felldenlogs | [CLOSED] The Wendigo Hunt

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[CLOSED] The Wendigo Hunt

WHO: "Crow," Flora, and Selina
WHAT: Fellden's Angels hunt a straggler Wendigo.
WHERE: Near a village approaching the Gods Wood, Temple territory.
WHEN: Early November.
WARNINGS: Violence, monster death.

Eight dead. Eight revived by Death itself. The Wendigo left as quickly as they appeared; after their dark deeds were done, they returned to the Gods Wood, disappearing into the shadows of gnarled trees and wild vines. But things never end that cleanly, and soon enough, a rumor breaks out across Temple territory, spreading through the neutral grounds and finally reaching the Court.

A Wendigo remains outside the Gods Wood and it is screaming of hunger.

The Wendigo's howls haunt the settlements on the edge of Temple territory, villagers terrified and locking themselves in their homes after sundown. The Otherworlders' efforts seemed to stop the spirits and monsters in all other regions, so why are they still besieged? There are whispers that the Otherworlders made a pact to drive the beasts here in exchange for the protection of the other lands, so when three of the Claimed appear on the tail of the Wendigo, they're greeted with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

It isn't difficult to define the general area where the Wendigo is hiding, its nighttime screams and cries making it easy to track. But when it comes to pinpointing the specific location... that might take a little more patience.

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[It's night, and Selina has "borrowed" (don't ask how) a glowing stone to better track their distance to the straggling Wendigo. She learned a hard lesson from her ill-fated encounter with Bruce that flame doesn't dim in the Wendigo's presence, only other types of light, and although she's confident she's safe from being a target of the Wendigo's hunger -- Death chose its eight minions already -- she isn't very keen on being caught by surprise by one again.

The air is chill and dry, and Selina adjusts the scarf covering her nose as she squints into the darkness. She left her Catwoman goggles back behind in Gotham with the rest of her former life, but having nightvision would certainly be helpful now.

Her breath hangs in the air like fog as she says, hushed,] I'm going to extra kill it for choosing this time of year to crawl around like this.

Would you like my cloak? I won't be needing it in a moment.

⟪ she's already out of it, holding it for selina to take. her fox shape comes with her own coat of warm winter's fur, and there's no telling how far they might have to go. what if it tries to get away?

that's when another scream cuts through the night – distant enough to require more tracking, close enough to make the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. regardless of selina's choice regarding the offered cloak: ⟫

I shall turn now. ⟪ which, unfortunately, means she won't be able to talk anymore. ⟫ One bark's a yes, two barks make for a no.

⟪ and with that, she shifts. shrinks into herself, clothing vanishing with her, and where a moment ago there stood a short irish woman, there's no about nine pounds worth of fox. she shakes herself, has to stop for a moment to use a hindleg to scratch her ear. ⟫

( that is. certainly something.

Mia barely knows these women, but she's feeling confident enough about the group as it is. even moreso when one of them turns into a fox of all things. she's not certain how well that will hold in a fight, she's so light in her steps, but at least she can track. )

We shouldn't waste a moment then. ( Mia yawns. ) I'm ready for bed. Maybe a hot bath before. Let's end this thing before it ruins my plans.

( she gives a nod to the fox, drawing her blades and ready to follow close. )

[Selina is a little more used to magical/supernatural weirdness, so she doesn't blink when Flora shrinks into something furrier and foxier. She does wrap the cloak around herself, though, happy for the extra warmth. She's spent too much time in California lately, too far away from the dreary winters of Gotham, that she's lost her chops for cold weather.]

If we're able to end it at all, [she cautions, starting after Flora. Foxified Flora. Foxa.] The last one I saw... when I hit it, it was like I was the wind. Nothing.

The only thing that made it pause was when its teeth were injured. So. A weak spot, maybe.

