Old Town The Hunter of Madrid

[Third on the Match]

The Hunter of Madrid

DC3

Hostile

Keywords
Animal Handling, Earth, Shadow

Cinder 5d6

Strike 8d6

Luck 6

The Hunter is a thick-set creature wearing Spanish-style leather armor, beautiful but dyed and tooled with macabre scenes of death and destruction. He sits astride a powerful, thick-chested chestnut Andalusian with a full set of leather barding: croupiere for the hindquarters, peytral for the shoulders, and criniere for the neck.

He wields a lance with a blood-red pennant and when he appears, he is accompanied by a pair of bulls that seem to be composed of shadow and rock. They are wild creatures, just as liable to turn on their master and require disciplining as they are to charge at the Hunter’s prey.

[Evan Saaranen]

[note]Costume

Evan was super excited for this whole festival thing.

Like pumped UP for it. Head heard about it from Max in an off hand kind of thing and weirdly enough even his grandmother had known something about it. Although she had said something about dental hygiene. Evan didn't really get it but this wasn't about teeth, unless rotting them out with candy counted. Except probably less candy and more girls using any excuse to dress kinda skimpy without judgement. Halloween was great and Evan had a lot of fond memories over the years. So yeah, yeah yeah yeah! Festival with costumes and stuff! Super rad.

Super. Rad.

Def not stalling.

Shit... Evan realized he kind of was stalling. He was in the area, he even saw a few weird folks wandering around looking for the festival. Some of them... kind of made the hair on the back of Evan's neck stand up. Worst of all though, is that he was getting cold feet. What if something happened? What if he choked or worst yet what if he changed? Festivals meant crowds and while Evan was dealing with a campus life just fine he wasn't sure halloween on the spooky side of things would- yueah this was a bad idea. Evan made a bad call here.

Frowning and feeling like a real heel, Evan pulled the reins on his super cool costume and turned, even though he could have just turned normally on his own this seemed more right. And it was funny... and he needed any laugh he could get after coming this way then chickening out.

Then he noticed the sign. A stop sign, totally normal thing to have in a city for sure... except this one wasn't normal. This one was tilted. Like something big rammed into it. As someone that often assumed the shape of a giant bear... he kind of knew what the after effects of such creatures was. Evan walked his little dino costume up to the sign and looked at it worried. Was there something else big and dangerous wandering the night right now?

[Brooke Hansen]

Costume

Brooke lost Dune somewhere along the way. She had a drink in hand, a clear plastic cup half-full of lite beer, which she sipped. Brooke made a face, not feeling it. Drinking as she walked was more just passing the time until she hooked back up with the others than the walk's purpose. Turned about by the streets and stalls, she sighed. Her free hand flapped and slapped her though through the linen dress.

She realized after a moment she followed behind some big dude riding a dinosaur. She’d been walking behind him for a few minutes now, listening to the rasp of polyester and the hum of the compressor. It was a cool costume. The dino rider came to a stop, mesmerized by a stop sign. Brooke blinked between the two and laughed as she came closer, seeing the humor and none of the danger.

“You know, you don’t have to obey stop signs. You’re on a dinosaur, not in a car!”

[Evan Saaranen]

Evan turned when he heard someone walking up to him and talking. Okay he had actually heard her walking for a while but just kind of ignored it. He was getting pretty good at ignoring all the extra sensory stuff as of late, except when he smelled food. That stuck with him. Honestly when the person walking spoke and he realized it was to him he flinched a little, still a bit scared about going bear and all. He turned, pulling at the dumb little reins so that the dino's inflated head turned too, so he could get a look at who was talking to him.

It was a young woman, blond and fairly pretty, dressed in a dress and- Oh oh! Evan recognized the outfit from some weird movie his Grams had asked him to watch with her. Mid summer, yeah that was it right? Evan smiled, pleased he remembered the name of the movie perfectly and nodded his head toward her outfit. “Hey, I like your outfit. I saw that movie pretty recently.” Evan said, flexing his movie knowledge a bit too. Was it close to bragging, maybe a little, but Evan was a creature of habit and he used to brag a lot.

“I know I don't have to stop, Dinosaurs never follow traffic laws.” Evan said joking, it was so easy to fall into his old social habits. “But the uh... well the sign is all bent and it wasn't when I came by here a few minutes ago.” Evan explained. His more playful tones giving way to a hint of anxiety remembering that something probably decently big was just roaming the area.

[Brooke Hansen]

Brooke’s face lit up and she gave a little curtsy for his praise. “Thanks!” She’s gone niche this year, not that Midsommar wasn’t that unknown, but it wasn’t as iconic as Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street. Yet the big guy riding the dinosaur recognized her efforts. That made it even more worthwhile in a way. Brooke took a drink as he continued, and she smiled around the edge of her plastic cup as he joked.

