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You’ve got to be shitting me. Once wasn’t enough? I’ve got to be uprooted from my life and shoved into some place with people in charge who are claiming it’s for my own good but really they don’t give a fuck twice? Or is this actually the place people go when they’ve been ‘rehabilitated’? Because I’ve gotta say, I prefer the facility. At least
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Wh-wh-what facility? H-have you heard of a group called the Edison Group, then? Or--or a St. Cloud cabal?
[Was this person from Chloe's world? The whole breaking the law bit doesn't put Chloe at ease, however. Neither does the bit about Wrath. Capitalized. A name? Group? What?]
Th-there's no ocean, but there's a lake here. Not that it's particularly safe.
[Still. Worried and paranoid Chloe is very worried and paranoid.]
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[She frowns, thinking about that.]
No. The Cabal, though, yeah, and they're just as annoying as they've always been. Dunno what you mean by St. Cloud, though, unless they've a new leader I've not heard of. Which I suppose is fucking possible, with them.
[Fucking Cabals, trying to be one of the major players, when everyone knew they'd never even be bigger than the Suits.]
Of course there's a lake here. Never a god damn coastline, but a fucking lake, and everyone assumes that makes it all better. What d'you mean, not safe?
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So... you know the Cabal? Have you worked with them, personally?
[Yeah, this might take some digging. What could Chloe say to get this woman to talk, though?]
There's a giant killer octopus in the lake. It--it killed one of my friends.
[Chloe didn't delve directly into the dead never staying dead bit. Not yet. It'd be too much, too fast. Besides, Chloe wanted to talk for a while.]
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Shit, no. They're not the sort I'd be willingly associating with. Worked against them, maybe, though never that entirely intentionally, so don't you be freaking out at me if you're one of them.
[Though Ryn figures if she was, she would've already jumped at that comment about the Cabal being annoying. They were sensitive like that.
...and she's going to raise an eyebrow at her journal here.]
Forgive me for not properly expressing my sympathy over your loss for the moment, but a fucking giant killer octopus? Are you taking the piss?
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So you know about their abilities?
[She wasn't about to say which abilities the sorcerers had. She needed to be certain she had all her info, first. Then again, weren't all sorcerers male? Maybe this woman was a witch. Supposedly there was an animosity there.
This time it was Chloe's turn to snort.]
Don't worry. I am not one of them.
[Though they apparently wanted her. If they wanted Chloe, they probably had other supernaturals, too. Best to remember that.]
What's 'The Piss'?
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[And she knows which ones of them pose the most danger to the Sins, but that's not the kind of thing she goes around telling non-Sins.
Then she smiles slightly at the return snort.]
Figuring they've made about as good as impression on you as they did on me, then?
[And then the smile turns into a raised eyebrow and a bit of a huff.]
Taking the piss. Making a fool out of me, trying to get me to believe something that sure as hell ain't true.
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I've never met them personally, but I've met those affiliated with them. Believe me, we're not on the best of terms.
[And that was putting it lightly.]
Oh, it's true, all right. You don't have to believe me now, but soon enough you'll find out on your own, anyway. Wouldn't you rather be somewhat prepared?
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[And then Ryn makes a bit of a face.]
Shit, lass, never said I didn't believe you. Just making sure you weren't trying to pull one over on me. Don't need to go off warning me to be prepared. How big are we talking about?
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Wh-what kind of dealings?
[Chloe tried her best not to stutter.]
Ah...
[A bit of a wry laugh.]
Fairly big. A stone Keep with a Lord who has the final say over everything we do and claims our worlds are destroyed. People from different worlds--with different races and abilities--and no one is allowed to leave. Mystery. Intrigue. Horror.
It's like a reality television series, now that I think about it.
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[Which wasn't that impressive as it sounds, considering the Sins'd already been fairly well established by the time the Cabal came sniffing around them, and it'd been talks between their leaders and Pride and herself rather than any violence.
Still, there was the occasional clash, so Ryn was counting it.
She listens to the girl's speech, her eyebrow slowly raising higher the more she goes on.]
Final say over everything we do sounds familiar, and so does not being allowed to leave. Not at the same time, granted, but shit, why not try something new and combine them.
Mystery, intrigue, horror - that's nice, and all, and I'll be coming back to that - but we were talking about that fucking giant octopus. How big?
[She just wants to know if it's going to eat her whole if she tries to go in the lake, or if it'll only take off a hand or something.]
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[Not gonna lie: the thought is a bit disconcerting.]
Yeah, I'm afraid it's not very original. Been there. Done that.
[Repeatedly.]
Huge. As in giant.
[A sad sigh, remembering what she saw.]
It can hold a whole person in one tentacled arm, huge. And still move quickly out of water. The lake had iced over at the time. I--I'm not sure if it sleeps or--or what, but I know people still fish in the lake from time to time.
[Then, in case this was important and knowing how unbelievable these next words are, Chloe grumbles out:]
It was holding a tea cup.
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[As to the stronger bit - well, Ryn's not going to be answering that. The simple response is no, physically and in numbers, the Sins aren't stronger than the Cabal. Practically, if it came down to it? Ryn'd bet on the Sins.
And then she snorts back a laugh.]
A tea cup? Maybe he was just cranky you interrupted him having a cuppa.
[There's a pause, as she remembers how Chloe took it the last time Ryn questioned her.]
Not that I'm doubting you're telling the truth. Consider me prepared.
[Chloe'd mentioned fishing, though, and Ryn tries not to get her hopes up.]
So it's safe enough to go out fishing on it, then?
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Who knows, with the people we have here. Sill. Not an excuse to kill someone. Must have anger issues.
[Now he belonged at Lyle House.]
I--I d-don't know. I--would rather you didn't take my word that it was s-safe. If you ever do though, don't stray too far. Be on guard.
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[Sensitivity, Ryn does not have it. Sorry, Chloe. And she raises an eyebrow at the stutter, but doesn't comment on it.]
Not to worry, I'm suitably warned. If I decide to go out on it and end up meeting the fucking thing, it'll be my own fool fault.
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Remind me to steer clear of England and Ireland, then. I don't know much about tea, and would no doubt end up one of those victims. They might try anyway. Maybe I could stage my own death and never go back. A shame. I'd love to travel.
[Another light chuckle, though Chloe didn't like the sound of that.]
So, are we back to the mystery, intrigue, and horror part? I'm not sure you're going to like some of this stuff. Might even be slightly more disbelieving than a giant killer octopus that wears a monocle and drinks tea.
[A deep breath. Where to start?]
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[An eyebrow raise goes there.]
I'm figuring it's probably no where near as fucking amusing of a mental picture as well.
[She sighs.]
All right, then, lay it out.
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