This is for adding a Search Category to the thread.
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All's well that ends... okay, he guessed. "I wish you a nice stay in Sacramento," he told Zoe then, remembering what had brought them to the house, added "Just make sure there's no more noise coming from the walls. Guessing you wouldn't want Frances to call us back or anything."
Hoping that was the last he'd ever have to say to the amateur witch, he walked to the door and held it open for the rest of the group, although all of his deference was dedicated to Ava. "Ma'am?"
Zoe just stared at Nathan. As Ramona and Green began to move she circled around, her back to the plywood wall of the studio space, and stooped to pick up the ruined basket. Ava mounted the stairs, thanking Nathan as she stepped through the open door and back into the sunnier upstairs. The upstairs, where Frances' useless charms still hung in the windows and the bloody fingerprints still lingered beside latches and doorknobs, two different attempts to keep the old woman safe. Fetch or not, present or not. Safe, on very different terms.
As the four of them emerged, the shuffling footsteps of the old woman herself neared, her perfectly white hair and serious face appearing at the end of the hall. "Did you find what was wrong? I thought I heard Zoe's voice, is she still helping you?"
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Green stopped and turned to face the little old woman. He could still see no sign of the Fetch about her. Instead he responded:
"Uh. Yeah. Zoe has been uh helpful. See... We thought this one would defeat us. Yeah. We think its the pipes. Down in the basement, you know? Shakin' up through the walls and stuff. Now - ah - we think we fixed the problem. Gave it as good a go as we could. So... uh... Don't think you'll be needing to see us again."
He actually forced a smile to spread across his face.
"Hope we have helped you out, ma'am."
Privately, he hoped his rumbling voice could be heard by the Brownie in the walls and that the miserly little fucker would take the hint.
Wishing that this would be the end, Green checked he had all the gear he'd bought, and prepared to quit the house, the spiteful faeries that dwelt within, and the hapless mortal caught in their web.
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The ogress is content to let Green do the lying for them all, and remains silent. She's less effective at faking good cheer, and her face remains sour, so she tries to move away from Frances as quickly as is convenient, to avoid giving anything away. As soon as Green is done speaking, she's picking up any tools she's left and heading for the door, eager to be away from this house, and certain she'll remember it on many late nights to come.
Frances looked up at Green's smile with a touch of hesitation, but seemed willing to accept what he'd said. "Well... I hope so too. Thank you for coming by, Jeff told me I could work out paying later, once you'd had a look and everyone had figured out how much needed to be done. But, I do have something for all of you." There was sincere gratitude in the elderly woman's eyes as she dug into the pocket of her sweater, producing three little white linen sachets neatly tied with string. "I'm sorry," she said aside to Ava, "But I wasn't expecting another. This will keep you safe, but don't open them. It lets the power out." As the Nix waved off the apology, the sachets were held out for Ramona, Green and Nathan to take or not; whatever their preference, Frances didn't seem bothered.
During this exchange, the sounds of a flurry of movement made its way up the basement stairs, perhaps Zoe throwing a fit or already beginning to clear out the work she was forbidden from continuing. A hollow sound followed, perhaps like the lid of a washing machine closing, and then silence.
The old woman saw the four of them to the door, reminding them again of her gratitude before shutting it behind them; then, the immediate click of a lock falling into place. Outside, everything appeared much the same: the street choked by cars attending the birthday nearby, the pinata whose lower half had been knocked off while they were attending to the walls, Zoe's little car still parked at the curb, a few reeds on the seats.
If you have any last posts or exchanges to make, feel free. I'm going to go ahead and close this thread in 2 days unless I hear otherwise from all of you.
If anyone takes a sachet from Frances and decides to open it, now or later, PM me (:
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Green will accept a sachet, if only to be polite.
"Uh. Thanks, I guess. Yeah - no need to pay us. I'm just happy we could help you and Jeff out. Be safe."
Once that is done, Green will walk away, his tread as ponderous as ever.
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The ogress examines the offered sachet for a moment. She starts to turn away, then stops, her eyes finding Ava as she proceeds out before her. Her thoughts turn to what the Dread Queen would do in her place. Refuse an offer of potential power? A chance to pick it apart and understand something new? There's risk of course, but... how much harm could Frances's little charms do?
She plucks up a sachet and disappears swiftly out the door.
Ramona exits the scene. Thanks for running Saeyer!
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The beast takes the sachet with an odd look. His furrowed brows and tense mouth were not at all consistent with his words. "You're very kind, ma'am. Take care."
And with that he followed the others out the door.
Great scene. Good job, everyone!
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