The smile doesn't stop. Not sure if it could grow, but maybe. "You know there's a major Tesla presence there, right? Well, it just so happens that Eve was good friends with Elon Musk. Who... I met." I let his eyes bug. Then, "And he is giving Reggie and me a car, for publicity."
So, Trev, your dad's gone when you get back, as is Mrs. K. Only Mr. K, Tandy and Margie left in the waiting room. It's mid-afternoon and Reggie's doing her thing.
Jake's dad says, "You kids should go. I've got this. Iris is coming back to spell me at dinnertime, and I promise I'll send up a flare if anything happens you need to know about." Margie demurs. She's staying for a while at least. Tandy, though, seems inclined to go home and take a nap. She'll ride with you, if you're going, or catch a cab.
She shrugs, angry, but not at you. "Did he not tell you what they said? He'll probably limp for the rest of his life. They may have to remove his spleen. What does a spleen even do, anyway? His left hip's going to need replacement, which is fine, but..." She turns into a hug, on your way to the car.
"That bitch broke my brother. She's going to get 60 fucking days in jail, max. We should break her."
I feel awful for Tandy, much more than I feel angry at this drunk driver. "Tandy, you know Jake will have a sexy limp, like some rap star. He can live without a spleen." I hug her back, kiss the top of her head. "The hip replacements now are better than the originals. It's a studder step, but this is Jake. He will come out on top."
I pull her back, look in her eyes, "We're not going to break that girl. Stop that talk right now. Because it doesn't help Jake. And it might hurt him, you know? We could get arrested. She needs treatment, not a beat down." Of course, it's easy because it's a girl. If it were a guy, I'd be much more upset.
Tandy pretty much collapses at your rejection of her revenge proposal. "I haven't really slept since I got the call, Trev. Not even last night. Take me home, okay?" You have to actually help her to the car, from there. She's asleep before you get behind the wheel.
I figured she was cranky and at her wits end. That's why I didn't accuse her of anything. Poor girl. I drive her home, then carry her inside if she doesn't wake up. I'll remove her shoes, but I'm definitely not stripping her down for bed. Because that's pervy.
You do wind up half-helping, half-carrying Tandy inside and putting her to bed. She's in comfy clothes, so taking her shoes off is sufficient for the short term. Do you leave with a kiss on the forehead (or cheek), or just leave? So, it's just you now. Reggie's at her place tonight, and you'd be welcome there, of course. It's really early, just past dinner time, actually.
Holy shit, that is huuuuge. I swear, she's going to stretch herself out so much that... phone. Ringing.
"Hey Ree Ree, they're good." I answer, collecting myself. "Margie's still kicking herself for not being around, which is dumb, but she's processing. I hung out with Jake for a bit, but he's got a friggin' morphine drip so, you know... Tandy told me she wanted to hurt the drunk driver lady, but she was tired and cranky. I talked her down, put her to bed." I switch it around, "How about you? I'm gonna log some TSol, don't want us to fall in the ranks. I figured you're still unpacking. I'd just be in your whirlwind."
"Hey, Trev? Feel free to keep trying, and I hate to be a bitch about this, but 'Ree Ree' doesn't really work for me. Okay? You're right about tonight, though. Once I'm in the zone there's a good chance bystanders could become collateral damage, and I'd hate to hurt you. Maybe tomorrow you can help me move a few things around, though? Everything else should be done by then. You don't mind TSoling on your own?"
"No problem, Reggie. I can solo. It's cool." I answer. "I'll come by tomorrow morning, help you with whatever moving you need. Especially if, you know, you need some moving in the bedroom. I'll shake the world for you there." Sofa king horny now. Jessica Rabbit and her bag of tricks getting in my head. "Love you."
Once we're done with the call, I shoot out a text. To: Jessi
You are going to wear yourself out
with that. Literally.
You so crazy.
Trev
I could totally fuck Jessi's brains out right now.
Just before you get through the login, your phone buzzes again. Another picture. It's, well, an action shot.
