Pebbleway Cove I'm Here

[Hunter Hopper]

Hunter always felt drawn to the sea.

The ever-present roar of waves dragging themselves in, only to crash against rocky shorelines, then retreat backward to regather itself in its masses. Hunter always felt like the sea was hammering on Earth's land, pounding like some roaring drum as if to demand the Earth's attention.

'I'm here,' he wished to cry, calling out to whatever screamed for him.

Despite Hunter's strict rules, there was only so much self-discipline a man could possess before he caved and snuck out to answer the water's beckoning call. Maybe it was sound that drew Hunter near, a vast chorus of voices that Hunter felt he could harness. Of course, it would be a siren that felt so brazen and bold to believe they could harness anything Mother Nature made.

Oh, to be so daring as to command the songs of the sea.

Hunter did not leave his apartment without bundling up in layers to protect him from the cold and the wandering eyes of strangers. Tucked carefully under a thick beanie, Hunter hid a set of long, brown feathers with obsidian quills, a maker's mark he wished he could show off in pride, but this world was not ready yet. Clad in cold, earthy tones of stone grey, mossy green, and soil-rich brown, Hunter entered society under the cover of darkness for the sake of some whimsical fantasy to stand by the shore.

Now, here and making his way across rocks to a strip of beach, the tumultuous waves captured Hunter's being to its core, and he felt that pull stronger than he had before. At last, Hunter was at the sea, shivering from the frigid temperatures, carefully stepping around the larger rocks, looking at the crashing waves with fascination.

“I'm here,” He answered softly, gambling to speak out loud without fear of repercussion, and then boldly called out again:

“I'm here.”

Hunter felt powerful, but for anyone else wandering by in earshot, he might appear as some crazed individual screaming at the sea and slipping over stones.

[Billy Broder]

Cinder 9d6: 7 passes (exceptional success)
Cinder Collection Good component gained.

outfit

Billy stood at the shoreline. That point of sand and rock that held the waves from the true ground. It was cold, and he was wearing a hoodie and a few layers. He didn't want to get too close to the water- his luck was never that solid when it came to this beach. Still, this was the best place he could think of for this after looking at his notes. Sure he could find substitutes, plenty, but for the strongest connection in his mind this place was best. And for a first go he wanted the best chances. Billy was stalling circling his own thoughts like the large owl circled overhead, hidden behind the illusion bracelet it had on its leg.

Reaching out a hand, with a small glass vial between his fingers, Billy let his eyes lose focus and drew in the feeling of the area. Sifting it for the specific intent of that border between the water and the dry. A touch of wind kicked up and Billy sealed the bottle, noting a few small grains of sand in it and a well of potential. His magic was like that, working off of idea and intent. He understood it better now than he had read through his father's grimoire... the Watcher's grimoire.

Billy pocketed the little vial and hefted his bag over his shoulder. This was a good start but now he needed to get to more solid ground, the sand was fine but wind or wave might damage any circle he drew there so- He turned his head as he heard someone speaking. They were here? After a search he spotted some guy standing facing the water and looking poorly dressed for it.

“Hey there... you ok?” Billy called out.

You borrow trouble William. Thought the owl at his wizard, but Billy ignored it and started walking toward the other man on the beach.

Cinder Collection Line Between the Land and Sea (good)

[Hunter Hopper]

“I'm here,” called the clumsy man, sliding up and over rocks as if he were a small bird with soaked wings. His wet clothing clung to his lean frame, but it didn't matter: nothing mattered until the man could find his feet submerged deep within the icy waters.

It was a type of frenetic energy that dragged him out further, even after the sharp icy sting of water splashed against his legs, soaking into flimsy shoes, making the laced items nothing more than ice-cold weights.

Closer, Hunter thought, pushing past the globs of frigid seafoam and vegetation, only to be knocked back feet at a time by the roaring waves.

How quickly could a man lose their footing in the dark? How quickly could a man slip under, colliding with submerged rocks, only to be dragged out and never seen again?

How quickly.