⟪ an affirmative, if quiet bark at the idea of a nice, hot bath after this. what? her paws are cold already.

in terms of fighting –– to be honest, flora feels a little relieved when mia draws her blades. she's not above using her teeth, but she rather suspects that, when they reach that point, she'll be acting more as a small, furry, fast-moving distraction rather than an enemy to reckon with for the wendigo.

that relief is not exactly enhanced, though, by selina saying that hitting the creature didn't seem to do much.

well, first things first. she's sniffing, picking up a track that seems most akin to what she'd scented on the tooth selina'd given her for a sniff earlier. that's the direction she heads in, moving swift, yes, but making sure her human-shaped companions can follow – and follow her path, at that. just because she can squeeze her fox bod through a gap, doesn't mean a human can.

the scent's growing stronger, they must be closing in. it's evident in two ways: one, flora makes a very quiet, whining noise as her instinct tells her to run (and she ignores it), and two, her fur poofs up as if she's trying to look bigger and more intimidating than she is. ⟫

I don't have any problems pulling teeth. ( Mia answers Selina readily enough. her first kill required she take the teeth as her tithe into the Red Church. a wendigo probably smells better than the hangman did anyway.

as the fox starts to move, Mia is quick to keep up. she's not nearly as fast as Flora, but she manages to keep her in her sight at the least. she does glance to Selina. ) You hit him hard? I think I can create you an opening when we fi-

( Mia glances back to Flora as she starts to whine. ) Though we seem to be close.

Eclipse. ( Mia calls the wolf that was shadows out of her own shadow. it materializes in Mia's wake and chases off after Flora to keep close. Eclipse has no ability to scent, and no extra sight or hearing. she does, however, seem to keep Flora company in case the pair do lose sight of her. or in case Flora needs back up while the girls catch up. )

[Selina was fine with the shapeshifting thing, probably because Flora had told her about the skill before, but when the wolf materializes out of the darkness -- well, that elicits a soft noise of surprise. She glances to Crow, lips pursed.] That's handy.

[But this isn't the time for quips, so Selina picks up the pace and pulls the bronze sword from the scabbard at her side -- it hadn't been particularly effective against the last Wendigo she met, but it's the only bladed weapon she has right now.]

Flora, [she calls ahead warningly, voice a low whisper, not wanting to alert the Wendigo to their presence: Be careful. The fox has a shadow wolf on her side now, but Selina still doesn't want her to run headfirst into a monster.]

⟪ the fox seems to echo the surprised sound selina'd made – there's no wolves in ireland, no more at least, and 'tis a big thing crow made from the shadows. it don't muddy the waters of the scent, though, and it's getting stronger. the woods around them are thinning at the same time, if they're not heading for the clearing, they must be heading closer to the village.

she stops, sniffs, listens – the wendigo's not a quiet creature. not hearing it is far more fearsome, that's why she pauses.

the next of its screams that echo through the air seems much, much closer than the last. close enough for flora to give more of a direction, though she sure isn't about to dart off. their approach must be quiet and measured, if they wish to catch the monster unawares.

god, flora thinks, please let them catch it unawares. ⟫

( Mia doesn't make a show of it, but she watches both girls' reaction to her shadows. she knows that most people here have been more accepting of the darkness she brings with her than in her own world. but that doesn't mean that will always be true.

at least for now, they all seemed focused on their target. enough so that Mia didn't feel the need to worry about their further reactions to her daemons.

when they hear that next scream, Mia slows as Flora does. she keeps her steps light as she continues to follow. )

When we spot it, I can circle around. We can try to pin it between us. ( she offers Selina quietly. )

That might work, [she returns; the Wendigo she encountered seemed to be very singular in its goal, so there's a good chance it wouldn't really notice a flanking maneuver.

The most important thing is to make sure they can harry it long enough that it doesn't get to the village, Selina wants to say, but the words die before they fully form in her brain -- the glowing stone at her side goes dim, and Selina barely has any time to whistle a warning before something big and fast crashes through the underbrush across their path.