You're in an area of rolling hills. Little paths and trails lead in many directions. No obvious starting point here to find a hundred-eyed monster guarding a heifer and a tortoise. How do you go about picking up the trail?
Working this quest without my wing-lady will be an interesting challenge. I figure I can find a nearby village, check for rumors. I'll head towards the sound of water, then follow trails for civilization.
You follow the sound of water to a stream, and follow the stream to a small holding, where a young man is tending goats in a fenced field. A healthy olive tree grows nearby, and grape vines crawl up a rough trellis. An old woman sits in the shade of the tree, mending a tunic with needle and thread. She looks up, sharp-eyed.
I duck my head in greeting, "Hello there. My name is Abaddon, I am an adventurer. I'm looking for a hundred-eyed monster. Do you know where I should look?"
You notice that the young man perks up when you ask your question. The old woman gives a laugh somewhere between a chuckle and a cackle. "Why would you go looking for old Argus Panoptes? If he wants to see you, surely he can. Hundred eyes..."
"Ah, so the Quicksilver one has enlisted you in his schemes, eh?" She continues to sew, each stitch steady and certain even while she looks at you. "Well, if you insist on risking yourself, you'll find Argus up in the hills to the west of here. Look for a great boulder shaped like a fist and follow the line of the middle finger."
You jog in the direction that she indicated until you see boulder that clearly does look like a fist. The ground nearby is burned in patches and scattered with little glassy stones that glitter in the light. The large stone itself also shows blackened streaks. The "middle finger" is curled into the "fist" with the rest, but the line is clear enough for you to follow. It extends directly to a tree-topped hill in the middle distance.
As you take your sightline and note your target, a bolt of lightning streaks down from the sky, hitting near you.
I duck down for a moment, just to see if Zeus is taking potshots or if someone's arrived. The sky looks unsettled, purples and dark blues. I decide to beat feet and take off at a run for my mark. I'll pull up quick as I get near the middle finger, then creep from there.
You dodge lightning, which certainly seems directed, but make your way through it to a point where you can creep up to the tree-crowned hill you're sighting on. What you see is this.
Yeah, there's a big tortoise and a cow. There's also a fellow about twice your height, dressed in a loincloth with an equally oversized club sitting to his side. In a circle all around him are hand-fashioned wooden stands containing books and scrolls at varying heights. This makes more sense when you see that he is indeed covered with eyes. His back is to you, dozens of eyes blinking and peering and (apparently) perusing literature, including a lovingly-rendered copy of the TPB of the DC/Marvel crossover event from two years ago. Eyes peek out through the unruly thatch of the hair on the back of his head (how would he even comb that?), his shoulders, arms, elbows... you get the picture.
So, his back's to you, but what good does that do? The tortoise is past him, of course.
If I recall, Hermes bored him to sleep. I'm nowhere near as good an orator as the god of merchants, politicians and liars, but I am a damn good sneak-thief. If only I had some buffs.
Or a blowjob from Jessi.
The plan is to toss a stone or two to the area on the other side of me, then sneak up to the tortoise, snag him and sneak away.
Well, that's a pretty vanilla plan, for the boss-fight of a quest granted to you by a god. You can do that, if you want, but Argus is going to roll a lot of dice to catch the attempt at deception, and you might wind up saddled with a pretty decent-sized tortoise (like fifty pounds worth) when an angry giant discovers the ruse.
I'll pull out my potion of poison, coat my blades, then sheathe them again. Then, I'm walking right up to Argos. I know he'll "see" me right away. I bow, "Greetings, great Argos. I am Abaddon. I have come to speak with you."
Something like a half-hundred eyes blink in sequence. Argus doesn't turn around, but speaks in a booming voice facing away from you. "Argus, human. Argos was the ship that twerp Jason sailed on. And since we got started on such a good footing, tell me why I shouldn't just clobber you right now for interrupting my reading."
I duck my head in an apologetic bow, "Very, very sorry, Argus." I take a few steps closer, but not within easy club-striking distance. "You shouldn't clobber me right now because you might be curious why I'm here. Plus, you can always clobber me later."
