World Tree MUSH

    The town of Duchess has certainly been busy! The oddity of a Vine opening up at the edge of town is just... weird, since it's otherwise a pretty normal, sleepy town that has a history in lumber. In fact, it still has a lumber mill, though that's been cut back(no pun intended) from being the major industry. They used to float the wood down the river, and- but this isn't a history lesson.

    Of late, it's been busy, but then came the sudden lack of good fishing. And then... the girl disappeared. Suddenly the Vine wasn't a good thing, and those who came through the portal are greeted with suspicion at best, and oftentimes just outright forced to return.

    Whether people showing up now heard of this and came on purpose, or perhaps just took a 'wrong turn' because the Vine network has shifted, they'll find the small town is still active, and there's a police car parked near the vine, marked 'County Sheriff' with two men in uniform waiting for new arrivals, and a barricade on the road leading into town.

    It's not long after the fishing dries up and a girl goes missing that a dark grey 2003 Ford Windstar van comes puttering through the Vine. Morrigan sits at the wheel with her shinki Familiar, Mary Contrary perched on her shoulder as she slowly swerves the car toward the curb to...
    Park perfectly legally.
    "Alright, we're here, everyone out!" The Warlock announces as she steps out of the van... Dressed in a perfectly tailored midnight black suit. We're talking jacket, tie, white shirt, slacks, and spiffy shoes, as SPECIAL AGENT DOLLY PARTON and SPECIAL AGENT ASSISTANT JOLENE of SHIELD emerge.
    She has a badge. An honest to god SHIELD badge, if someone tries to turn her away. ... But it has her real name on there unfortunately.

    There's any number of reasons for Valerian to be here.

    He's still an import/export trader, and some sleepy nowhere town with a Lumber Mill is still of interest to him, "So anyway. If you can spare the lumber, I can find off-world sellers. You have NO idea how much those crazy cyberpunk dystopia worlds go absolutely apeshit over 'Real Wooden Furniture'," Valerian says, taking out a CHECKBOOK of all things and starting to write a check, "Anyway, I can front my next three shipments, we'll see how it sells, and then I'll see about stopping by on the regs to pick up more lumber. And if you cut down one of those ancient death trees sealing a weird tar monster that sings early-90s Rock Funk or an ancient malignant monster, I want first right of refusal and I will pay you a ton for that wood." 

    He seems to be talking to a rough-looking man dressed as a business casual lumberjack as he writes with a pen, "So where's good for dinner?" He asks as he finishes up his business.

    News of a missing girl is enough to bring an angel to town this evening. Tyrael also comes through the vine shortly after Morrigan in her grey Ford Windstar van. He nods in Morrigan's direction, as an acknowledgment of her, but upon seeing law enforcement out in force he doesn't make any sudden moves but waits for them to approach.

    High above the world, a Vine opens in orbit. Out of this Vine opening spills a bulbous, stark white-hulled ship, looking a little drunk as it fires maneuvering thrusters to adjust angle and correct a big of a nose-dip and awkward yaw. "Vine Transition complete... emergence from Leyline completed before intercept. Realspace attitude correction, complete. Picking up surface signatures consistant with known entities. Preparing away frame now." announces Minerva as the ship finally rights itself and settles into geostationary orbit above the small town far below.

    The white-haired elf, in turn changes to a different chair on the bridge, and logs-in to the system. "Begin transfer when the Doll is on-site... attempt to contact the people on the ground."

    Moments later, a tall, bulky robot appears in a flash of blue-white light. It's optic sensor a dull orange as it states robotically: "Primus Nodes, Online. Sensor Systems, Online. Versatile Fabrication Matrix, Online. All systems nominal.". It takes a moment, but the robot then transitions from perfect stillness, to a much more organic shifting of weight. "Still not fixed that bug, now it's spreading too. Great. Just my luck. Minerva, any luck with contacting the locals?" The Optic shifts blue and begins panning around like an organic being might, scanning the local area for familiar faces.

    Sigh. In the van is a young girl, hair braided. She's wearing a nice enough dress, though nothing elaborate, and looks very well-to-do and old money. Because she is. Raylene Dunwich looks at Morrigan, "Please remember that this world barely knows what SHIELD is, and definitely doesn't respect its authority. These are wary people, don't expect them to back down by waving a badge." She eases out of the van, and sighs again. "Unfortunately, you should do the talking, as I doubt they will listen to me."

    Maybe because she's like, thirteen.

