apocalypsehowcomm | Event - Appalachia: Into the Pines

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Event - Appalachia: Into the Pines

Appalachia: Into the Pines

Footage plays on the television as a new story comes on, showing a series of sweeping vistas, intercut with clips of wolves that have clearly been filmed at some local wildlife sanctuary. "As far as anyone knows it, the last wolf to ever freely roam the Allegheny Mountains was slain in West Virginia in 1897. Daniel Stoffer Hamrick saw to the beast's passing, and the woods in our part of the world have gone quieter ever since. Appalachia does not forget its history, though. It buries it beneath coal and flyash, debts and white powder and pills. And the blood of people taken before their time, by the mines, by the mountain, by things we don't have names for, just hurt. But Appalachia does not forget.

"This is Cindy Parsons with Channel 5, Wolf News." Footage cuts to a newscaster standing outside a gated apartment complex with FYRE's logo emblazoned on it. "As we know, our beloved Wolf Pen is home to one of the biggest FYRE worker housing complexes in Wyoming County. It is a monument to the history of our town, and this week, we'll be on the lookout for visitors from all over the country, coming to see the grand re-opening of the historic Bluestone Mine as a museum."

Footage cuts to a nondescript businessman, identified by the news footage as Carl Watts, CEO of FYRE. He's smiling blandly as he stands at a podium and gestures to the entrance of the mining tunnel behind him. "The Wolf Pen community has been a partner to us for decades now, and we knew it was finally time to give something back to all y’all. We'll have our soft opening on Monday with a full Rumble Down Under party in the old mines scheduled for June 15th. We'll have a live bluegrass concert and anticipate a huge influx of tourists to the area to help out our neighbors itching for a few more pocketbooks to tend to." A wink.

The footage returns to Cindy. "FYRE has stated that this new museum will provide an educational tool and tourist attraction for those wanting to learn about West Virginia, Wolf Pen, and the hard-working men and women who have made this beautiful part of our nation their home. Time will tell. Time is always telling when it comes to the promises of people who have used our land and our bodies to line their pocketbooks. They fill our blood and our lungs with black tar and-"

Cindy cuts out and is replaced by in-studio anchors. "Thank you, Cindy!" a blonde woman says, smile just a little strained. "I think we're all looking forward to seeing the big opening by FYRE on Sunday and that rocking good party next month. It should be a gneiss one! Now to Tim with the weather. Tim?"

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The people in charge thought it was incredibly important, [ Hickey points out, indulging in a little bitterness in his voice. ] Those of us with boots on the ground thought it was a job.

[ Or a free trip to Oahu. Either/or. Though wait a minute, there's something in Hunter's explanation that he wants to ask about. ]

So magic's common where you're from? Or at least, common enough that you mention it in casual conversation.

[Hunter makes a bit of a skeptical noise. If the people in charge thought it was important then clearly it had to have been.]

It's a part of daily life in the Boiling Isles. [He stops short of saying every witch can use it, since that's patently untrue.] And it's part of my role to be well-versed in every aspect of it.

[He surreptitiously tosses his bag of Chex Mix to the ground before folding his hands behind his back and squaring his shoulders, standing at attention in the same kind of way that a person does either when they're in the military or very proud of themselves. Or both.]

The Golden Guard, Head of the Emperor's Coven and right hand to Emperor Belos, Messenger of the Titan and Emperor of the Boiling Isles in the demon realm.

[ And Hickey just...stares at Hunter. None of those words mean a single thing to him. Emperor Belos? Emperor's Coven? Boiling Arms? Those sure are phrases!

He looks at Hunter for a moment before continuing. ]

Right. Did you finish that snack mix? 'S no use wasting it like that if you're not entirely done.

[ Hickey's priorities: littering? okay! getting rid of food that he could eat? bit less okay! ]

[Hunter drops his hands, staring back a little. That isn't the response to his introduction.]

Are you serious? [Snacks are your priority???] There was barely any left.

[Flapjack will at least be very helpful, cheeping before flying down to the bag and hauling it up with his beak. Then he flaps on over to Hickey for him to take, if he wants it.]

[ Sorry kid, your introduction only means something if people have context! (And if you're introducing to someone who's perfectly fine being a petty little monster and ignoring those 'look at me, I'm important!' flags because wow those are some big flags.)

Hickey happily takes the bag of snack mix from Flapjack, giving the bird a little nod as he does so. ]

Cute bird. Smart too if it's able to understand my question.

[Flapjack cheeps and flutters back over to Hunter, settling down on his shoulder.

Hunter's tone turns cautious, even a little defensive.]

He is. He's probably smarter than most of the birds here.

[He's completely biased of course, he loves his little bird palisman and thinks the world of him. That, of course, means that he's also very protective of him.]

Makes sense, [ he nods. ] Most birds I've seen are kind of dumb.

[ Which isn't fair to birds. But Hickey judges the world entirely on his own standards and if he wouldn't fly into a glass window, so shouldn't other animals. ]

Does it have a name? [ a pause before, ] And what's your name? I'm not gonna call you 'Golden Guard.'