The Wendigo isn't a true Wendigo -- or at least it isn't like the one Selina saw in the darkness only a week ago, its claws and teeth slick with Bruce's blood. This Wendigo is tall and lanky like the others, but its face is not yet the fully formed skull of an animal: it's half human, and only halfway defleshed, with the skin around its mouth ragged and ripped and its still-human eyes glowing like an animal's in the dimness of twilight.

Half of its body is covered in dense fur, the other half the pale, naked flesh of a human. One antler sprouts from its head; the second antler has only started to break through the skin, a bloody and matted mess of hair heralding the blossom of bone.

It doesn't seem to see them, only wails, heartbreakingly hungry, and pushes through the trees.]

⟪ 'tis not what flora imagined she would see when she was hunting for monsters. the creature's half-human and all suffering, its wail sounding less a threat and more a begging. misery is what it is, and she's gripped with a profound sense of guilt at the idea of harming it.

but it keeps moving on, pressing forward to where her fine fox nose tells her that the village lies, the tracks of humans lively in this neck of the woods from people who gather here to provide some for their family during the famine. the fox gives a wailing cry of her own – are we sure we can't speak to it? – but in the same moment, instinct is bristling her fur and her teeth bare at the creature all the same. the human in her has doubt, yes, and will feel guilt over this, but the fox is all up in her claws about this threat.

she's swift, and moves around and toward it, trying to catch its attention to offer both mia and selina time for the flanking. it don't seem to care none for the fox it keeps stumbling toward, it's real goal lies behind her back. but she's trying. ⟫

( well. that's an interesting sight.

Mia has witnessed a lot of strange things in her life, but the sight of this wnedigo half in and half out of transformation causes her stomach to drop. fear threatens the edges of her psyche, and Mister Kindly eats up as much of it as he can without Eclipse in her shadow to help. it's enough, and Mia grips her blade tighter as she steels herself for what's next.

Mia nods once more to Selina, quietly whispering: ) Signal when you're ready. ( and then she looks past the wendigo and. Steps. Into the shadow of the trees, stepping out of shadows far off in front of the wendigo.

As Flora moves in on the Wendigo, Eclipse follows after her. she circles and snarls, but the wnedigo doesn't seem bothered by the shadow nipping at it's heels. )

[Neat trick, Selina thinks but doesn't say; apparently she's the normie of the group, which is not unusual for her social circle, but it's still a surprise. A pleasant one, fortunately. She happened to choose two women with powers to help her, just on the basis of the help they themselves offered. It pays to let people in, sometimes.

With the wolf shadow and Flora trying to grab the Wendigo's attention and Mia in place, Selina performs a series of cartwheels to quickly reach its other side (in lieu of four legs or fuckin. shadow-stepping powers what is mia even).

Wasting no time, she whips the bronze sword at the Wendigo's back. Unlike when she attacked the full Wendigo with it previously, this time the sword hits true and plunges into the flesh under its shoulder blade. This is enough to finally make it stop and pay attention to something other than its next meal, howling and writhing as it tries to rip the sword out from its back.

Selina snatches up the whip at her side and calls out:] Hit it!

[Selina stands near the edge of the Gods Wood, unsure if she's supposed to... like, knock, or what. How does one announce their presence to Death? Although, she assumes lightly, it probably knows where she is at all times, with how much flirting with death she does.

This isn't a social call -- she's here for a purpose -- but Death is something to be respected despite everything, so she's dressed in her finery for the occasion: a gown in black velvet, pink and lavender flowers embroidered on the bodice and skirt, along with a fur stole due to the weather. (And, because she's not without humor, especially if it gives her an excuse to be extra, a black veil.)

Something that perhaps ruins the effect is a bundle in one hand: a rather ripe half-Wendigo head wrapped in a few layers of cloth.

In her other hand, she holds a red envelope: the invitation from Death itself.]

It's rude to keep a lady waiting, [she says to the air.]

[ Selina won't be alone for long: within minutes of her statement there is a sudden thickening of the air, magic solidifying and weighing down on her shoulders. Before it feels like it will push her to her knees, Death pops into existence, quite literally. The veil between the living and the dead has been repaired and no longer thin enough for spirits and Death itself to cross over.