    Raylene adjusts her dress and approaches the cops. She does a polite curtsy, and inwardly flinches at Tyrael and Justina. Such alien beings are going to make it a little harder, so she'll have to play that up. "Hello, sirs! Wow, a lot of weird ones showing up, huh?" She's... passable at pretending to be a normal girl, so long as she isn't asked about popular trends. She tried carrying pogs once, but never actually figured out what they were for.

    The officers(or more likely local sheriff and deputy) sit up as several appear in a few minutes of one another, when they'd mostly just been keeping an eye on the weird offworlder who was making lumber deals. Suspicious or not, that one seems bizarre but mostly harmless, at least at the moment. Now a robot and an angel that looks like the grim reaper or something have appeared, making Morrigan and Raylene the more normal ones. One turns to Raylene and Morrigan, "Road's closed. If you want to head into town, you'll have to walk."

    To the others, the other one approaches warily, "Please state your business here." Not that he's getting TOO close.

    The lumberer scratches his head at the last bit. "I'm... pretty sure that isn't going to be a thing but fine. There's Jessie's down the road, near the laundromat, can't miss it. Just uh... don't get the tots. Home fries are good but for some reason the tots just uh... don't tell her I said that."

    Oh look at that, familiar faces. Morrigan glances from Valerian to Tyrael and sketches a half-wave have-salute to the pair before she scowls.
    "Man you really know how to ruin my fun, Raylene. I JUST got the badge." She pouts at the girl before adjusting her tie.
    As Justina's Doll arrives. "Oh! Hey, Justina, how are you?"
    Morrigan's attention however, shifts towards the sheriff approaches.
    "That's fine, we can hoof it from here." She says while locking up her car.
    "They're all with me."
    Pause.
    "I'm with OSHA."

    "Yeah, you're right. It could never happen in a quiet town like this," Valerian says to the lumberjack, ticking the narrative chance of it happening due to plot irony ever onwards towards a likelyhood of 1. 

    "Jessie's. Avoid the tatertots. Got it." Valerian says with a couple quick nods of his head as he takes the advice of the man, "I'll figure out what to get otherwise when I get there." He notes as he folds his hands behind his head and starts walking off in that direction after handing over the check to the man. 

    "I'll play along with the charade~ There doesn't seem to be a reason to change~." When Morrigan gives the dragon juicer a half wave, Valerian waves back to the warlock, but doesn't really stop walking! He figures she'll either catch up or not as he continues to sing to himself, "You know, I feel so dirty when they start talking cute~ I wanna tell her that I love her, but the point is probably moot~."

    "My ship got sent here and I decided to investigate... What's going on?" asks the large, 8' tall metal construct, in a much smaller sounding female voice. Morrigan is spotted, and Justina then turns to approach without taking much more notice of the local sherrif. "Morrigan, Mary... What's going on? You'll probably be more concise than the locals."

    The local human enforcers seem to be very wary of the group, especially of him and the robot. It's fair enough, so he'll let Morrigan and Raylene do the talking, as they seem to know this world better than he does.

>> SUMMARY[Justina Thyme] >> New bot, who dis? Oh, hey Morrigan... you're more intelligent than the locals.

    Before the cops can ask why Raylene is here, she adds, "I'm just working on my four year plan and seeing how she works!" Yes, that's it. She's here to see what her maybe-future career is, and fortunately isn't humiliated by the fact that she's roughly the same age as the half-elf.

    "I don't suppose you know where the inspection is? Maybe we could swing by a place for ice cream." Real 13 year olds would never suggest that in this situation, Raylene. But maybe these men don't know how girls her age act, either.

    These are small town cops, but despite the stereotype, they actually aren't stupid. Justina is clearly just lost, and looking to Morrigan for guidance, and the half-elf knows everyone else. Not that they aren't wary, but it's more of a resigned sigh, that at least they don't seem to be people who are here to specifically cause trouble.

    "Ugh, the problems we've been having aren't anything to do with worker safety! Damn regulations," he grumbles, but not too badly. His partner/deputy talking to Raylene tips his hat, "Not much to see, if you're here for what the other one was. Just a mile down south from the docks along the river. You can't miss it." Unfortunately he presumes Raylene knows what he's talking about and doesn't actually offer up what he just gave directions to!

    As for Valerian, well, he has to walk downtown, so it's pretty boring on his front, even if a few people outside doing yardwork are giving him the stinkeye.

