guard by this, completely and utterly. She can look at his eyes all she wants, he's lookin' at them chompers! At least his eyes turn green again, and she doesn't seem hurt or anything. ]

As long as you're not calling me bad weird. [ Then they'd have problems, because Garrot's worked hard to come off as normally as possible! At least in terms of appearance. But then he tilts his head, his full attention returning to that little magic act. ] These are cool and this may sound weird, but- [ He blinks, coming to terms with what he's about to do. ] May I touch your teeth? And [ He blinks again! ] Can- can you look like me?

[ Big guy is absolutely fascinated, he can't even try to hide it. ]

[disguiseself]

[She bursts out laughing at his request, giving herself a moment before replying.] Oh, fuck, I wish I could say that's the weirdest shit I've been asked at a bar. [She shakes her head in amusement, biting off half of the mozzarella stick before concentrating on Garrot. As she tilts her body left and right, as if to look at him from every angle, her ears turn big and pointy, the shape of her nose changes to match his, and she suddenly gets a lot more hairy. Her normal black hair changes to brown and, as she runs a clawed hand through it, it's now in a ponytail like his!

When she's done, a female half-Bugbear grins up at him, dark green sclerae and all. She's still smaller than him in shape and size, however, and she still has a purple Tiefling tail.] Um, I can't make myself look exactly like you, and it's just... looks, sadly. It's an illusion. [She sheepishly explains this; her powers are very useful to her but she really wishes she could make actual physical changes. She really does look like an actual Bugbear, though, but the inspection won't pass a touch test.

She extends a hand anyway for him to touch if he wants to. And, if he asks, she'll shyly allow him to touch her face, too.] Just, uh, don't put your fingers in my mouth. The teeth may not be real but I will bite. [She jokes with a small smile. Except, no, it's not a joke.]

[daddykong]

I've absolutely been bit by worse, don't worry... [ He shrugs the joke off easily enough, but Garrot looks absolutely astounded by this! One hand goes to run a single clawed finger through her hair- she just restyled it like that?! Amazing! He doesn't want to mess it up! ] Huh, this is... [ The other hand extends its clawed thumb, giving the gentlest boop to one of those bugbear teeth. Except, you know, not, because it's an illusion, so it just goes through and keeps sitting there. ]

This is absolutely fascinating! [ His eyes light up, and he's grinning, and the hands retract back so he doesn't start poking at other illusory things. ] Y'know, you'd probably make a killing as, like, a living, breathing after photo at a plastic surgery clinic. Or- [ And suddenly Garrot lets out this incredibly exuberant and childlike squeal. ] A stunt double!

[disguiseself]

[She laughs at his squeal, shaking her head.] You know, I actually considered acting in monster movies for a while, but I just hate being on camera. And like, they don't really register my powers, anyway? Any part of my body that I mask turns out, like, uh... blurry. My mother hated when I did that shit. [She chuckles, eating the rest of her mozzarella stick.]

I really like my current job anyway, you know? Don't see me quitting any time soon.

[daddykong]

Blurry?! [ Garrot sounds so, so disappointed about that. What's the point of changing your appearance if you can't record the weirdest appearances for posterity? But his enthusiasm hasn't deflated much at all- he can appreciate the desire to improve a family photo. ] That's a damn shame!

[ But then he sort of leans forward, grinning ear-to-ear. ] Do you get paid to, uh, change things up every day? [ Garrot still thinks that's an incredibly lucrative thing for her to be able to do. ] Or is that just icing on the cake? [ And then he tosses a whole mozzarella stick in his mouth. It's no cake, but... ]

[disguiseself]

I'm a make-up artist! I've worked on small films, mostly indie horror. [The lie comes easily and it's delivered with a grin. Well, it's not completely a lie, she's great with make-up! She just doesn't get paid for applying it on other people. But hey, if she ever decides she wants to live an honest life, maybe this'll become true.] I mostly use my powers so uh, the entire crew knows what the result'll be before starting, so we're all on the same page. Get it perfect on the first try, you know?

I also do weddings. I like free food, as you may know. [The small half-Bugbear laughs.]

[daddykong]

[ Garrot just starts beaming as she talks about her work, and he even lets out an excited little gasp! ] That's so cool!