Azrail is busy; Lorelai indisposed. The only way now for Death to converse with the living is to, in the most simple of terms, punch a hole through the fabric of reality.

But hey, its a deity that keeps its word, and it gave Selina a promise to speak. ]

You don't waste any time. [ It sounds amused, and its voice is one Selina will know intimately as it is the voice of someone in her life that has been unwavering in their love and support to her.

Staring at Death for too long puts an immense pressure on Selina's eyes, as though she's trying to see through a black hole. Its white eyes are stars in the night sky, the only visible thing beneath its hood. ] What's new, pussycat?

Edited 2019-11-21 11:44 (UTC)

[Unfortunately for Selina, it's Bruce Wayne who fits that description -- the most supportive person in her life, even when he was foiling her thefts and throwing her in jail.

Her mouth twists at the voice, but she otherwise forces herself to remain placid and aloof. Bigby mentioned that Death has a unique sense of humor, so she's playing this close to the vest. Its appearance is going to make that difficult, unnerving as it is, so she gets right to it to make sure this encounter doesn't last longer than it has to.]

Master of the Underworld, [she says, bowing her head in greeting (and also trying to give her eyes a break).] I have a bone to pick with you.

[ Death has no true face with which to make an expression, at least not with its hood up, but it being taken aback by that title comes across clearly. ]

Underworld? [ Its voice is baffled, and it lets its arms cross loosely. If Selina looks again, she will notice that Death seems to end at its spine: it has no hips or legs, a wraith hovering above ground. ] No no no, I'm not that guy, c'mon. Give me some credit. That guy's a Greek pain in the ass, plus he's voiced by, y'know, James Woods, and he's a garbage bag of a human. I'm here to make sure the dead rest peacefully; I've got exactly ziltch to do with any Underworld.

[Selina falters a little; she'd been trying to be respectful with a title she assumed was correct, but this is a tangent she hadn't anticipated.]

Where... do the dead rest if not an Underworld?

[ Death shrugs nonchalantly. ]

All around you.

[That's not exactly a comforting thought, though it explains the ghosts that had been casually drifting around when she first arrived in this world. Still, the idea of dead people just floating around and watching her, unseen, gives her the creeps. Ugh.

She frowns and tries not to think about it, instead looking up at Death again. It's not exactly a comforting presence, either.]

Well. Your Wendigo. They didn't really give their victims a peaceful death.

[ That's not exactly what it meant, Selina, but it won't elaborate unless asked. ]

Common misconception! [ Lowering its hood, Death looks Selina over. The pressure on Selina's eyes is lessened, as Death's skeletal face fixes on her. ] They're not mine.

[God, none of this is going according to keikaku.

With Death's hood down, she feels weirdly more at ease, and therefore more free to call bullshit when she sees it.]

That's not what the Emperor said, [she snaps, and then immediately feels foolish. Why would she take anything the Emperor says at their word? Her fingers start to go cold, still gripping the cloth that holds the half-Wendigo's head, but she pushes on like her conviction isn't at all wavering.]

Why should I believe you?

[ Death offers her another shrug. ]

I have no reason to lie.

[ There's a second's pause before Death bursts out laughing, its hands falling to its sides. ]

Holy shit your dress. I just got it.

Edited (phone tags will be the death of me) 2019-11-22 23:07 (UTC)

[Looking at Death doesn't make Selina's brain feel like it's melting anymore, but its whole demeanor is picking up the slack. Holy shit? Death just said "holy shit."

She pushes her veil back, since now it's apparent she really should have gone for a more casual approach.]

You're the first one, [she says not without a hint of bitterness; her cleverness is just ruined on other people, it seems. It would be her luck that the literal personification of death would be the only person (?) to get her sense of humor.]

But don't change the subject. Who do they belong to? [She assumes Death won't be mad that she decapitated this monster now that she knows it doesn't belong to it, so. She lifts the bundle up with a wry, long-suffering smile.] I need to know where to deliver this now.