Tilting her head, Brooke peered up at the sign. In turn, she squinted into the night spotted with street lamps and building lights. They’d only met, and Brooke had little to base this feeling on, but there was something about how he spoke that made her take a bent stop sign with a grain of concern. She took another drink out of habit, using the pause to think.

“Yea?” Her question marked her unconvinced, but she entertained him all the same. “What do you, like, think did it?”

[Evan Saaranen]

Evan smiled at her when she thanked him. She even gave one of those little bows girls did in dresses. Ah hell what were those called again? Didn't really mattered he guessed. Evan had actually just about forgotten about the sign when the girl tilted her head to look at it, which drew him right back to what managed to hit it. When she questioned it he could hear the skepticm in her voice. Yeah well... he wouldn't believe him either to be fair. When she asked what managed to do so much damage though.

Well... Around that time the heavy thud of a stone hoof hitting pavement called out and Evan raised his eyes to see some kind of... was that a bull? Oh that was a pretty dope costume. If it was a costume. Pretty big though... also some guy was riding next to it. On a full on horse. Evan frowned and looked at the bull scraping the ground with its hoof. Didn't they do that just before... ah shit.

“I'd put good money on that thing.” Evan said pointing.

He hadn't even seen the second bull yet but already he could feel his pulse rising bit by bit. Instinct was talking to him now, be big and tough. Stand up straight. Roar, make them leave you alone. If they don't, kill them. Evan swallowed again and glanced at the girl. “You should uh, probably run.” he said awkwardly.

[Brooke Hansen]

Brooke Strike to flee: Success

Brooke followed his gesture and her eyes went wide. A quick breath hitched in her throat to see the headless rider astride an armored horse, a bull coalesced of deep shadow and mottled with stone beside him. Although fuzzy at the edges, the bull shaped thing was powerfully big and could have made quick work of the stop sign.

“Oh shit,” Brooke squeaked. Keen not to make any sudden moves, Brooke adjusted her stance to a more alert posture. But for the shadow bull, all it needed was that twitch of movement to force a charge. Thunderous and heaving, the stonework shadow roared like a landslide. Brooke threw her beer and ran, the bull in pursuit.

Brooke Luck: 7/7
Horseman Luck: 5/6

[Evan Saaranen]

Evan Strike 8d6 (brawler 1)
3 passes = hit
Horseman Strike 8d6
5 passes = hit
Evan Cinder attunement 4d6
4 passes = Complete success

Evan thought the horseman dude was just a dope costume at first, but that bull thing was obviously not normal. Evan chewed the inside of his cheek nervously as everything started getting real tense.

When the girl moved the bull started running. Oh great. She even chucked a can at it, what a waste of good beer.

Evan was moving before he thought it out.

Evan moved fast, instantly tearing up his costume as the air vented from the dinosaur. But his speed and strength were needed. Evan tackled the side of the bull and despite the obvious size difference the bull moved.

Which gave Evan time to start stomping its head in.

A second later it was just shadows and pebbles. “Yeah, take tha-”

The second bull rushed Evan and slammed into him from behind. The man skipped like a stone on the ground before hitting a wall. His vision started to go black as rage and feral fury rose in him.

And Evan took a breath and started counting. One. Two. Three. Four. Um... five.

His vision cleared and he started standing up... yeah.... he had this... no shift today.

Evan Luck 7/8
Horseman Luck 4/6

[Brooke Hansen]

Brooke Strike vs Horseman (DC3): Hit
Horesman Strike vs Brooke (DC3): Hit

Brooke sprinted maybe fifty feet, hardly a start, before she realized nothing chased her. She’d been so sure the bull made of shadow and rock intended to gore and trample her. Maybe some flashback to the nian and being gored and tramped in the bright lights of a stadium made her run. Yet realization dawned and Brooke slowed, turning.

The man who once wore a silly dinosaur costume fought two of the beasts. One melted into shadow, again reminiscent of what happened on Chinese New Year, and vanished in a scatter of pebbles. A second bull-thing slammed into the dude from behind. She could have kept running, retreating to safety, and maybe finding the others. She could have left this man to his fate, but that wasn’t who she was. Brooke hiked up the hem of her dress and drew her sidearm. Letting the dress drop, she checked the chamber, and headed back into the fray.

She skidded to a stop on the pavement and leveled her weapon at the horseman. A quick double tap sent two rounds into the mounted huntsman. Each puffed dryly out the back of the leather armor. A bull coalesced from shadow and flagstones from the street. Head down, horns ready, it charged Brooke. She skittered from the path, narrowly avoiding the spear tips raised before her.

Brooke Luck: 6/7
Horseman Luck: 3/6

[Evan Saaranen]

Evan Attunement 4d6
3 passes = Complete Success
Evan Strike 8d6
7 passes vs DC3 = Hit

Horseman Strike 8d6
5 passes vs DC3 = hit

Evan took a slow breath and shook off the pain and anger of taking a hit. He was calm. He was in control. He was just fi- BANG BANG!