I put my hands behind my back and regard him. "The legend I heard was that Hermes bored you to sleep, then killed you. Then Hera saved you by turning you into a peacock. I take it that the story is apocryphal, then?"
I chuckle at his impression, because it's bang on and funny. "One question, great Argus. Why is it that you watch over the heifer and the tortoise? They seem like burdens, really."
Argus chuckles. "So, your plan to make me curious is to keep from telling me why I should be curious? Clever, but not clever enough. I guard the heifer and tortoise because I was set the task. At least the gods didn't make me hold up the sky."
My brows rise and I smile broadly. "Ah ha! That's why you should be curious. I'm sent by one of the Olympians to fetch the tortoise. This, of course, relieves you of your burden!"
My grin widens, and I'm literally happy now. I think I can dodge this whole fight, just by talking. "We are in luck, Argus. Hermes bade me come fetch her to him. He's releasing you of this bond. I can't help with Io, though. That's a Zeus thing, unfortunately. But it should free up, say, twenty five eyes for reading. You can make up for the time you spent gabbing with me."
"Does it matter? Either way, you're released of the burden to hold her, at least for a time. Plus, if I'm lying, wouldn't Hermes take that personally? Since that's kind of his thing?" I give him a wink and a nod. Then I offer, "He asked me for this favor after I defeated Nereus. Seems she knows something he needs to know, so I'm to fetch her so he can change her back and ask."
Argus nods slowly. "Well... you're right. Hermes wouldn't take it kindly if someone was just pretending that they were his messenger. Besides, what are they gonna do, make me sit still and watch harder? You can take the tortoise."
As you turn to leave, Argus speaks again, his voice different. "Hey, dude? That was really good. Hit just inside the parameters. I would have kicked your ass in a fight, I think. Good luck."
It's a slow trek back out of the hills, but like they say, slow and steady wins the race, right? After twenty minutes of progress, you round the curve of a hill and come on Hermes, still in his Western gear. "Reckon you done me a favor, pardner. Ol' Argus may say he's not still mad, but he gets right tetchy when he sees me in person." He waves at the tortoise, which transforms instantly into a beautiful young woman. She opens her mouth, quite clearly angry. "You lousy, no-good..." Hermes waves his hand again, and she is once more a tortoise. The god shrugs.
"Oh." He reaches into his pocket and brings out a silvery sheriff's badge inscribed with a caduceus. "Reckon ya should wear this. Might come in handy, more ways than one."
OOC: Badge of Cunning
When worn, this badge grants the wearer the trait Metis [Cunning] (3). This trait can be applied to rolls when a situation requires cunning, guile, or wit.
It also has a one-time special use. When triggered, it will grant the trait Outis [Nobody] (5). This trait can be used in a situation where Abaddon is being tracked, trailed, sought out, or targeted specifically as Abaddon, and he needs to escape or avoid notice.
And yes, it will also have meaning in the end-game of the quest.
As you start to thank Hermes, he and the tortoise fade out, and you're left alone in the hills of Eve's Ancient Greece. You log out and find another message from Jessi. This one's a video, I don't think I need to describe it, do I? It's been a long day already, we'll just assume you do whatever you need to and get some sleep.
Comments
The smile doesn't stop. Not sure if it could grow, but maybe. "You know there's a major Tesla presence there, right? Well, it just so happens that Eve was good friends with Elon Musk. Who... I met." I let his eyes bug. Then, "And he is giving Reggie and me a car, for publicity."
"Bro... dad's gonna... seriously..." And he's asleep, with a smile on his face.
I hang tight for a moment, watching. Want to make sure he's out, and ok. He is, so I head out, chuckling.
So, Trev, your dad's gone when you get back, as is Mrs. K. Only Mr. K, Tandy and Margie left in the waiting room. It's mid-afternoon and Reggie's doing her thing.
Jake's dad says, "You kids should go. I've got this. Iris is coming back to spell me at dinnertime, and I promise I'll send up a flare if anything happens you need to know about." Margie demurs. She's staying for a while at least. Tandy, though, seems inclined to go home and take a nap. She'll ride with you, if you're going, or catch a cab.