A voice called from behind, and only after a wave engulfed his legs could Hunter hear outside of his head.

Not for him. No. People shouldn't speak to him. Not to Hunter, not to someone as dangerous as he. Despite being as pitiful as the man looked, drenched, shaking, and quickly losing the shore, Hunter saw himself as a fearsome predator, no matter how hard he tried to keep his hands clean.

He'd kill this voice, a mortifying thought that rushed Hunter almost as quickly as the water, clumsily navigating his feet on uneven ground to turn, barely making out the stranger on the rocky beach.

"I'll kill you..." he wanted to warn, but his lips were as sealed as a beak, trembling at all the unknown that lay between them.

“Yes-” Hunter responded around chattering teeth, squinting as if that would make this stranger's intentions clear.

Could he even be heard over the waves? Miserably, Hunter took a step toward the shore, but walking back seemed a battle he would not easily win.

[Billy Broder]

Collection Cinder 9d6 (full moon): 6 Passes
Cinder Collection Cold ocean water (good)

Aw geez.

Billy looked and saw some guy wading into the frozen water. He seemed real out of it. Did this punk sleepwalk out here? He did finally turn but if he said anything Billy couldn't hear it over the waves. Frowning, the wizard went ahead and sat down his bag on the beach and started moving closer, he popped a small vial out since he might as well gather some of the ocean in case he ever needed it. Moving closer he waved a hand toward the seabound fellow. “Hey man, its pretty dangerous out here at night you know?” he tried to warn. Obviously water was dangerous at night anyway but Billy had seen too much to just mean that.

Hell he was probably within three hundred feet of where he and Serafina had been attacked by a vampire... thing. Oof, that night had kind of sucked. Best to help this confused guy away before he got drowned or lured in something that wanted to drown him in turn.

Billy's foot felt suddenly cold and he noted the wave had washed up over his shoe. Great. That shoe was gonna be squeaking for a month now until it dried all the way out. The wizard knelt down and dipped the vial into the water, feeling a deep cold as he did so. He let that cold swell and fill the vial and sealed it with the stopper as much as with magic. He pulled it out and looked, not bad but nothing compared to the water magic he'd once collected from Lin- that he had to give back because he was a moron. He looked at the swimmer.

“Head toward me man, ok?”

Cinder Collection Cold Ocean Water (good) obtained!

[Hunter Hopper]

There was something infuriating about being asked to leave his oceanic orchestra. The band was just beginning to tune, and Hunter, the shivering conductor, was just about to do a sound check with a steady note of B-flat.

Hunter, however, knew better than to open his mouth to scold, fearing what magic might fall out if he put a single emotion to verbal communication. Hunter feared killing again.

Was it why he stood in the water? Replicating the scenario his past victim felt in their final moments? Was that the reason Hunter felt the need to step backward instead of further, trying to retreat from the stranger who was stepping too close?

The man gathered water, and Hunter's attention was directed to the vial. Magic? The man was not plain.

Would that make him safe?

“It won't be safe,” Hunter tried to explain, catching himself as another wave crashed into his backside, sending him stumbling forward a few steps. “I'm a siren-” He announced like that would explain the dangers this man faced.

[Billy Broder]

Billy saw the water push the guy closer to him. In the bad light he looked around Billy's age... maybe a bit younger.

More than anything else he looked cold.

The guy said it wouldn't be safe and it pulled a wry smile on Billy's face. When was the ocean ever safe for the wizard? Then the kid said he was a siren. Like for real real or for play play? Either way Billy was pretty sure the kid was taking a real risk of frostbite here. Billy still had those gloves from Mac so worst case there was a back up but- jeez how did you get someone to listen to you when they were being stubborn.

Hmm... Billy asked himself a question. Certain people could never know the thought even crossed his mind.

What would Max do?

“Yeah, and I'm a wizard. Now unless you're wearing some well hidden thermals get over here before you freeze to death.” he said.

