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Session 15

Page history last edited by Ariel Alian 6 years, 7 months ago

Morning of the 17th, Wednesday, a blustery day.

 

About 9am, Rowan is in the clinic with the door open. A couple people in dumpy looking suits come in to look around. Detective Ballard (man) and Detective Pierce (woman). They ask if Rowan has seen either people in a photo (nope) or if they recognize the name Rosalie Graves (de nadda). This name has been marked in association with the clinic but Rowan has no records so they take their card and part ways. 

 

While Rowan is on facebook they get a message request from the White Qqueen. The White Queen has a present for Rowan, ‘a calling card’, which the police have found. She wants Jacob back to follow in her footsteps. Rowan gives her a hard no before the White Queen goes offline. They give the place a cursory glance around before locking up and calling the detectives that just came in to try and tell them about the message in as broad strokes as possible. 

 

Ava wakes up alone, when she gets up she finds a note from Leo saying “Dearest Ava, I have an errand that needs attending to, Leo.” #depression but she figures at least it’s light out so Georgiana can’t come after him. Deciding to try to leave the apartment today she heads down to the clinic and gets updated on the whole deal with the White Queen. Ava asks if Rowan needs her to stay, but Rowan says it’s taken care of. Ava heads out then, promising to bring back lunch. 

 

Jacob comes out to check up on things and Rowan updates him too. Jacob is very nervous now, knowing the White Queen is after him again. As long as she’s not around he’s not directly under her thrall and can be nervous. 

 

Diego comes out of the hollow then saying some fuckoff big guy is passed out on their doorstep of the Hedge side. Big, hairy, black skinned with a loin cloth who has been bitten and scratched. Checking his injuries, Jacob gets that it’s a birb, Rowan sees that it was an owl in particular. Maybe a Strix? Big guy doesn’t appear to be human at all - as in not even a Changeling. A creature of the Hedge. Rowan grabs a mobile table to put him on so they can attend to him without bringing him in through the Hollow or the building. 

 

There’s something in the Hedge with red eyes watching Rowan, but it does not respond to Rowan calling out. 

 

Persephone wakes up to someone braiding her hair, and it’s Clementine! Thank goodness. The least out of all creepy options aside from Dmitri. So far anyway.

 

Clementine asks if Persephone is still Fae ‘just to check’. She also then asks if Persephone is married. And lists off several options. Whether or not Persephone has a kid, or is a barista. Basically listing quite a few AU fanfics she could be in right now.

 

After checking everything Clementine goes into Persephone’s closet. Persephone decides to check her Hedge mail and sees Rowan. 

 

Jacob joins them and they get the visitor awake with some goblin fruit. He says he’s Orcus. He came to beseech the aid of the Queen because the realm of Hades has fallen to invaders from a dark realm. He confirms it’s Orpheus through Rowan and Persephone’s physical descriptions, though he only heard him referred to as the Dark Lord. Some denizens were cast out from the realm, others taken captive, etc. 

 

Rowan texts Ava to ask that she head back soon, Ava texts back ‘omw’. 

 

Rowan and Persephone try to figure out what to do, eventually deciding that even though there is no love lost for Hades himself there are people in his realm that don’t deserve that fate so they’re going to confront Orpheus just the same. It seems that most of the people of the realm were exiled, if not executed, but some still remain as prisoners. 

 

On the way back to the clinic Ava sees a giant guardian of the forest type just walking down the street, 20ft tall, which everyone is seeing as an elephant. Ava manages to get it’s attention, asking it to get smaller. It goes down to about a foot tall which she accepts, picking him up. He had no memories before being on the street, he was forcibly separated from the whole, and he is the Spiral Skein. W E L P. 

 

He doesn’t know anything but that’s okay, Ava says she’ll look after him and they’ll figure it out. Almost back at the clinic, she she sees someone lit on fire running around, and to the surprise of no one there is Diego standing outside muttering “Try to mug me you fucking fuck…” she gives him a burger and an update and checks in on his love life before going into the clinic and getting the update. Everyone says some goodbyes and we head out after arming up 

 

We get blocked by bramble bushes, with Ava being blocked almost instantly when she tries to take point, although the others are able to go and only get stopped farther down. Orcus says that Ava has ‘been touched’ and indicates her shoulder. Pulling back her shirt collar she sees a discolored slight raised lump on her shoulder. Brambles try to attack Rowan when they try to get the lump out so we head back into the hollow and Rowan is able to get it out. It is a black and purple lump which unfurls into the tiniest deer which raises just so many questions. It also very much wants back into Ava’s shoulder so we have to put it in a petri dish. After some Ava doesn’t want to leave the tiny deer(s), so Ava stays behind with Diego with Rowan leaving a message for Liz to check in on Ava. Given that Ava is still pretty bad off from going into the Hedge the last time it’s probably for the best.