What do you do?
I shake Mr. K's hand, hug Margie, then walk out with Tandy. "Hey, Tandy, it was great chatting with Jake today. So happy he's going to be okay."
She shrugs, angry, but not at you. "Did he not tell you what they said? He'll probably limp for the rest of his life. They may have to remove his spleen. What does a spleen even do, anyway? His left hip's going to need replacement, which is fine, but..." She turns into a hug, on your way to the car.
"That bitch broke my brother. She's going to get 60 fucking days in jail, max. We should break her."
I feel awful for Tandy, much more than I feel angry at this drunk driver. "Tandy, you know Jake will have a sexy limp, like some rap star. He can live without a spleen." I hug her back, kiss the top of her head. "The hip replacements now are better than the originals. It's a studder step, but this is Jake. He will come out on top."
I pull her back, look in her eyes, "We're not going to break that girl. Stop that talk right now. Because it doesn't help Jake. And it might hurt him, you know? We could get arrested. She needs treatment, not a beat down." Of course, it's easy because it's a girl. If it were a guy, I'd be much more upset.
Tandy pretty much collapses at your rejection of her revenge proposal. "I haven't really slept since I got the call, Trev. Not even last night. Take me home, okay?" You have to actually help her to the car, from there. She's asleep before you get behind the wheel.
I figured she was cranky and at her wits end. That's why I didn't accuse her of anything. Poor girl. I drive her home, then carry her inside if she doesn't wake up. I'll remove her shoes, but I'm definitely not stripping her down for bed. Because that's pervy.
You do wind up half-helping, half-carrying Tandy inside and putting her to bed. She's in comfy clothes, so taking her shoes off is sufficient for the short term. Do you leave with a kiss on the forehead (or cheek), or just leave? So, it's just you now. Reggie's at her place tonight, and you'd be welcome there, of course. It's really early, just past dinner time, actually.
What do you do?
Peck on the forehead, because she's my lil buddy Tandy.
If I'm all alone tonight, then I'll log some time on TSol. Been a bit since I did that. But it's probably an early night for me.
You're listening to the silence for a minute when your phone buzzes with a message from Jessi. Just a picture, no text.
Shortly after, Reggie calls.
"Hey, T. How is everybody?"
Holy shit, that is huuuuge. I swear, she's going to stretch herself out so much that... phone. Ringing.
"Hey Ree Ree, they're good." I answer, collecting myself. "Margie's still kicking herself for not being around, which is dumb, but she's processing. I hung out with Jake for a bit, but he's got a friggin' morphine drip so, you know... Tandy told me she wanted to hurt the drunk driver lady, but she was tired and cranky. I talked her down, put her to bed." I switch it around, "How about you? I'm gonna log some TSol, don't want us to fall in the ranks. I figured you're still unpacking. I'd just be in your whirlwind."
"Hey, Trev? Feel free to keep trying, and I hate to be a bitch about this, but 'Ree Ree' doesn't really work for me. Okay? You're right about tonight, though. Once I'm in the zone there's a good chance bystanders could become collateral damage, and I'd hate to hurt you. Maybe tomorrow you can help me move a few things around, though? Everything else should be done by then. You don't mind TSoling on your own?"
"No problem, Reggie. I can solo. It's cool." I answer. "I'll come by tomorrow morning, help you with whatever moving you need. Especially if, you know, you need some moving in the bedroom. I'll shake the world for you there." Sofa king horny now. Jessica Rabbit and her bag of tricks getting in my head. "Love you."
Once we're done with the call, I shoot out a text.
To: Jessi You are going to wear yourself out with that. Literally. You so crazy. TrevI could totally fuck Jessi's brains out right now.
I put on my Black Marlin gear and log in.
Just before you get through the login, your phone buzzes again. Another picture. It's, well, an action shot.
You're in an area of rolling hills. Little paths and trails lead in many directions. No obvious starting point here to find a hundred-eyed monster guarding a heifer and a tortoise. How do you go about picking up the trail?