    To her credit, when answering Justina, Morrigan is concise and to the point: "The fish are gone and a girl's gone missing." She explains to the other half-elf in the pary.
    Regardless, she flashes a sharp-toothed smile to the officers. "Eventually it WILL have to do with worker safety, I assure you gentlemen. Consider our presence here as proactive." She says before moseying right along.
    "Now now, no ice cream until after we've performed the inspection, Raylene."

    "Tell us about these problems." Tyrael asks of the officer who just complained about OSHA regulations. "I have heard that a girl has gone missing? What is known about her disappearance?"

    It's usually nice to just be handed a nugget of information, but Raylene suddenly realizes that it's way, way less convenient when she has no idea what the information she is being given really... IS. The girl looks a bit puzzled for an instant, then sighs. 

    It's about now the Horror, her ever-present companion, creeps out of the van and starts to wander toward town. It won't go far without Raylene, but it's better to sneak out invisibly without panicking anyone, yes? "Fine," she says, to Morrigan, as if upset.

     'A Girl has gone missing.' That's all the astral projected half-elf needs to know. "We should explore upstream then, if the fish are not making it down stream, then something must be causing issues upriver... As for the girl going missing, does that have any relation to the fish?" this is directed to the Sherrif/deputy nearby. She's not the most socially conscious individual, after all... her voice is clipped and the overall tone she uses is curt and dismissive.

    Downtown in a small town is barely that far to walk, all things considered. But actually, the reason that Valerian is walking into town is because it gives him a good chance scout the place out. He had heard about the missing girl, it may even be his real reason for showing up here. 

    As the dragon juicer walks, he gives anyone giving him a suspicious look a smalltown-appropriate smile and a wave, as if treating these stranges like he were vacationing in Vermont. But he also keeps his ears and sense of smell open, trying to pick up on anything that seems out of place in this town. Something that seems unnatural or warranting investigation. 

    It's a decent enough afternoon to start a hunt.

    The one talking to Justina and Tyrael and Morrigan... well, he sighs, some of that wariness vanishing into annoyance. "Look, lots of rumors starting, and the fish thing is weird. We checked upstream... somewhere between there and downstream they just... *poof!* vanish! Haven't figured it out, but I'm not the one looking into it. But the girl? May?" He gets a look of pain, evidently knowing her, but he sighs, "Everyone is blaming you folks, and I really would like you to just go, but I can't see how it's that. She was near the river, probably went for a swim and drowned. Not much to it."

    He nods his head toward his partner. "Like he said, jsut down the beach from the docks about a mile. The kids go out there sometimes. You know, get away from the parents. Haven't figured out we used to do the same thing, in the same place, when we were their age. It's not like there's much around here else to do."

    As for Valerian, they are still giving him a wary look. A dog barks at him, the owner shushing and grabbing his collar under the bandanna the dog wears, like all the dogs in this area.

    Tyrael considers what the officer has to say. It seems that the problems are connected to the river. Fish vanishing, and then a girl vanishing. Coincidence, or too convenient to not be connected? Only one way to find out.

    "We should investigate this river." he says, and begins to fly off toward it, intending to comb up and down the part that passes through the town.

    Valerian can't blame the people for being suspicious! A vine opens nearby and someone goes missing shortly after. It's not hard to put that chain of events together, "I really shoulda wore a plaid shirt and jeans instead of my usual getup." He remarks to himself as he looks down at his usual attire, "Hmm..." 

    Still. Eventually, he will arrive at Jessie's and enter the establishment, sitting down at the counter and sighing wistfully, "I thought small-town, pre-apocalypse America would be more welcoming." He grumbles to himself as he picks up a menu and browses it.

    "Temporal disruption? No, they'd find dessicated carcasses as they exited... Planar displacement? Possible, shunt the fish to a parallel plane... might be some kind of portal in the river, the girl could have slipped through too." The scientist muses, her words spilling out a mile a minute as she goes over scenarios. "Presents its own problems, how would this interact with the Vines, is it localized or tree-interactive? Is the portal two-way? Is it even a portal?" ponder ponder...

    "We should--" Go investigate the river is what Morrigan was about to say when Tyrael flies right off.
    Yeah she's gonna start walking that way too. At least Mary Contrary can ride on her shoulder.

    Lots of words, not enough action. "We probably should head that way," Raylene agrees, giving another curtsy to the officer before hurrying down toward downtown and presumably the river. Valerian is probably going to see the Horror ambling by before Raylene or the others. "I do wish he wouldn't try to go off on his own," she mumbles.