Above them Rowling circled in the night sky, watching and scrutinizing. A siren the boy had said? Interesting... the owl considered things that could be made from the siren's voice or magic. Always the magically focused, but it knew William wouldn't appreciate the concepts just now. He was busy indulging his humanity, again.

[Hunter Hopper]

Hunter lost his footing at the next wave, taking him by surprise and slapping into the back of his knees, he caved like a deck of cards and slid up the beach. In the summersault motion of the twenty-three-year-old's dainty frame being assaulted by the water, he lost his hat. If Hunter was aware of anything outside of the frigid salty water burning his nose, mouth, and eyes, he would have flipped and panicked over anyone seeing his feather crown that formed as two horn-like structures on either side of his temple.

Not drowning, however, took precedence over his vanity.

He crawled up the wet sand as the wave receded, coughing and spitting,

“Wizard.” He croaked back, clamoring up a rock near the supposed 'wizard', and held on.

“A wizard--HA.”

[Billy Broder]

The water hit the kid rough and sent him tossing about up the beach. Splashed up Billy's pant legs too which the wizard wasn't too thrilled about but making sure this kid didn't freeze to death took priority here. When the siren, as the kid called himself, hit the sand from that last big wave Billy took the chance to reach down and grab an arm to haul him up onto the dryer bits of sand. He didn't pay attention to what the kid looked like and just worried about getting out of that icy water. “Up you go.” he said as he did his best to maneuver them away.

It seemed the kid was taking the comment of being a wizard as a joke. Well to be fair in 5e terms Billy was more a warlock but whatever. Once they were a bit away, the Wizard fell to the sand and let out a breath, then noticed the other boy's head decor... well that was interesting. Oh shit, the kid was still gonna freeze too. Moving from the surreal to the very real threat of hypothermia- Billy started pawing at his bag looking for something.

Outside pocket. Rowling thought to Billy.

A second later, and Billy found what he wanted. A pair of mittens, red-orange in color, with copper wiring fitted to them in odd patterns. “Put these on.” Billy ordered, pushing the strange gloves toward the other guy. They were magical in nature, and would immediately work to maintained a comfortable body temperature for the wearer.

Offered Hunter the Fingerwarmers enchanted item once made for him by Mac.

[Hunter Hopper]

He looked to the water, or at least tried to, but found himself moving in the opposite direction. It wasn't until Hunter turned his face around that he realized the strange wizard was pulling him, and Hunter could have screamed in rage.

People do NOT touch sirens.

Not Hunter.

People do NOT touch Hunter.

Screamed, if he wasn't a coward, and if he knew he could beat the man or outsmart him. Instead, Hunter's limbs felt fragile, falling in line as the wizard man led them away from the water.

Hunter wondered if anyone tried to help the others who had fallen prey to his powers and if he could have done anything to prevent them.

A set of gloves were thrust upon him. Large brown eyes settled on the mittens, then up at the man demanding he put them on, wanting to croak out the stupidity of the gloves. If he was going to freeze, a pair of gloves would hardly help, not that Hunter wanted his help.

Stupidly, chattering through their teeth, Hunter held them in his hands and blinked.

“I don't need these, thank you.” hissing words from the chills, causing Hunter's chest to convulse.

[Billy Broder]

Billy leaned back in the sand. It was cold tonight and that was pretty abysmal, but he was used to working in the chill. When he had first gotten to Easthaven everything felt cold. To be expected transitioning from the desert.

The swimmer said he didn't need the mittens and Billy gave him a deadpan stare. Like watching a man actively on fire say he didn't need to be put out. The wizard pushed them back toward the guy.

“They're magic, just humor me before I have to watch a kid freeze to death.” he said.

Rowling circled tight overhead as he watched. It was an annoyance to the bird that their night of ritual work was inturrupted... but the young man claimed to be more than human. At least there was a potential for new components by the oil's reckoning.

[Hunter Hopper]

The chill was working its way to his bones, and soon Hunter couldn't quite feel anything, not the jerking of his limbs, or the way his teeth gnashed together. His eyes, wide and bird-like, stared at the man like an owl, watching as he pushed them back, offering him nothing but a deadpan stare.

