It's Not Made of Gingerbread, Right?

[Lesingnon]

Magi of the Gilded Thorn he might be, but after that deep a journey into the Hedge, and his rather eventful time there, it was a relief to be back in the mundane world. Things were safer here, and more predictable. he didn't have to spend quite so much time looking over his shoulder. Well, that was usually the case at least. Where Betony Rue was concerned all bets were off.

He stood looking at the Boarding House now, having recently arrived with Arch. John's words certainly still weighing on his mind. He'd personally never heard of anything serious going down here, but John seemed to have some sort of history with the place. And it hardly sounded like a pleasant one. Not that he really expected many memories of Bentony Rue to be pleasant.

And it certainly didn't put his mind at ease that this was his first time seeing her since unleashing a yappy little dog in her domain. Oh well, at least if she got violent she wouldn't be able harm him if he assumed his Primal form...

...Presumably.

[John Gears]

John Gears looked much better than he did at the Autumn Festival now that he had shaved to flakes of rust from his face, but he couldn't help but pause every now and again to look around him. What had caused that massacre long ago was still a mystery to the Manikin. Sure there might have been little chance of it happening again, but that did little to ease the images of blood dripping down stairs and little remains of people in harsh lights from dancing in his head.

He wished he was a smoker, it would have given him something to occupy him.

He took a deep breath as the Boarding house came into view. Rick was there like he said he would. John nodded to the Elemental. "Hello Rick."

[Lesingnon]

Rick turned as he heard the Manikin's approach. "Hey," a pause as he noted John glancing about so much. Was he afraid of something, here? If he was it certainly didn't seem to a fear he'd mastered, despite the time that must have passed.

"Something wrong? You look awfully jumpy."

[John Gears]

"Just memories Rick..." John john replied as he just stared at the sky, letting his nerves calm down and the grind of his gears turn back to a gentle tick. "Tell me, How long have you been in Sacramento Mr Pereg?" Formalities. They were always good to fall back on.

[CyledyrWyllt]

The large Victorian bulk of Edna's Boarding house looms before the Lost as they await the arrival of the Twilit Page. Surrounded by the early colors of Autumn in the afternoon sun, the house actually looks rather warm and inviting. There is, however, just a tiny hint of something else. John, Rick, and Arch get the feeling that once the sun has set, the house takes on a somewhat more sinister aspect. None of them can imagine the neighborhood kids even thinking about trying to TP it on Halloween.



Arch nods to John as he walks up, but lets the two men catch up for a moment. Soon however, from both the look on the Manikin's face and the rather cryptic words he utters, she figures out what the gears in his metal head must be turning over.

"You remember the massacre, don't you?"

[Lesingnon]

"A little over a year." Though he could have given the exact number of days if he'd wanted to, the date of his arrival was firmly fixed in his memory. You just didn't forget a mad Changeling murdering his wife and daughter, then leaving the Hunter of Longest Days dying on the sodden floor of an apartment. Or forget the first time you met the love of your life, no matter the circumstances.

The Wyrd worked in funny ways.

And disturbing ways.

His gaze roams across the building once more, not missing its subtler aspects. They suited its caretaker, he decided. For all her merits, warm and inviting was never how he'd have described Betony Rue. He does turn to look at Arch as he hears her speak, though. "Massacre?"

[John Gears]

"Hello Arch. Its been a while." The Manikin said with a nod to the Warden. He turned back to Rick and sighed. Looks like He had to explain.

"It happened on the same day I arrived." John said, hands shoved deep into his pockets. "Me and another were coming here for the night and....Well, it was horrible. Never saw anything like that. Not even when I was on the force. Some...Thing came, ripped everyone to pieces and left the original proprietor drained of all her blood. I think we came within minutes of it happening."

[CyledyrWyllt]

"Yeah, they never figured out what... or who did it. From what I remember, the back door had been completely shredded off its hinges, right? It must have been something... or someone with incredible... possibly Ogrish, strength. If I'm not mistaken, Betony Rue took over the place soon after that, didn't she? Has anyone heard of her having any problems since then? No? Now, that sure is convenient, isn't it?"

A crisp Autumn wind sends a sudden shiver through them as one of the curtains hanging in the front window of the boarding house is pulled aside. A dark figure peeks at them from inside, but it is too brief for any of the Lost to get a good look at their observer. However, soon the front door opens and a young woman steps out onto the porch. She's pretty, for her type, even with the dark, oily sheen that covers her hair and skin.

"Hi. Can I help... oh, hey Rick!"

Emma walks up to the trio with a welcoming smile. She nods to John in recognition, but raises her eyebrows toward Arch, not being familiar with the former Ranger of the Thorns. Rick notices that the Blightbent carries herself with a surprising amount of self-assurance compared to the last time he had seen her.

[Lesingnon]

"It wouldn't necessarily require that much strength, hinges are the weakest part of a door." What part did she think always gave way in those scenes where the big macho men knocked it down with a shoulder charge or something similar? "And I don't think she'd be nearly so blatant in trying something like that." He didn't even want to think about how many poisons the woman knew how to mix up in a pinch...or about what they could all do, for that matter.

Anything else he might have been planning to say is cut off as he spots the curtains moving, and the younger Elemental emerged onto the porch. "Emma, I didn't realize you were staying here. You're looking good, too, like you've found yourself." The flicker of his eyes to her hand was reflexive, and quite brief. As it turns out, young women driving their fist through glass was also quite memorable.

Then noting her look towards Arch, he tacks on an introduction. "This is Arch, she used to be a member of the Sacramento Freehold before she left for San Francisco. And she was hoping to speak with Betony Rue, ask her about something the two of them were looking into a while back."

[John Gears]

"Unlikely. If that were true Miss Arch, Edna would have met the same fate as everyone present." The fact that Rick brought up Betony Rue's preferred mode of attack also put the accusation further away from the ogre.

It was convenient, that he was sure of.

While John would have liked to continue discussing the matter, the appearance of Emma forced his silence. He was nice enough to give the girl a polite nod though.