[Hunter mulls on that question - it's probably fine that other people know his palisman's name. He can't think of any reason why it could be dangerous.]

His name is Flapjack.

[Which seems like a decent enough name for a bird, though he still doesn't know what the hell pancakes are.]

My title is enough. [It should be enough.] Besides, I don't even know your name.

[ Flapjack. It does seem like a decent enough name for a bird. Honestly, it's a bit cute. ]

Cornelius Hickey, [ he says with a nod. ] And your title's not enough, Masks. I'm not calling you Golden Guard. It's ridiculous.

[Hunter is absolutely ready to argue that it isn't ridiculous, it's a title he had to work incredibly hard to receive. If this guy doesn't want to use his title then he can go ahead and be disrespectful.

... Except he's already given the ADI his name. He had to, for legal reasons, so anyone with two brain cells to rub together would be able to get his actual name. That, or he'll end up with a nickname like 'Masks.'

Still, he sighs in annoyance.]

It's Hunter.

[ That's more of a name than 'the Golden Guard.' So Hickey nods. ]

Pleasure to meet you, Hunter, [ he says, as he takes a handful of the leftover snack mix. ] So. Any idea where those creatures might be?

[He's rolling his eyes so hard behind his mask!!]

If you're wondering whether those things will come into town, I don't think it's likely. Humans might not have magic, but there seems to be enough civilization built up here that it'd put them off roaming the streets.

Then we might as well go further into the forest.

[ Yes Hunter. We. The kid's out here looking for his so-called slitherbeasts, Hickey's out here looking for the same thing, might as well team up for the moment. Besides, it's always nice to have a sacrificial lamb or a crony who can do all the actual work! ]

[Well, that certainly isn't a suggestion or request. Hunter still nods though and starts to head into the trees, since it isn't a bad idea.]

It's a good idea to do some reconnaissance. We might be able to track those things to confirm they aren't coming near the town, or at least the hotel.

[Since the hotel is Hunter's first priority.

Flapjack flutters off Hunter's shoulder and starts flying from branch to branch, trying to peer through the darkness to find any evidence of the creatures. Hunter follows after him, glancing over at Hickey.]

What was it you thought these were? Tuunbaq?

[ Hickey follows Hunter, keeping an eye on everything as he does so. He doesn't want to be taken by surprise, not when who knows what the situation might entail.

At the question, though, Hickey nods. ]

Tuunbaq. It's something from where I'm from—a god in the shape of a bear. Nasty thing, bigger than any bear I've seen. It's mean and spiteful, smart as a whip, and can suck out a man's soul.

A god. [Can you hear the derision in his voice, Hickey? Can you? Hunter is even snorting for good measure.] I seriously doubt a god would ever make itself look like a bear and run around in the trees like this.

[He pauses, then stoops to examine some crushed plantlife on the ground. It's dark and hard to see, but it looks like something big stepped on it.]

You say that, but I heard something in those mines, [ he points out, eyes scanning the horizon. Hunter's focused on the ground, Hickey's focused on the treeline, making sure that if there's something coming at them, he sees it first. ]

That voice could be a god. Or it could be something else. We don't know anything about this place.

It could have been a fake, it wouldn't be the first time I've seen people deceived by something they found in a mine.

[Honestly, it's weird that it seems to have happened twice now.

Hunter stands back up, follow the crushed plant life further into the woods.]

You haven't heard anything from the local residents, have you?

I haven't, [ he admits. ] But there's something in the mines. I don't know what, but I know it's something.

[ And it's something he wants to learn about. Christ, how he wants to learn about all the different things in this world. All the monsters, the madness, all that and more. ]

It spoke to me.

[Note to self: check out the mines for supposed gods. It's likely another fool's blood situation, so Hunter isn't concerned about running into an actual god, though he does glance over at Hickey.]

What did it say?

It sang at me, [ he admits. ] It sang at me, telling me to go further down in the mine. Everything went dark and it felt like I was going to be swallowed up.

[Well, that's unsettling. Hunter being Hunter, he tries to rationalize Hickey's description.]

That sounds like someone or something was using bardic magic. Bard use soundwaves to cast spells, either by playing an instrument or singing. [So that's the most likely explanation.] What happened after that?

It stopped. Just as suddenly as it started. And there's the kid who was showing me around, looking at me like there was something wrong.

[ Which, yeah, there was, but he doesn't have to be stared at like that. ]

I want to go back there, [ he admits. ] I want to see what's down there with my own eyes.

[That all sounds pretty strange. Hunter can understand why Hickey would want to go back there, if only to sate his curiosity.

He opens his mouth to ask more, but there's a low rumbling - an inhuman rumbling - coming from their left, further into the trees. Hunter freezes and Flapjack immediately flutters back to him.]

I think we found something.

[ Hickey reaches into his pocket and pulls out a knife. It won't do much against something big, but he holds it like he knows how to use it. And honestly, he'll take any help he can get to give himself a fighting chance. ]

Want to find it or want it to find us? [ he asks, keeping his voice low. Because as far as he's concerned, he and Hunter are in this together at the moment. ]

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