    Well THIS crew is going to make a lot of eyes immediately forget they saw Valerian. Between the commotion of robotic Justine walking down the street, and Tyrael flying overhead to suddenly panicking locals that are uncertain if it's an actual ANGEL or just another offworlder, there's a lot of commotion. But yes, to get to the docks, Jessie's Diner does need passed by, conveniently. It's also a diner that has WAY too large of a selection for a small diner, but the fish dishes(at least the local ones) all seem to be marked sold out. Unsurprising if they're having a problem there. The waiter, a teenage boy obviously part-timing, does quickly deliver a water.

    As for Tyrael, finding the docks isn't hard... but from above there are a number of spots on the riverside that could qualify. It's PROBABLY the one that has yellow tape around it though, just from a guess.

    Oh. Monster nearby. 

    Valerian folds the menu, drinks the water quickly, and then leaves 2 dollars on the counter as a formality before heading out after the Dunwich Horror. It doesn't really SMELL like a dragon, from what he can tell, but you know. It's a monster, the others are all heading in the same direction as it. Might as well trail a decent distance after the horror to see where this thing takes him.

    Tyrael scans the river from above, looking for anything that seems out of the ordinary. He notes the panic from the locals, and considers using a more normal looking disguise next time. The archangel isn't usually keen on the use of deception unless necessary, but perhaps for their sakes...

    Anyway, it seems that a particular area near the river has been marked by the locals, so that seems to be as a good place to start as any. He descends toward it.

    Yep. The locals are panicking. Even Morrigan facepalms as she follows after the Archangel of Justice towards the taped off riverspot.
    "Coming, Justina?" She asks the other half-elf.
    "WHAT DO YOU SEE UP THERE?" She calls up jovially to the angle, though, before looking into the water.
    She spends a beat blinking and rubbing her eyes before those eldritch green-glowing eyes of hers focus a bit better.
    If there are any illusions nearby, she should be able to see through them.

    Justina is almost left behind in her musings. She wouldn't have even started following if Minerva didn't trigger the auto-follow system in the Doll. So a big robot, muttering to itself about weird, esoteric things that the locals wouldn't even begin to fathom, is just walking down the street with a couple of near-humans, and following a flying angel guy... she's probably the most obviously alien thing outside of Tyrael. 

    Approaching the cordoned off area, the blue lamp of an eye shifts up and scans the zone.

    The Horror doesn't seem to be rampaging, just meandering slowly. To no one else's surprise, Raylene is not far behind, hurrying to keep up with her shorter legs. "We should check out that place, before there's too much going on. Hello, Valerian." She hasn't interacted with the mercenary much, but knows him from their earlier encounters.

    "This is either something offworld, or some sort of water-based cryptid," she muses, then whistles sharply. The Horror stops, turns, and hurries back to her side like a loyal puppy, though only Valerian is likely to see it. "Or," she considers. "Some sort of bear-druid ritual. They like fish..."

    It takes a bit longer for the others to catch up to Tyrael, obviously, but he does need to find a place to land, unless he wants to just crash through trees or splash into the water. Which is an option! Regardless, when he DOES land near the area, he'll get a surprise!

    So what does Justina, Valerian, Morrigan, and Raylene walk into? A scolding. Because once Tyrael lands, it's but a moment before someone pops up. A bespectacled young girl waving her arms!

    "Get away from the shore! You'll scare it away!" She huffs and adjusts her glasses. "All that work and you're going to ruin it! It could be days before I can lure it out again! Get over here behind the trees!" The fact that Tyrael is a massive guy with no face and wings seems to bother her less than him scaring the fish or whatever she's trying to catch.

    "Hello, Miss Dunwich! How have you been?" Valerian asks to her as he rendevous with the group and keeps pace with Raylene. When she talks about what it could be, he says, "I hope it's a Nessie. But it's probably a fishman." He replies to her as his hands go to his pockets. 

    When a young girl with glasses on runs over and talks about scaring it away, Valerian just shrugs and follows after her placidly. He's kinda gone with the flow this far, might as well see where this journey takes him for the day, "Yeah sure, alright. I'll follow you."

    Tyrael regards the girl who suddenly pops up and starts scolding him. What was she trying to lure out? He doesn't get behind some trees--honestly, how much is that going to help, anyway? The wingspan alone is several tree trunks wide.

    Even so, he backs away from the shore by a few paces. "What is your name, mortal?" he asks her.

