video. un: hardsell

[oldhound]

[ John is in what looks to be a shop that's been abandoned for quite a while. There's a few bits of furniture with sheets over it. There's dust and cobwebs and the feed shakes as he accidentally bumps the table as he's trying to set it down. Once it is set up, he scrubs a hand over his face, through the bit of scruff at his jaw, and then around to rub at the back of his neck. He looks tired.

He istired but oddly energetic at the same time. ]

Right, not sure if any of you have been having trouble sleeping as well but I figured I may as well do this since I found the space for it. It's in Willful Machine, warding on the door glows amber. Easy to spot. I can still drop a location here in case.

I might be able to help with easing some of the bloodlust that seems to be cropping up. I've got incense and I'm working on some tinctures from those roses left behind for us. Smoke wands, too. Meditation seems to help. Yoga as well. I'm decent at both, don't mind showing anyone if they need it.

[ He reaches out for an old book covered with a dust cover and blows off the lingering film clinging before peeling that off. Any well-versed in the occult or magic might recognize the original grimoire of King Solomon. He's about to reach out with his free hand and turn off the feed when a thought suddenly occurs to him. ]

Oh, and I'd hate to go making such a terribly broad offer like I did back in the old town so to clarify: don't bother stopping in Maul. I wouldn't want the riff-raff to go showing up.

[ This is the smile on his face as he shuts the feed off. There's a location for the shop embedded in the message. ]

Comments

video; un: eames

[falsify]

[He's just absently noting where John's shop is — if he's getting back into business that could be useful for later — but the book catches his eye. Not sure why it's familiar off the top of his head, but it is.]

[HM.]

What's that book?

[oldhound]

[ If people were using it to keep others safe as they can, he doesn't mind offering any help he can. It wasn't like he didn't do investigating on his own when left to his own devices. He's been doing that longer now than anything else. ]

Ah, so that's what it takes to pique your interest.

[falsify]

You just haven't been trying.

video | un: P.G.

[possessum]

( Peter is very much Worried about the whole "bloodsport" thing. He's tried to keep it to himself, but he's certainly not immune to that weird antsy energy — and he really doesn't want to indulge in it. His main concern is, of course, the demon. What it might be capable of.

John's message seems to come just when he needs it. There's an instant relief; John can help him, as he's always done.

....But the shift comes seconds after Peter sees that book the man reaches for: clearing it of dust, and something ancient within shakes off some dust of its own. Things long-forgotten but not fully lost; things he knows on some deep, innate level. A connection. He's suddenly staring at the item in John's hands, unable to look from it. )

That book.

[oldhound]

[ It's an uncomfortable situation for most anyone with even a sliver of a conscience. John imagines that while the demon residing in Peter is based in knowledge and the like---there's a draw towards the more primitive. Instinctual.

He's only glad that after years of dealing with this sort of thing, the smile that came to his face at seeing Peter doesn't falter when it seems as if a little more is peeking through than just him. He keeps his tone light and easy. A hand runs over the cover and he makes a show of tossing it a bit carelessly back on the table.

Out of sight. ]

Just an old book. Nothing you need to worry over, chief. [ A tilt of his head. ] You settling in all right here?

video | un: quibbler

[creidim]

I've found my calming draughts have been helpful in dealing with feelings of bloodlust. I still have a decent enough stock of them, but unfortunately until I can go about growing the plants needed for the potion — they're a bit in limited supply.

[ She's working on that, trying to get her hands on some good soil to replicate. Not to mention trying to figure out how to grow things with solar light without having the actual sun. She's a busy girl.

Also, her expression drops to a pointed flat look. Oh, wonderful. ]

I was quite hoping he didn't turn up with the rest of us, how unfortunate.

[oldhound]

There might be some more in what's left of the old shop. Haven't quite been able to locate it just yet. It's here, though.

[ He hums a little in thought. ]

Bound to be some books we can make use of around here to tell us about local plant life. What do you say we see what we can find in those and go foraging for the rest?

[ John lets go a rusty chuckle at the look that crosses Luna's face. He feels that for sure. ]

We would all be so lucky.

( video | un: salvatore )

[prescind]

You can help with bloodlust?

( look, any help that he can get, he's going to look into. )

[oldhound]

The one I'm used to, yes. Might have to do a little tweaking to deal with a different version but I can give it a go.

[ John can't imagine any of this is doing Stefan any favors. ]

Video; un: darkness

[survivalthroughhate]

[There's no words, just that inhuman sort of growl Maul is so very good at making before he makes a very rude and unmistakable gesture. (Look, he's been around enough of the Sleeper teenagers over the past year to have picked up on some of these things.)