 

Rowan, Seph, and Jacob head into the Hedge with Orcus. They make good time and come upon an ice web with a fairly large spider in it. Rowan says that if Jadis wants Jacob she needs to get her ass down here herself. Rowan intimidates the spider away and they smash through the web with tree branches and manage to get out before Jadis appears. 

 

The next encounter is a chasm, with a very rickety looking bridge across it. Fun times. Orcus says this is the Cavernous Maw. 

 

While Ava is in the hollow, Opener of Ways shows up randomly in the room. Ava shows him the two other tiny deer and Opener of Ways identifies it as the Worldwelder and explains that it was set to protect Ava and unfortunately doesn’t have much, if any, sentience of its own. Ava explains she doesn’t mind keeping it around it’s the being under her skin that’s the no bueno. Opener of Ways offers to absorb back the Worldwelder back into his Self, so Ava won’t have to worry. Opener of Ways explains that Leo has gone to speak with Jessica in regards to making himself less of a True Fae in order to cause less harm to her through exposure since Ava is clearly not okay. Ava denies that anything is wrong and does express that Jessica is a crazy evil bitch and not to be trusted so NO do not trust her about trying to make him fully human. 

 

After some back and forth she grumpily agrees fine, he wants her to go somewhere outside well she’ll go, tell her where to go. Boop, she’s on one of the ferries, and she can see Leo having a tense conversation Jessica. Being rude, she goes up to Jessica and says “Hi. Bye.” grabbing Leo’s arm and pulling him away. Once they’re on the other side of the ferry she sits down on a bench with Leo and they kinda have a one-upmanship for who is more fucked up because Ava is still not willing to admit she’s got problems. She hears from Leo that he was mainly concerned about seeing she not come to more harm, tracing over a jagged line across her chest as where she’s been injured (indicating her loss of clarity) Finally Ava agrees that she’ll try to figure out what’s wrong and get better, as long as Leo doesn’t do anything stupid again too. He kisses her forehead and she rests her head on his shoulder. It’d be a cute place to stop but she sees that he’s missing a lock of hair in the back which he didn’t willingly give up, so she storms off to find Jessica again. Jessica denies being involved asking if she seemed like the type who would steal bits of hair from a person for nefarious purposes. Ava asks Jessica if she seems like the type to shoot someone point blank with a gun in the middle of a crowded ferry, audibly cocking her gun under her coat. 

 

Jessica admits Ava might indeed seem like that type, and does hand the hair back. Ava gives her a lecture on consent and then heads back to Leo.  

 

Back in the hedge they cross the rope bridge one at a time. It gives out, but then reattaches once the person crosses. In this way they cross entirely. They finally get to a river, where the ferryman is dead. The strixes show up and they’re willing to carry Persephone across but the others have to take the boat.  The Strixes try to dive bomb the boat. Meanwhile Persephone gets dropped upon the shore only to come face to face with her own face. Well. Her head. On a pike. Hey it’s the former queen that Hades had replaced Persephone with, and we all remember how Orpheus handled ‘fakes’. Persephone loses some clarity and follows the sound of the beautiful music. 

 

She runs into Orpheus in a throne room, and Persephone is pretty conflicted with all the love music. It comes out that Orpheus believes at least Persephone to be Euridice reborn, and he shows her a whole gallery of previous Persephones Hades had. There’s like a hundred and seventy. Goddamn man get some fucking chill. 

 

Meanwhile back on the boat - the boat on the river. They make it to the shore, long overgrown with weeds. Torture area. Fun times. Everyone loses Clarity. Rowan is feeling a little … hungry. 

 

Orpheus meanwhile explains that he managed to end up with the Strixes after Bath, and they accepted him as their king. He gets a little handsy and Persephone manages to hold him off and insists a no, reminds him about consent. Orpheus says that she ‘owes him’ for that ‘betrayal’. Ooooooohhhh boy you didn’t. 

 

So yeah, that’s when Rowan and Jacob arrive and that’s when the throwdown starts. Rowan isn’t willing to stop fighting, and they Creeping Dread him into backing off and having the shadows envelop him. 

 

Rowan eats a goblin fruit and Orcus catches up then. They figure out that there are probably still some prisoners so they go to the dungeon to rescue them. 

 

Hades is there. 

 

Rowan tries to keep their cool but Hades is still a douche. If you were expecting some character redemption, eggs and bacon you’re mistaken.

 

They let out basically every Changeling and some creatures before dealing with Hades. Hades wants help dealing with Orpheus and will let them go if they help. Time to talk this over. 

 

Meanwhile Ava and Leofric make it back to the clinic, and no one else is there. The team still hasn’t come back. So Ava tells Leofric and Opener of Ways where they were going and asks that Opener of Ways finds them and either brings them back or brings her to them. She also contacts Diego to be ready to be cavalry if need be, and she tells Leofric that if her friends are in danger she has to go to them. He says he’ll keep that in mind. 

 

Rowan tries to reason with some of the captives that they need to escape Arcadia because it is no longer safe here with Persephone as backup - and that Rowan is willing to take them back to the mortal realm or at least be able to get them out of Hades so they can find another fae master. 

