Paranoid (ATTN Turkelton, Marcus Evan)

[Fractured]

The Summer King clucks disapprovingly at his Court. "Don't any of you watch the news?" he says, looking at Marcus, Fu, and Rustmane in turn. "Hell no, he didn't make it. That clerk shot 'Shadow-Edge'," he emphasizes the name sarcastically, "to pieces. And they still want to talk to John. They don't know what to make of the clerk's robbery story, since the video shows him shootin' ShadowEdge after he wasn't even movin' anymore. They say he 'snapped.'"

He looks at the tall, brass man. "John, you got anything to prove this guy was ensorcelled? He coulda done what with you're describing with a Token or something. Hell, it coulda been one of ours, just messing with your heads, cuz I know how you could walk through walls with a Contract. I take it you didn't get a good look at the guy," he says sourly, then adds, "and who knows if the face you saw was even the face we're lookin' for?"

He takes a long drink of scotch. Where did the drink come from? "So, John, what are you planning to do?"

[John Gears]

"All I have to suggest he had contact with the lost before us was the fact he could see the Brass." John said, raising a hand and showing off the copper skin just to add empthasis. "He didn't appear to be one of us. Even with sunglasses and a hoodie, it would be at least a little obvious if he was Lost. The Fact he kept referencing a deal would likely mean Ensorcellment. But like you said, he could be screwing us somehow." John finished.

"As for my next move...I have no idea. I can't exactly go investigating the guy with my face plastered across the news and I can't stay in the hedge for months or else I'll start losing my mind." This was Johns version of a rock and a hard place. He did feel a little guilty that the Darkling didn't make it, but somewhere in his mind he knew that someone that stupid probably wouldn't last long.

[Rust Mane]

"Well, Me and Fu just did the same. I say we hide together till the dust settles..." He looks around expectently. Really? Hm... Rust thought it was the greatest idea ever.

[Fu]

Fu frowns, hiding wasn't something he was good at. Sure standing still like a stone and being a tad sneaky were but not hiding in the Hedge. That place was fucked beyond fucked.

[Fractured]

"No, you boys can't stay in the Hedge forever, but Marcus found goddamn candy spiders runnin' on this side...and Emma, incidentally." The Blightbent doesn't look up from her phone, but the oil on her cheeks coagulates in embarrassment. Harry looks around expectantly, then smacks his forehead. "That's right. None of you were here when those freakin' things took over half of our local Hedge. They're some kinda' hive whatchacallit. You know. Consciousness. They spread it to other hobs, like a virus," he spits in disgust. Emma looks up apprehensively before the Ogre adds, "We're immune, thank the Seasons. So you boys need to look into this thing anyway, and it can't hurt to let the heat ease up, let the police forget about you.

"As for after? I think Fu and Rustmane will get out of this alright if they talk to Kyle Franesco, but that Coyote sonuvabitch is likely to charge you both an arm and a leg for it." Before they can complain, he pre-empts them defensively, "Hey, don't look at me. I didn't tell you boys to complete your task in public." Then he turns back to the big brass fugitive.

"John, you're in pretty serious shit. Kyle might be able to help you, he might not. Up to you to decide whether to contact him or not. If things don't go well, though, you can always hop out of jail into the Hedge, but then, you better damn well stay out of sight. You might just want to learn the Mirror Contracts. You've obviously got some decisions to make." He puts his arms behind his back and puts his feet on the table. Emma frowns.

"Questions?"

[John Gears]

"Well, I didn't actually do anything wrong other than evading arrest. I could talk to Franesco about it and see if I can get the charges off me. I'm sure the video evidence will help me out if some of the things you told me point out that the clerk simply grew paranoid." That was Johns thinking, but still that ever present feel of being labeled a criminal hung over him uncomfortably.

[Rust Mane]

There a moment of silence during which Rust is imagining big rainbow spiders being splattered with a giant hammer, blood flying everywhere, Rust charging through the slaughter with a triumphant war cry.

"Cha! When do we kill the bugs?" He raises a fist high into the air as he exlclaims, which sets him off balance; making him stumble.

[Marcus Evan]

Marcus catches Rust by the elbow and sets him aright on his unsteady legs. "I can drive us to where Emma and I were attacked. We should search the area and try to find where they've nested. These 'candy spiders' are about the size of a large dog and fast. They tried to trap us by spitting some sort of sticky venom." Marcus remembers freeing himself as well as releasing Emma from the adhesive stuff. Gross. "I have no idea how many of them might be in those woods, so we need to be quick and quiet. We shall be scouting the situation for Harry, and shall only engage the things if we outnumber them." Marcus looks to his sovereign for any parting words of wisdom before leading this motley crew back to the woods. "Harry, anything else you can tell us about these things?"

[Fu]

"Are they called candy spiders because they look like candy or because they have bright colors?" He sways slightly though manages not to stumble like Rust. "That goblin fruit either needs to be harvested more often or had something slipped in it. If goblin fruit can make me feel like I've been drinking, we have a gold mine." Fu then frowns. "Wait we can't break any of them unless they go at us?"

[John Gears]

John arched an eyebrow at the antics of both Rust and Fu. "You two really need to learn how to hold your fruit better..."

"Anyway." He started again, turning to Marcus. "I got a Hollow if your in over your heads and need a place to duck into. Belonged to a Changeling by the name of Samuel "Mule" Dirglenicker if Chester is to be beilived..."