    Morrigan slowwwwwly turns her head when she earns herself a good old fashioned yelling-at.
    "I'm sorry? Who are you?" She asks before shuffling her way behind the trees as instructed.
    "Because I'm an expert with OSHA and this seems to be at least a Class 2 Hauntening, maybe a level 3 Spookening, if we're talking cryptids and druids. And my colleague--" She means Raylene, "Just mentioned cryptids and druids."

    Well that was less expected. Raylene thinks back and remembers now that the cops mentioned 'the other one' which means... they weren't first on scene. "Oh. Of course," the girl murmurs, scootching to the side and trying to give room. "Who are you? Are you a cryptid hunter or just... no, you almost certainly are."

    Raylene seems pretty sure of herself, this time.

    The bespectacled one rolls her eyes. It's really hard for her to wait patiently like this, so she's pretty annoyed. "Belle Gagnon, thanks whatever. Look, you want to catch this thing you have to make sure nothing scary is here, like a big winged angel-man or whatever." Thankfully Justina seems to be hanging back and scanning the area, so that isn't something to worry about. "And since you know it's a cryptid..."

    She points to a stone with a curious oblong mark by the water. "Take a look at that," she says, lowering her voice and backing into the treeline. "Water Horse. Or kelpie I guess, since it's a river. Should be back any minute, and seems hungry. Probably stole the girl away. Guess I don't have to fight it myself now."

    "Very well then." Tyrael nods, and takes to the air once more, hovering just over the trees within view of the river, but hopefully not so close to it that whatever they're searching for would become too wary.

    Wait, what?

    "Belle Gagnon?" Raylene seems to recognize her. "Raylene Dunwich. I occasionally help out with another chapter of the Spirit Chasers." She looks at the others, then gestures for the Horror to stay behind the treeline while she daintily steps back that way as well. "Not to worry, everyone. She's a monster hunter. Not exactly famous, but a friend of a friend, you might say. Caused a fuss down south a ways a year or two back."

    That should help clear things up.

    "Yes. I will help you kill this creature," Valerian says as he looks around the group. Seeing as he deliberately left the Juicer Chainsaw at home, he has to make due with some improvised weaponry. 

    In order to do this, he stoops over and picks up a large rock off the ground. It doesn't look very intimidating, being completely honest, to see someone of his height and weight profile holding a big rock to fight a monster. So he won't expect anyone who doesn't know him well to be intimidated by the gesture.

    Morrigan's face immediately darkens at the mention of a kelpie.
    "Kelpie." She repeats. "As in the creature that drags people to the depths and devours them? Have any entrails been found by the shore?" She asks point blank. "'Cause if that girl hopped on its back..." She trails off leaving the rest unsaid.
    "So you two sort of know each other?" She asks Raylene while collecting herself and her thoughts. A slow breath and she lightly taps her shinki partner on her shoulder.
    "Mary. We're doing the thing."
    Mary Contrary nods and dives into Morrigan's backpack. A moment later she's holding out a jar with... Some nasty things inside it. Morrigan opens the jar and pulls out...
    A pickled octopus tentacle.
    She looks up.
    Valerian is holding a rock.
    "Oh shit."

    Belle looks a little worried. "W-well... fine." At least the big guy is in the air, which seems to be fine for Belle. Apparently that isn't enough to scare it away.

    "Yeah, a kelpie. And I assume she rode off on its back, and I'd like to stop any others from- wait." She pauses and quiets, seeing the rippling in the water. Lowering her voice, "I hope that monster prowling around the edge is yours." But that's all she has time to say, because the ripple in the water shows something approaching.

    It's called a 'water horse' but it has a fanged maw like a dragon... or does it? At first it looks monstrous, but with a flicker, the appearance changes(unless Morrigan still has her true sight up) to something that's a cute white pony prancing onto the shoreline.

    Whatever it looks like, though, Belle seems pretty set on killing it. She didn't have a bow before, but now she has an ornate yew bow, drawing the arrow back and taking a bead, then letting fly. That's probably a signal? She doesn't seem like the leader type.

    Morrigan's reaction is roughly correct regarding Valerian. 

    Once Belle gives the signal and shoots her bow, Valerian says, "Okay, so we're good to go now?" 

    He takes a stance like a pitcher and grips the rock before pivoting his whole body and throwing the rock like a baseball. But when it leaves his hand, it's travelling more like it just got shot from a cannon, flying in towards the creature's temple at a truly absurd speed for any thrown object to actually travel. 