 

Eventually Persephone decides that she is willing to help Hades provided he returns Orpheus to a rose - and leave them all alone. And lets anyone who wants to leave to leave. 

 

Hades of course wants to seal this deal with a kiss. Persephone reluctantly agrees. 

 

He goes up to deal with “the mess”, and the place has gotten rather cold. There is a shuddering noise from above and dust falls from the ceiling. Rowan and Persephone make plans to get everyone who wants to go out of there. 

 

Yay, it’s Opener of Ways! He says he finally found them. Persephone and Rowan ask Ways to take the fifteen that want to go out to the Freehold. 

 

They hear Hades yelling “What did you DO?” and head upwards to the throne room… and the steps are lined with frost… 

 

So, Orpheus, the Duke, the White Queen, AND Hades are all there, looking at each other like What the fuck.

 

Rowan decides they do not want to be here for this. Opener of Ways gets back then and boops everyone out of there. They show up back at the Hollow safe and sound! Rowan calls Liz to bring her kisses and Liz readily agrees. Otp.

 

Jacob gives Ava the rundown and Ava orders food… not sure what else to do… Persephone tries to call Dmitri but gets someone else picking up, a voice she doesn’t recognize that goes by Ganymede. He said he just found the phone “here”, which is a forest. Ganymede is probably a werewolf? After some talk it comes out that there’s a bunch of dead people around. 

 

Persephone asks if he’s an alien love messiah. He laughs and says he hasn’t considered that option but it does sound appealing. The ‘find my phone’ last logged location was Bremerton, six hours ago. Persephone describes Dmitri’s tattoo(s) to Ganymede and Ganymede looks at the bodies and while he finds many tattoos none match Dmitri. That’s about when he says that people are coming and he’s gotta go, so he turns off the phone. 

 

So she calls Zerxes. He is unfortunately still alive. ‘Fucking Ganymede’ is heard throughout a large group of people when Persephone says what lead to the call, and Zerxes says that Dmitri is there. Zerxes does say that they’re heading back now and should be there in a few hours. Opener of Ways is not around so he can’t be sent to fetch Dmitri. 

 

Persephone asks him to pass the phone to Dmitri so she can just hear his voice at least. Dmitri informs her that Ganymede is more or less a mercenary. More like a con-man because he’s not a fighter. Dmitri has to go about then.

 

Persephone heads back to her apartment and hears someone grunt in pain. She opens the door to see Diego there with his pants off and Leo trying to wrap a bandage around his leg. Diego says this is not what he looks like. 

 

Apparently Diego had borrowed a book from Panya when Ava asked him to prepare to to be Cavalry. It burned his hands. He summoned a judge of the Duat who was the lizardman who distracted everyone and attacked Hades’ realm. 

 

(Ava meanwhile is in Rowan’s apartment waiting with her until Liz shows up and is drinking some of her whiskey) 

 

Persephone asks Ways to fetch Dmitri but he isn’t able to get him to come along. Also Werewolves don’t react well to a small deer appearing in their midst. The van didn’t flip. 

 

Liz does show up, has a small run in with Diego in the hallway as he has a blanket wrapped around his waist instead of pants. He jokes about being done with Leo now, Ava closes the door in his face. Then opens it again, pulling Liz inside, and closes it again. There was no real endgame so she just tells Liz that Rowan has had a really bad night and asks that Liz stays as long as she can before heading out. Her brother gives her shit for still claiming that her and Leo are “just friends” and goes back to Persephone’s place where Leo is wondering about manga. (Persephone calls her mom to come over). Ava makes sure everything is okay and Persephone gives them shit, so Ava takes Leo’s hand and goes to go for a walk only to find a package on the doorstep. Addressed to “me”. She carefully opens it and sees only photos inside rather than bodyparts, but it’s of the graphic torture of the woman who died at the beginning of game, later with the address to the clinic carved on her bloody torso. 

 

Ava burns the photos and says she’ll tell Rowan tomorrow morning about it, after Rowan has had a chance to rest and unwind a bit because Rowan deserves to have one fucking minute where they aren’t dealing with bullshit. 

 

Persephone’s mom comes over and they watch movie and eat donuts until late when Dmitri returns back and Persephone gives him the rundown of what happened. 

 

The next morning, Rowan wakes up not at home. She’s at Liz’s place. Liz carried them there to keep an eye on them. Did I say OTP already? OT fucking P.

 

The next couple days are blessedly quiet. Ava asks Leo if he wants to find an apartment with her since he’s deciding to stay and he says yes, and also that he was contacted by the spring queen asking about what his plans were. Ava says the Spring Queen is a good one, that Rowan reports to her, so they can go talk to her together. 

 

A package also arrives on the Hedge side door.

 

Hades’ decapitated head is in it, with cherry blossoms inside. 

 

And that was the end of Season 2.

 

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