Then he promptly flicks the video off, his point having been made abundantly clear.]

[oldhound]

[ That shit-eating grin is just growing wider. What? He doesn't appreciate a little specificity? That's a shame, especially when it was all Maul's idea.]

audio, un:charon

[notimeforfailure]

Must you provoke him?

[A young woman's voice lightly murmurs.]

Of all the Sleepers in Deerington, the only one for whom we ever required Public Discourse [one can hear the Capital Letters] should perhaps be treated with more care.

[oldhound]

Turnabout is fair play, love.

[ If he was genuinely scared of this one, he wouldn't have tried dragging him through the proverbial muck. Maybe. ]

Oh, this one's more or less got himself clipped though, hasn't he? While you lot were having a chinwag, some of us were working.

video; un: Wesson

[family_remains]

Tell me something, English. Does any of that hippie dippy crap actually work? Inquiring minds want to know.

[oldhound]

Depends on the person and how open one is to it. Isn't a cure-all. I'm sure a big, strapping lad like you needs something with a little more pep, so untwist those knickers, eh?

Video, UN R.BECKET

[righthemisphere]

[And now for some whiplash. Because Raleigh has a broad smile and genuine relief at seeing this post. Weird, right?]

John, hey. You made it. I wasn't sure I'd see you again.

[oldhound]

[ Look at that ridiculous face. ]

Raleigh, I didn't see you on the beach. Ran into Chuck when he was looking for you. Glad to see you made it out of there as well.

Doing okay here so far?

video; un impala67

[venatoris]

That's quite a book you've got there.

[oldhound]

I think that's understating it a touch.

[ He knows. ]

Video: UN - Runeseeker

[onerthes]

mmm, setting up shop are we? Good. It's good to see you made it through [She made a hand gesture waving through the air.] all of that more or less intact. I'm setting up shop as well, though I won't be able to compete in the same way. I'm offering services as a fortune teller these days.

So, you're going to be helping with the incense production? [There was a definite sound of gratitude there. They were going to need a LOT of that it seemed.]

[oldhound]

Well, considering how quickly things liked to take a turn back in Deerington I figure the proverbial daylight's burning. Might as well get a head start on it all. [ He let's go a soft huff of amusement. ] Glad you did too, sweetheart.

Oh, I might have to drop in on you. See what you can divine for me.

Going to do my best. This place has already seen fit to go messing about with my magic. Feel like a teenager just about, just dipping my toes in.

video; UN: seeingtheworld

[schoolingfish]

I don't know what any of those things you said would help are. I mean, I guess I've been doing fine without them, I've just been ignoring it.

[...until he passes out and ends up being forced into a gladiatorial ring, hiding behind the other fighters.]

And I've managed to keep any weird bloodlust under control...

[Except for that one weird moment in the ring that he's not going to acknowledge to anyone ever, thank you.]

But...um...those things sound like they might be useful anyway.

[oldhound]

I don't think ignoring it is going to go well in the long run. If this place is anything like the one a lot of us came from, it'll just make it worse. Keep compounding until someone loses control.

[ Then it'll just be made more awful for the rest of those here to deal with. ]

If you're interested though, feel free to stop in. Can't hurt to try. It'll give you a chance to get your feet wet with something new.

video | un: K

[obeir]

[ Having assumed those feelings of bloodlust were merely the result of his growing resentment for humanity, K's a bit embarrassed to discover it's apparently just another one of those Things that affect all Sleepers. Well then. ]

Glad it's not just me. But I've also been manifesting— [ He seems unsure of the term to use, brow furrowing. ] Abilities. That I can't control. They seem closer to what you specialise in than anything I've dealt with before. [ Look, developing magical abilities is confusing for an android, even one who spent almost two years (or nearly half his life) in Deerington. ] Is this... Can you help with this kind of thing?

[oldhound]

[ Small miracles, one might say. That person isn't John but he doesn't know, does he? ]

Welcome to the club, old son. It's ​bloody awful. [ But then K goes on and the mage is curious. ] Abilities. Must be grinding those gears of yours.

I've got experience helping others with their abilities, yes. I'm not going to lie and tell you that it'll be easy. May end up hating me by the end of it, if we're lucky.

[ He's not the type with a soft touch. At least not when it comes to most adults, human or otherwise. ]

If you're game, you can stop by. We'll see what we can do.