[ And then he leans in a bit, eyes darting around shiftily before locking back onto Olivia. ] Do you think you could do me a favor when this is all over? Well, a few favors. For my kids. [ A beat. ] I- I don't know anything about makeup, and... [ And then he starts grinning, trying his hardest to be earnest and not literally begging Olivia to help him out. ]

I can pay, like, twice your rates and you're gonna be a celebrity, so you can probably charge more... [ Garrot sounds very willing to drop a potentially large amount of money on whatever the fuck it is he has in mind. The perks of being rich means you can usually solve problems with money. ]

[disguiseself]

Oh. [Fuck.] What's the, uh, what - what favors?

[She's definitely taken aback by his sudden energy and also - kids? Money? Fame? What? Work involving kids? She can't remember the last time she was around kids, she doesn't know how to interact with them! They are like people but smaller, what's that about! And she definitely does not want to be a celebrity but she can't really say that right now when he's that excited.]

[daddykong]

[ She didn't immediately shoot him down, so Garrot actually starts to blush a bit! ] S-so, uh... [ The grin turns meek, and he hardly seems like a seven-foot wall of a man. He takes out his phone, and shows a picture of two teenage tiefling boys. Twins. ]

My, uh, my boys are theater kids and they wanna learn about makeup. I don't know a damn thing, and my oldest is out at college so she can't help, and a real person is better than videos online. [ He nods gently, the meekness gaining some confidence. Sure, it sucks that he can't help his kids out with stuff like this, but that's what other people are for! ]

And my youngest... [ Then he switches the screen to show a photo of a young girl, dark skin and springy blond hair grinning ear to ear. There are a few pointy adult teeth amidst the nubby little baby ones. She looks a bit more like him than the tieflings, if only because her hair is pulled back into a similar ponytail. ] She wishes we looked more like each other [ The word makes him a bit uncomfortable to say, actually. ] so I figured I'd surprise her with a, uh... really cool birthday present?

[ And then he just looks at her expectantly, because that's kind of a lot and really weird but he would absolutely pay her to help his kids out. ] But n-n-no pressure! [ At this point, Garrot's blushing so hard that he regrets not learning how to do makeup on his own. ]

[disguiseself]

[She's so confused by his sudden sheepishness. She listens to him, watching his expressions with an eyebrow slightly raised. She genuinely doesn't understand why his request is making him like this - maybe he's just bad at asking for favors?

She does glance at his phone when he shows her the pictures, though. Her eyes widen when she sees the twins, her tail coiling around one of her legs. Her expression is otherwise unreadable though, even as he explains the situation with his youngest; she won't let it show how much she can relate to that.

She sighs, dropping her disguise as she considers all of this. She can't help but to think about what she went through with her family, or to compare the way Garrot acts about his children to the way her parents treated her, and suddenly she feels like she might cry - but she doesn't. Instead, she clears her throat, hands balled into fists and nails digging into her palms as she rests her chin on one of them again.] I don't want fame. And I don't need money, whatever you're thinking about paying me, you can give to charity.

But I'll... I'll help them. If I can. I'll try. If I can trust you to get us through this alive, that is. [She gives him a small smile. She knows she may regret this when she's sobered up, but fuck if that didn't tug at her heartstrings.]

[daddykong]

[ Garrot's used to being at least two parents at any given moment to his children, so it's a huge hit to his pride whenever he doesn't know how to do something. His knowledge of makeup is limited to covering black eyes, so... he at least knows when he's out of his element.

It's when Olivia goes silent, when her eyes widen and her hand tenses into a fist that Garrot realizes he might be really out of his element. He's scared he stepped on a nerve, and he's about to apologize when she says to... donate the money to charity? And then- ]

You can trust me, Olivia. [ He closes his eyes for a moment. Sure, that response was automatic and genuine, but what else should he say?! Garrot sighs, trying to keep himself from getting nervous or overeacting because he's pretty sure he just reminded her of their potential deaths. ] As long as you're careful, you'll be fine. And if you get hurt, I'll do everything I can.

