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The large Victorian mansion that is the boarding house has a dark, eerie emptiness hanging around it. It looks like it used to be very warm and inviting but the deaths of Enda Fritz and the others had left thier mark. Betony wasn't even sure who was running the estate now but so long as she paid her bills to the address she had been told after the investigation had finished she was not evicted. It was still the safest place she could think of.
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Arch pulls up to a creepy old Addams family-type house. Yipes! She lives here?
Arch looks at Grrface. I think I saw this place on the news. Seriously.
She lets him out, and any other passengers that have come with. I'm not part of your little clan, and it seems like some people want it to stay that way, so, off you go. I'm beat. I want a hot bath. Cinnamon tea. Sleep for a day or two. Oh, yeah.
If you need my services again, call. Or don't. Good luck with your new project.
And with that, Arch is gone.
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Betony Rue took the children upstair to the third floor where her room was. She placed both children on the bed and made them comfortable as she could. Taking a chair from the corner she brought it over to the side. She took a moment to look at them before seating herself on the bed.
She ran a claw along the Crandall girl's cheek as reality seemed to flicker.
"Proper care cannot be given if emotions cloud your mind! Have I taught you nothing!” the Hag screeched.
On the slab of stone that passed for a table lay the shivering form of some poor mortal the Hag had taken from another Keeper to heal. The Hag grabbed the back of the weak girls neck and forced her to look into it's eyes.
"If you were to hesitate because of some fear of causing this patient pain, out of ill concieved mercy, better to kill them and be done with it than risk you making a mistake because of your compassion."
The Hag jerked her back so she could look at her. "I know it's difficult," The Hag's voice grated and scratched even when she spoke softly "But you will learn."
The Hag dragged a serrated claw along the Crandall girl's cheek, tearing apart uneven flaps of skin with the hooks. "You will learn and be thankful."
The Jasons woman froze in her movement. She saw her Keeper's hand extended towards the children and she could feel it as she slowly pulled it away. She tried to tell herself it wasn't true but inside she had felt it. She had been the Hag. She could feel the crack of control inside her that kept that part of her away and could feel the claws trying to tear apart her mind through it. Though they failed to do harm, the break was still there.
The blankets felt cold and hard as sheet rock. Betony Rue got up, picked up one of the shawls hung around the room, and pulled it around her shoulder against the cavernous chill she felt.
spoiler
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Al-Adin waves to Derek.
"I've got to go talk to the sultana about the race, so bye bye!" He waves vigorously, before scampering off.
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Derek looks around until he finds Betony Rue and the kids, then knocks quietly to announce his presence "What can I do to help, Betony Rue?" he asks
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Betony turned as Derek opened the door.
"I'm fine," she lied "You don't need to be here."
She went over to the small fridge and started getting out some food and a large freezer bag to knead it in. She tried busying herself but when she looked back he was still there, looking stupid and stubborn.
Fine.
"Do you have any experince with giving food to someone who is unresponsive?" She winced.
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"I know I probably don't need to be here, but I want to be," Derek says. "I'm afraid I don't know a thing about feeding unresponsive people, though."
He thinks for a moment, then adds "Other than during loveplay, I don't think I've ever fed anyone anything."
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Betony Rue zipps up the bag and brings it over to Derek.
"Now's not the time to be trying to get me to kill you Derek." she says very seriously. "Work that into a paste."
She goes back over and starts filling a second bag with nutrients.
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The Jasons woman finishes putting in ingredients into the second bag and after finding a plastic spoon, goes over to the seat she'd set up earlier. She carefully kneads it into a doughy batter consistancy without piercing it. She seems content to sit without speaking.
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