Working this quest without my wing-lady will be an interesting challenge. I figure I can find a nearby village, check for rumors. I'll head towards the sound of water, then follow trails for civilization.
You follow the sound of water to a stream, and follow the stream to a small holding, where a young man is tending goats in a fenced field. A healthy olive tree grows nearby, and grape vines crawl up a rough trellis. An old woman sits in the shade of the tree, mending a tunic with needle and thread. She looks up, sharp-eyed.
"Stranger, welcome."
I duck my head in greeting, "Hello there. My name is Abaddon, I am an adventurer. I'm looking for a hundred-eyed monster. Do you know where I should look?"
You notice that the young man perks up when you ask your question. The old woman gives a laugh somewhere between a chuckle and a cackle. "Why would you go looking for old Argus Panoptes? If he wants to see you, surely he can. Hundred eyes..."
I look to the woman and answer, "Hermes asked me to bring him the tortoise he's guarding."
"Ah, so the Quicksilver one has enlisted you in his schemes, eh?" She continues to sew, each stitch steady and certain even while she looks at you. "Well, if you insist on risking yourself, you'll find Argus up in the hills to the west of here. Look for a great boulder shaped like a fist and follow the line of the middle finger."
heh heh, is she giving me the finger?
"Many thanks, lady." I bow and jog that way.
You jog in the direction that she indicated until you see boulder that clearly does look like a fist. The ground nearby is burned in patches and scattered with little glassy stones that glitter in the light. The large stone itself also shows blackened streaks. The "middle finger" is curled into the "fist" with the rest, but the line is clear enough for you to follow. It extends directly to a tree-topped hill in the middle distance.
As you take your sightline and note your target, a bolt of lightning streaks down from the sky, hitting near you.
What do you do?
I duck down for a moment, just to see if Zeus is taking potshots or if someone's arrived. The sky looks unsettled, purples and dark blues. I decide to beat feet and take off at a run for my mark. I'll pull up quick as I get near the middle finger, then creep from there.
You dodge lightning, which certainly seems directed, but make your way through it to a point where you can creep up to the tree-crowned hill you're sighting on. What you see is this.
Yeah, there's a big tortoise and a cow. There's also a fellow about twice your height, dressed in a loincloth with an equally oversized club sitting to his side. In a circle all around him are hand-fashioned wooden stands containing books and scrolls at varying heights. This makes more sense when you see that he is indeed covered with eyes. His back is to you, dozens of eyes blinking and peering and (apparently) perusing literature, including a lovingly-rendered copy of the TPB of the DC/Marvel crossover event from two years ago. Eyes peek out through the unruly thatch of the hair on the back of his head (how would he even comb that?), his shoulders, arms, elbows... you get the picture.
So, his back's to you, but what good does that do? The tortoise is past him, of course.
If I recall, Hermes bored him to sleep. I'm nowhere near as good an orator as the god of merchants, politicians and liars, but I am a damn good sneak-thief. If only I had some buffs.
Or a blowjob from Jessi.
The plan is to toss a stone or two to the area on the other side of me, then sneak up to the tortoise, snag him and sneak away.
Well, that's a pretty vanilla plan, for the boss-fight of a quest granted to you by a god. You can do that, if you want, but Argus is going to roll a lot of dice to catch the attempt at deception, and you might wind up saddled with a pretty decent-sized tortoise (like fifty pounds worth) when an angry giant discovers the ruse.
Yeah, that only works on Dukes of Hazard.
I'll pull out my potion of poison, coat my blades, then sheathe them again. Then, I'm walking right up to Argos. I know he'll "see" me right away. I bow, "Greetings, great Argos. I am Abaddon. I have come to speak with you."
Something like a half-hundred eyes blink in sequence. Argus doesn't turn around, but speaks in a booming voice facing away from you. "Argus, human. Argos was the ship that twerp Jason sailed on. And since we got started on such a good footing, tell me why I shouldn't just clobber you right now for interrupting my reading."