If it was intimidation to stare at Hunter that way, it would work, and the hermit Hopper quickly ducked his face away, accepting the gloves and attempting to hide his face.

People do not look at Hunter!

“Right-please stop looking at me bad things could--” Hunter spoke, clipping his voice when he realized his second fear: being heard. Was it too late? Was the man doomed?

Shaking, it took a few moments to work the gloves on, but when he finally managed them, he noted the chill beginning to subside, leaving Hunter to stare dumbfounded at his hands.

[Billy Broder]

Billy kept his eyes on the kid, his stare intent. Maybe more so... When the freezing young man finally agreed and pulled on the gloves Billy nodded and looked back out over toward the water. He thought about what the young man had said, stop looking or bad things could- It made him smile, then chuckle a little, then bark a short quick laugh. “Hahaha.” He rolled his neck a little and leaned back in the sand looking over at the boy again. Already the shakes had settled, those gloves did fine work. Shame Billy planned to melt them down, magically speaking, into something else. “Siren huh? You know, that makes you the second siren I've met on this beach.” He said. He wasn't counting Lin, she was better than a siren, but that red haired woman. He hadn't seen her since so he had to assume she went out to sea. Maybe she hadn't really been from Easthaven at all and was just in the waters.

Or the kid wasn't a siren and was just some idiot. That was fine too, since all that meant was the kid could tell his friends he met some weirdo at the beach that claimed to be a wizard and believed a dumb story about sirens. “So. What's your name? Because right now I'm on the edge of calling you popsicle, which seems a bit silly.” Billy said.

[Hunter Hopper]

The gloves were magic, just as the strange man insisted they would be, and the siren could only blink down at his hands before holding them close, feeling his entire body warm up.

Not freezing to death meant Hunter was able to sit and actually take in the stupidity surrounding his actions, and the question the man asked.

People do NOT ask Hunter's name.

“Hunter,” he croaked, cutting himself off before he challenged the popsicle comment, but stole a glance as if trying to decide some humorous name for the stranger.

Wit when it came to speaking to people wasn't exactly his forte, so it was no surprise that Hunter offered a quiet:

“You?”

[Billy Broder]

The kid croaked out the name Hunter. The wizard couldn't tell if it had been a long time since the kid really spoke to people or if it was another side effect of standing in freezing water for too long. The siren did have the good grace to ask for a name in return. Manners, that was always a plus. Last supernatural Billy had met on the beach skipped all that and just tried to kill him. Damn near managed it too actually. Billy offered a hand out to shake, if the siren was feeling up to it.

“Billy Broder, wizard of Easthaven.” he said with a grin.

[Hunter Hopper]

Billy Broder, wizard of Easthaven.

The man exuded confidence, staring over at him with a grin, even offering the dangerous siren a hand. Hunter managed to convince himself this was a near-death experience, so it was perfectly normal for him to feel so deeply enamored with the way the man spoke.

Charisma, Hunter wondered, staring far too long at the hand, then back at the man, his own hands not quite sure what to do, stopping midway on their flight to grab his. He retreated, crossing his arms like some moody teenagers, shaking his head.

“You can't touch me,” despite having been saved moments prior, “it would kill you... you're probably dead already! Dead! You probably already have it. I'm not sorry, I did warn you. I'm not sorry.” He babbled, twisting his brows as he used a tone far too inappropriate in the face of the man's kindness.

He was sorry.

Hunter felt convinced the man was marked now, his great siren powers already latched on, fearfully waiting for the man to walk into the sea and drown himself.

Hunter was dangerous.

Hunter is not using any form of magic in this post--just delusional.

[Billy Broder]

The kid said that Billy couldn't touch him, and that even their brief contact before was already too much. He was probably already dead! DEAD! Billy glanced away at the waves of the cold evening water. His mind wandered toward four little lines of script written in his father's journal. Already dead? Ha. Looking back at the siren, Billy just shrugged as he smiled. “If I'm already dead, then no harm touching you again. Not like I can get double dead.” Billy said holding his hand out again. As he did so, Rowling flapped his wings silently twice before perching on Billy's shoulder. The weight was instantly noticeable in Billy's stance and the wrinkle in his clothes.