[ And then he cautiously reaches out a hand towards her shoulder, slowly enough that she can stop him with as little as a gesture. The doctor would much rather be giving an aggressive hug, but... you make do with what you got. ]

[disguiseself]

I'm always careful. [Olivia's eyes narrow slightly when his hand approaches her, but she doesn't stop him. She does think she can trust him, since he's so open with his emotions, and she'd like to! But that'll take time.

She gives him a moment before her tail taps his arm as a quiet little cue to stop touching her.] You got my back, I got yours.

[She clears her throat again, then gives him her most genuine looking smile. She's never gonna be in the mood for honest conversations about feelings, so she'll switch the focus away from her!] So... kids. How, uh, old are they?

[daddykong]

[ Garrot notices that she gives him just long enough to get that hand on her shoulder, just long enough for him to give the faintest squeeze, before he pulls away. It's the tap of the tail though that makes him a bit sheepish- he still wishes this was a hug. But he shouldn't do that, so he just nods at the statement of camaraderie. They'll be fine!

However her pivot into asking about his kids makes his eyes light up and his smile turn bright and genuine and filled with childlike glee. He even leans in an inch or two, because what's personal space anyway? ]

The oldest is twenty-two, the twins are seventeen, and my youngest is seven and... eight months. [ He nods excitedly, clearly just waiting for something to springboard off of. The only thing that can stop Garrot from gushing about his children until he's blue in the face is social norms, those bastards. ]

[disguiseself]

You count the months and everything? That's... hmm, that's something. [She listens with an amused expression. She's kind of wondering if Garrot is really just a normal dad and it was her parents that were weird.

She opens her mouth like she's about to ask something else but she doesn't know how to. Olivia doesn't want to seem rude, but she's genuinely curious about why they are all different, and about the Tieflings in particular.]

So, uh... are they all your- I mean, of course they are your children, but I mean... Are they adopted or was it- um, was it magic? [She asks, shifting her position so she's facing him.] Sorry if that's... too personal? I don't know.

[daddykong]

[ Garrot just shrugs at the month-counting. He'd say that only his youngest cared at that age, but they all kind of did. At least once the older ones hit puberty, they didn't care about the months anymore. But it's Olivia's pausing and stammering that gets a real reaction out of him.

Garrot just blinks at her questions a few times, processing her incredibly personal question, before his demeanor goes grim, full-on doom and gloom deadpan. ] I used an ancient Bugbear blood magic ritual to infuse parts of my body and soul into children that died on my operating table. They live with me until they're strong enough to survive on their own.

[ He's absolutely lying, but she asked about magic and this is a golden opportunity to get some laughs in. So he'll just stare at her. Blankly. Until the act starts to falter and Garrot's smirking and he lets out a tiny little squeak of not-quite-suppressed laughter. ]

[disguiseself]

[Olivia rolls her eyes. She was asking a serious question! But she can appreciate a little dark joke here ant there and, once again, its always more fun to play along.

So she suddenly sits up straight, her eyes going fully black and a third one opening on her forehead.] Ha. You should have consumed their essence and strengthened yourself instead, fool. What a novice mistake to make, Doctor. [Her voice is low and mocking and almost demonic sounding? One of the advantages on being a half-Tiefling. But then she sticks her tongue out at him, and waits for a real answer.]

[daddykong]

[ Garrot is overjoyed that Olivia is rolling with his nonsense, and even upping the ante! Once her tongue sticks out, he claps his hands together and lets out a high-pitched, excited little gasp. ]

That's so cool! You're so cool! [ And then he laughs for a second, completely moving past the part where they talked about eating his kids. Totally normal fake-topic in his day-to-day, honestly. ]

Okay, uhh... [ He brings a hand to his chin and looks to the ceiling, trying to choose his words well. ] Some kids get a bad hand in life, and it turns out I can help some of them. [ He gives a half-hearted smile at that. He's trying to sound confident, but the Wizard can absolutely fuck up families. ]

At first I just wanted to foster kids until stuff got sorted out for them, [ Like family members who could adopt them. But then he shrugs at the pause, smiling warmly amd contently. ] but then the oldest stole my heart. I got a reputation for being good with some uncommon issues, and the system started seeking me out as, like, an expert. [ Garrot is visibly trying to be chill and nonchalant about all this, because he has no chill when it comes to his kids. ] Now I have four of the little rascals! [ And he's back to grinning excitedly. ]