Fall – Episode 19 “Losing Ground, Part 2 “
We picked up exactly where we left off, with Darius in front of his locker contemplating the blue jelly goo that has soldified into a gelatinous cube and ruined all of the books, nic nacs and photos that he’d stored in there (including a collar from when his dog Nebby was a puppy, awwww).
Taking time cleaning it up Darius gets to home room a little late, where he is promptly sent to the principle’s office. Once there he’s accused of destroying the practice field, on his own, in a single night. His accusers? A bunch of jocks, the same ones that recently egged his house and filled his locker with blue goo. Despite (or perhaps because of) his rather terrible attempts at proving his innocence he too gets sent to guidance councillor, for the rest of the day.
The team meet up in the cafeteria, with Darius again trying to taunt the jocks. He rather obviously grabs a table that isn’t in their usual area, causing all the less cool kids who were there to scatter. Calvin arrives, impressed by the empty table followed by Alex (weighed down by all the books she needs to deal with her action plan) and Megan. After a bit of chatting and some more helpful advice on how to get around the councillor from Calvin (apparently he’s had a lot of practise;
Calvin: “Tell her you’ve had a change of heart and that you want to work through your issues.”
the team splits back up, with Alex guiding Darius back to the councillor while heading to the library and Calvin and Megan heading for the feild to check it out for any type of occultness made by either the jocks or the Fallen.
The field is a real mess, huge holes everywhere. More holes in fact than Darius could actually be expected to dig in a single night, on his own. Megan notices a flap of skin attached to a metal plate and thinks it looks like the holes were made from below. Calvin notices that there are hole, obviously distracted by something. On the way back into school the thing that’s distracting Calvin becomes obvious and he tries to get some advice for dealing with girls from Megan.
Calvin: “So, you’re a girl right?”
(for a full hilarious write up of this conversation head over to Jenni’s actual play report.)
They split up, Calvin looking embarrassed and a little frustrated, while a panicked Megan heads to library where Alex is.
Megan: It was weird…
Alex: So, there were holes in the field.
Megan: I think Calvin might love you.
Alex puts her pen down: Are you on crack?
Megan: No.
Alex: have you been playing with the mirror again?
Megan: no.
Alex: I really don’t think he is. Tell me about the field.
Megan: Yeah, he said…(she relates the conversation with Calvin.)
Alex: He probably means Gina.
Megan:… Oh yeah.
(Copied directly from Jenni, who is really much better at getting the quotes down than I am)
Alex gets back to her school books, not wanting to have this conversation any more. Megan gives helpful hints to Alex so she can complete the 8 essays she’s trying to complete simultaneously.
After school they head to books to find out what’s going on (after dropping Alex home so she can placate the parents). Some awesome dice rolling and the characters all being rather smart meant that the research went particularly well. So well in fact that after Alex leaves home to come join them (hearing as she leaves the house that her little brother is staying at a friend’s place, when she has to be home by 12… oh and wasn’t he kidnapped and almost killed a few weeks back?? Talk about denial) she picks up a book that has all the answers. Talk about stealing their thunder!
Anyway it looks like these holes were made by some sort of bug demon larvae called a Gulk Demon. It seems that it needs 24 hours in a rather specific type of soil to grow big and strong. How big? Well you know those stories about cattle mutilation? Yeah, probably this beasty. It likes it’s meat apparently.
Seeing that by this stage it’s night time and the holes were originally made the night before the team leap into action. Darius and Alex stake out the field with some weapons in case the beasty wakes up while Megan and Calvin head off to the store to pick up half a pig, some sausages and other assorted meat products. After all they didn’t want it flying off before they had time to kill it.
On the way back to the field Megan corners Calvin about their earlier conversation;
Megan: About earlier?
Calvin: what?
Megan: Where you were asking for advice about Gina?
Calvin: What?
Megan: I thought you were asking about Alex. But then I realised it wasn’t her.
Calvin:… (stares ahead at the road. Refuses to look at her. His knuckles go white from clenching the steering wheel.)
Megan: So if you need some advice, you know, as a friend…I’m here.
Calvin: OK… it’s OK.
Megan:…
Calvin turns the music up loudly to drown out any more potential conversation.
Megan and Calvin arrive, and not long after the bug demon bursts free. Alex throws an axe at it then runs forward to finish it off. The demon leaps over her, directly to the meat and the waiting Megan. It does a pulse of light which Megan and Alex roll high enough constitution rolls to avoid, but Darius and Calvin get blinded by it. Alex heads over to finish the beasty off, throwing herself on to it’s back.
Meanwhile a blinded Darius decides to us telekinesis to try and… do something. I’m not sure what. But seeing as he’s blinded what he really does is magically pick Alex up and start moving her way. She yells out and grabs onto one of the antennae and Darius finally stops the effect. Alex then promptly falls in front of the demon’s mouth and gets stabbed in the stomach by the beasty’s proboscis. More yelling ensues. Calvin manages to grope around for another crossbow bolt and actually reloads the damn thing and Megan helpfully bashes the demon with her spade.
Darius’s eyesight clears and he rushes forwrd yelling;
“It’s all your fault!”
Before driving a machete into the Gulk demon, killing it. It then collapses on top of him in a puddle of green goo this time.
The team cleans up as much as they can and then head back to Darius’. Luckily Alex has a stock pile of clean clothes there so she can change before heading home. Calvin patches her up and then drops her home, followed by Megan. Just before Megan jumps out of the car she turns to Calvin;
“So if it’s not Gina and it’s not Alex… then.. is it…”
She jumps out of the car and runs inside before Calvin has a chance to respond.
2 Comments to Fall – Episode 19 “Losing Ground, Part 2 “
What’s that smile for then… I don’t think I trust you…
February 14, 2010