I duck my head in an apologetic bow, "Very, very sorry, Argus." I take a few steps closer, but not within easy club-striking distance. "You shouldn't clobber me right now because you might be curious why I'm here. Plus, you can always clobber me later."
I put my hands behind my back and regard him. "The legend I heard was that Hermes bored you to sleep, then killed you. Then Hera saved you by turning you into a peacock. I take it that the story is apocryphal, then?"
He does turn toward you, then. In a pitch-perfect imitation of a moment from that ancient geek favorite (see below), he says, "I got better!"
The club is in his hand, threatening. "So, why should I be curious, little human?"
the link
I chuckle at his impression, because it's bang on and funny. "One question, great Argus. Why is it that you watch over the heifer and the tortoise? They seem like burdens, really."
Argus chuckles. "So, your plan to make me curious is to keep from telling me why I should be curious? Clever, but not clever enough. I guard the heifer and tortoise because I was set the task. At least the gods didn't make me hold up the sky."
My brows rise and I smile broadly. "Ah ha! That's why you should be curious. I'm sent by one of the Olympians to fetch the tortoise. This, of course, relieves you of your burden!"
Eyes wink and blink all over the giant's torso. "Which one?"
This part is tricky, "Which one can release you from your bond?"
"Well, Hera set me to watch over Io. Khelone is all Hermes, though. Even though he killed me that time, he's just so hard to hate, you know?"
My grin widens, and I'm literally happy now. I think I can dodge this whole fight, just by talking. "We are in luck, Argus. Hermes bade me come fetch her to him. He's releasing you of this bond. I can't help with Io, though. That's a Zeus thing, unfortunately. But it should free up, say, twenty five eyes for reading. You can make up for the time you spent gabbing with me."
"I have been wanting to start the Wheel of Time series. How do I know Hermes sent you?"
"Does it matter? Either way, you're released of the burden to hold her, at least for a time. Plus, if I'm lying, wouldn't Hermes take that personally? Since that's kind of his thing?" I give him a wink and a nod. Then I offer, "He asked me for this favor after I defeated Nereus. Seems she knows something he needs to know, so I'm to fetch her so he can change her back and ask."
Argus nods slowly. "Well... you're right. Hermes wouldn't take it kindly if someone was just pretending that they were his messenger. Besides, what are they gonna do, make me sit still and watch harder? You can take the tortoise."
I bow low, "Many thanks, great and powerful Argus." I'll head over to lead the tortoise away.
As you turn to leave, Argus speaks again, his voice different. "Hey, dude? That was really good. Hit just inside the parameters. I would have kicked your ass in a fight, I think. Good luck."
It's a slow trek back out of the hills, but like they say, slow and steady wins the race, right? After twenty minutes of progress, you round the curve of a hill and come on Hermes, still in his Western gear. "Reckon you done me a favor, pardner. Ol' Argus may say he's not still mad, but he gets right tetchy when he sees me in person." He waves at the tortoise, which transforms instantly into a beautiful young woman. She opens her mouth, quite clearly angry. "You lousy, no-good..." Hermes waves his hand again, and she is once more a tortoise. The god shrugs.
"Oh." He reaches into his pocket and brings out a silvery sheriff's badge inscribed with a caduceus. "Reckon ya should wear this. Might come in handy, more ways than one."
OOC: Badge of Cunning
When worn, this badge grants the wearer the trait Metis [Cunning] (3). This trait can be applied to rolls when a situation requires cunning, guile, or wit.
It also has a one-time special use. When triggered, it will grant the trait Outis [Nobody] (5). This trait can be used in a situation where Abaddon is being tracked, trailed, sought out, or targeted specifically as Abaddon, and he needs to escape or avoid notice.
And yes, it will also have meaning in the end-game of the quest.
"Thanks, dude."
As you start to thank Hermes, he and the tortoise fade out, and you're left alone in the hills of Eve's Ancient Greece. You log out and find another message from Jessi. This one's a video, I don't think I need to describe it, do I? It's been a long day already, we'll just assume you do whatever you need to and get some sleep.
—End Scene—