[ There's a disappointed "Tchhh" when Death finds out its the first to get the joke. It mutters "You need more funny people around" before they both get back on the subject. ]

They belong to the world. [ Its a fact it delivers as though its commenting on the weather. ] Wendigo are nature spirits that punish those who step outside the "natural order". [ A bony finger lifts, and it clarifies: ] By turning them into a monster.

[Well. She didn't need to kill anything, then, at least not for the sake of revenge. Twisting her mouth, she drops the bundle to the ground. (It makes a wet whump sound on contact.) If it belongs to the world, the world can have it back.]

So those they chose to kill... [Weren't directed to do so by Death. She frowns.] Otherworlders are outside the "natural order"? Why only certain ones?

[ Selina can have her revenge! And the monsters did need to be slain. ]

No, I did ask them to do a favor for me. [ Run an errand, but everything on the shopping list, etc. ] I need those eight, and the only way I can chat with them is if they've died.

[ It holds its hands out, palms up. ]

It took a lot of magic for you to see me right now — and even then my manifestation isn't... [ It looks down to where its legs should be. ] ...up to my usual standards.

I gotta rip a hole in reality to have a chat with you, kitten, and it's not gonna last much longer.

The natural order thing? Cannibalism. That's what made ... that. [ It nods its head toward the offering Selina had brought. ] They were already here. It's not unusual for a deity to ask spirits for help.

Edited 2019-11-23 02:44 (UTC)

A favor -- [Now she feels like she's being jerked around. How dare it make her start to like it. She should have kept being angry.

She finds it difficult to be sympathetic to Death's state of manifestation or the power it expended to visit her; the only thing important to her right now is that its time in this realm is, apparently, limited, and while she's gotten some answers, they're not the ones that her selfish little heart wants.]

You had them killed. That's not going to make you any friends. [It probably doesn't care about that. It doesn't think like humans do, Bigby had said. She rephrases:] Humans don't trust the things that kill them.

[Selina gathers her skirts and takes a few steps forward, despite the alarm bells ringing in the back of her head.]

What makes them so special? Why not-- someone else? [Why not me, she'd called after the Wendigo as it slunk away with Bruce's body.]

Why not you?

[ Death tips its head to the side, watching Selina as she steps toward it. It makes no move to touch nor harm her, pointedly keeping its hands to itself. ]

Bruce Wayne is the world's greatest detective, and I have a mystery that needs solving.

[Um, she doesn't care about Bruce at all, b-baka!!

Her lip curls at the answer, at how easily it guessed her meaning, though she can't really refute it. (And it's very weird to hear this coming from Bruce's voice. Just FYI.)

She flips the veil back over her face.]

If you hurt him again, I'll kill whatever you sent after him. Again.

[ There's a sucking sound as Death clicks its teeth. ]

I'm not the one you should worry about hurting him. The Priestess will do much more harm to him than I ever could.

[ ...If it had an eyebrow to lift, it would do so now. ]

Besides, what do you care? [ Curiously, as though it doesn't already know the answer: ] He's not your partner, companion, or husband. You killed him that day you left him at the altar, the only difference between us is that he can recover from what I did to him.

[ With that, Death dematerializes back into its wood. ]

[Wow. Rude.

Death is lucky its time ran out, or it would have to suffer through Selina impotently sputtering in fury. As it is, she just frowns at the place it once occupied before letting the red inked invitation fall to the ground.]

You promised me liquor, [she says to the air, not really caring if Death can hear her or not, just needing to have the (perceived) last word, and turns to trudge back to wherever she'd left her horse.]

[ When Selina gets back to her horse there will be a saddle bag, well padded. Inside will be two bottles of Selina's favorite wine, always the appropriate temperature and flavor.

It may be rude but it doesn't fuck around when it comes to liquor!! ]

Edited 2019-11-23 03:38 (UTC)

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[CLOSED] The Wendigo Hunt

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