A moment later the veil around the familiar warped, thinned, and eventually faded out to reveal the large bird of prey. “And this is my Owl Rowling.” Billy said. The owl stared intently at Hunter, unblinking and unmoving... “He's kind of a dick.” The owl snapped its head toward Billy and narrowed its large yellow eyes in clear annoyance. “Now shake my hand before I start to feel silly holding it out.” Billy said jokingly, still offering his hand in friendship to the clearly distraught, and possibly unstable, guy.

[Hunter Hopper]

Back straight, shoulders pulled tense, and eyes laser-focused, it was clear to see the siren was unsocialized and even a bit rude. His brows, already naturally arched, were pulled in so tightly it was creating a deep line running up into the boy's wet hair.

Hunter stared, wide-eyed, blinking.

“Double Dead-” What a peculiar thing to say!

One breath, Hunter considered barking madly at the man for continuing to hold his hand out, but the sudden appearance of the owl took precedence and his glare only shifted for a moment before he refocused.

Hunter liked birds.

Now there would be two dead things left on the beach tonight.

Second breath, Hunter's lungs stilled dramatically at the second demand to shake his hand. As angry as the scraggily siren looked, he was severely lacking in the fortitude department, his gloved hand reaching out almost immediately to shake the wizards at their request.

“Why were you out here, were you looking to die?”

[Billy Broder]

Rowling used the Message Cantrip

Billy was glad when the siren finally shook his hand. Billy gave it a good grip and shake the way his dad had taught him. It was weird that was something that stuck with him still even with everything he had learned about his father. Well... it was one of the better memories and he didn't feel like over analyzing his habits just now. Instead he let the kid's hand go after the shake so it didn't go on too long and instead focused on the question asked. Was he out here looking to die? Jeez, this kid was pretty morbid... then again with Billy's track record on this beach it was hard to just say no. Seemed like he was tempting fate every time he came to the shoreline.

“Um, not so much no.” Billy said tilting his head to the side slightly.
We came to perform a ritual. The owl said. Or rather very much didn't say. Instead it just looked intently at Hunter and the words formed from within the mind. It was the message cantrip that the familiar's wizard had made. A useful tool that allowed Rowling to finally communicate with others. The words that were sent came in a crisp british tone as if spoken by Alan Rickman in his role of Snape. For all Billy knew about magic, he still couldn't figure out why his Familiar sounded like that to him. He liked the movies sure but of all the characters?

Rowling was kind enough to tell the wizard what he said to their new siren friend and Billy nodded to agree. “What Rowl said, came out to do a bit of magic. I'm running low on Ward stones and wanted to make a few.” He looked at Hunter again, seeing he was finally warming up with those gloves Mac had made. “What about you? Is that what you were doing out there? Because if so I know a few numbers you could call first. Might help out.” he said. Hotline numbers like that were easy to find but it was amazing how much it could help someone to just talk to a stranger about problems. Billy had learned that recently too.

[Hunter Hopper]

It was a peculiar stance for Hunter to take, mean-mugging the very man who'd saved his life, but when it came to understanding the small siren, many would find it better if they didn't.

He'd shift his gaze, but only for the bird, listening as the winged creature spoke with a type of telepathy-like magic.

The man was here to perform magic, which made him no ordinary human. Discovering the person before him wasn't so mundane, Hunter could allow his shoulders to relax, and his expression not so aggressive.

“Maybe I was here for the same.” Hunter lied, avoiding the magician's gaze by looking out unto the dark waters, already feeling the pull of the waves calling out to him. “There's magic everywhere here... and these stupid humans miss it... They'd never stop to appreciate it like you and I.” Waving a hand to the water, his tone unmistakably bitter when referring to 'these human creatures'.