    And then he looks at Morrigan, "What does that tentacle do?"

    Morrigan's True Sight is a gift from her Patron, it's hit or miss in how well it works, but it's technically never 'off'.
    Nevertheless, the Warlock makes a face at the sight of the fanged beast that comes out of the water.
    "Okay it's out. What's the sig--"
    Belle takes the shot.
    "...nal."
    "It looks like that was the signal, Master." Mary points out.
    Morrigan can see that, however and holds up her pickled octopus tentacle, brandishing it like a limp weapon.
    And she says The Words.
    The words that the Warlock says are harsh, guttural, unpleasant on the ears in both a normal sense and a creepy eldritch Other sense that she is calling upon Somthing from the Far Plane to pay attention to her.
    And then? Morrigan hucks the tentacle at the Kelpie.
    The tentacle hits the ground and nothing seems to happen. It just lands with a wet ~plap~ on the shore.
    What does her tentacle do, Valerian asks?
    That's when it tears open a hole into the Far Plane and a plethora of milky-looking, acid-coated, tentacles reach out to try and ensare the Kelpie and hold it down while ALSO trying to devour the beast as they do.
    "That's what the tentacle does."

    Tyrael follows Belle's gaze as she watches the water, listening to her explanation about how this monster is probably responsible for the missing girl. In that case, then yes, this evil definitely needs vanquishing!

    Then a fanged water-dragon looking thing appears out of the depths, before apparently creating some kind of illusion that makes its appearance change. When Belle attacks, he takes the cue and dives out of the sky toward the monster, El'druin drawn and aiming to take its head off!

    Hmm. A single Kelpie? That would make sense, but... there's a problem.

    Raylene doesn't think she needs to help.

    She gestures, sending the Horror around to the side, just in case it tries to run. But unlike the others she doesn't immediately go after it. She's pretty sure there's enough firepower here to take it, but hey... just in case, right?

    Indeed, holding it down is a great start. Belle's arrow thunks right into the neck, in what would be a fatal shot for a normal pony, but just causes an inhuman shriek from this thing! Also inpony, just for the record.

    And the tentacles snap around it, hissing loudly as the acid starts to eat into its flesh! It does have flesh, but it turns out Raylene is right... because that rock hits with a loud *CRACK* that obviously shatters bone, making the thrashing, clawed beast that suddenly looks more like a dragon than a horse bellow out in pain and list to the side.

    Already badly wounded, it's trivial for the angel's sword to descend in a fatal blow, slicing right through the neck and parting the head from the body. The head tumbles away as the kelpie's body collapses, immediately starting to hiss and dissolve in a putrid mass.

    "Huh... usually takes more than one shot for me, but... thanks," Belle says. Her yelling and impulsive nature doesn't mean she's unfriendly. She pushes her glasses up. "Guess most of you are offworlders, that isn't our local kind of magic, and the guys here don't seem too local." Not to mention the robot that was with them.

    Belle shrugs, "That's probably it though... I'll keep an ear to the ground to see if anything else pops up, but it'd be better if they just thought the girl fell in and drowned." Not one for conversation, is she? "Thanks."

    Valerian slowly turns towards Belle with a serious expression on his face. His hands slowly lift upwards before... 

    He shoots her a pair of fingerguns, "Hey, no problemo. You ever need more help, just call Valerian Railton. I'm in the Tree Directory under R. Don't call Valerian Railten, though. He's like right above me, runs an insurance company, and we constantly get eachother's mail."

    Tyrael watches the head rolls, and the body dissolves. He's a bit unsure on the lying to the locals part, but then again...loathe it as he would, he does understand that sometimes, deception serves the greater good.

    "It was a pleasure, Belle Gagnon." he responds with a nod. "Until we meet again." With that, he takes his leave back into the sky.

    Morrigan clicks her tongue as the kelpie dies.
    "Too bad about the girl." She mutters before wiping octopus tentacle-slime off her hand into a handkerchief that her shinki so helpfully provides.
    Morrigan though? She sticks with her cover to the end.
    "I'm just a simple, humble, OSHA agent here to make sure worker safety is enforced..." She says very solemnly. "But I do tend to wander and meddle in places where my help is needed most."
    She pauses a beat before pointing off to the horizon.
    "OSHA! Awayyyyy~!"
    And starts walking back towards her car.
    She'll wait for Raylene at the car.