JESUS WHAT THE FUCK!?

The sudden gunfire made Evan fli ch and almost shocked him enough time make him start to shift all over again. He wasn't used to gunfire.

He took a second to right himself, squeezing his fists over and over until he felt stable. It didn't take as long as he expected. He looked at the girl.

“Why do you have a gun!?” he asked even as she dodged a bull.

Evan stepped in front and reached out, catching the bull literally by the horns. It wasn't as easy as he though and as he twisted his arms one horn scrapped deep into his side. But Milo had taught him a while back that he would heal from a cut like that.

Evan kept twisting, his muscles bulging at the effort until he crushed the bull to the ground, holding it as he looked for the other one that had rammed him earlier.

Evan Luck 6/8
Horseman Luck 2/6

[Brooke Hansen]

Horseman Cinder Animal Handling: Success
Horseman Strike vs Brooke (DC3): Hit
Brooke Strike vs Horseman (DC3): Hit
Brooke BOON
Brooke Cinder Shadow: Success

Brooke didn’t answer the dude’s question, she only grinned. Why did she have a gun? This was America, damnit. She was licensed to carry, and things like this had a nasty habit of kicking off around her. Duty bound to do something about it, being armed felt like a necessity.

The other bull trotted into view, melting from the night. The way it emerged from the dark recesses reminded Brooke of the nian she faced. But where the nian slipped from shadow to shadow, its ivory hide bristling with eyes, this bull was made from the stuff. Stone glinted in the parts between.

The rider, ever-present, reigned in the stallion. Brooke froze as the lance, blood-red pennant draping, extended towards the brawl. The dude fought with the bull, turning it by the horns and stymieing the aggression. It snorted, puffing dust in frustration. The second bull charged.

Brooke raised her pistol and fired into the bull. She moved to draw the rushing mass of shadow-laced rubble away. Brooke emptied half her clip into the monstrous construct before it turned for her. Head down, it picked up speed, ready to gore her into the ground or flip her end over end by the horns.

Starkly, everything came into focus. She drew a sharp breath, struck by an epiphany. A stupid, stupid epiphany. She couldn’t outrun this thing—but maybe… Brooke stopped and faced the bull. With a cocksure grin, she readied herself. Gambling everything like this was fire in the veins. She bobbed her head, waiting for the right moment, the opening she sought.

And then the bull was upon her and Brooke slipped between the stones and into the shadows which bound them. A gout of golden flecks from the flank announced Brooke’s passage. The bull skidded to a stop on stone hooves, bewildered by where the girl had gone. It snorted amongst the golden snowfall and thrashed its head.

Brooke Luck: 5/7
Horseman Luck: 1/6

[Evan Saaranen]

Horseman Strike 8d6
3 passes vs DC5 = Miss
Evan Shielding Strike 7d6
2 Passes vs 3 passes = Fail.... so... no Luck changes this round!

Evan felt the bull give way to shadow in his grip and he snarled in annoyance, which wasn't right. He grimaced in annoyance, yeah that was what humans did. Grimaced. Not snarled. Looking from the bulls, to the girl with the fucking GUN, then to the rider it was becoming obvious even to Evan what was happening. The bulls were just helpers, if they were real at all, and the real problem was this horseman guy. Evan rolled his shoulders as he started stalking toward the horseman, who for his part turned his horse a bit and held up his lance in a very formal manner.

Ah, Evan recognized this. Kind of like bears standing when facing each other. A challenge. Evan had his own little thing for this actually, something he used to do in the ring before the bell rang. Holding up his arms and curling his fingers into fists, Evan threw two back to back little punches as he cocked his guns- metaphorically speaking. There was this action actor that did it all the time in the movies and Evan liked it so much he adopted the mannerism.

Moving forward, his hands now raised, the Knight started riding toward him and leveled the spear.

Which was about the time Evan realized he'd challenged a mounted lance to a fist fight. Ah. Fuck. That was stupid.

Instinct can be a bit of a bitch and as the rider bore down on Evan he reached out an open palm as if he was going to catch the lance. He missed. Let's get that rightout of the way first. Evan was a bit off and maybe closed his eyes at the last second so his hand full on missed the lance. But thankfully the lance missed him too, catching his outfit and tearing it a bit instead.

Evan opened his eyes and glanced down to see most his chest exposed and his costume ruined.

“OH COME ON!” he shouted.

he had avoided a shift just to have his outfit ruined anyway! What the hell!

[footnote]Evan 6/8
Horseman 1/6[/note]

[Brooke Hansen]

Brooke Strike vs Horseman (DC 3): Hit
Horseman Strike vs Brooke (DC3): Miss

With a puff of golden flecks that hung in the air and drifted like snow, Brooke emerged from the shadow of a sign post. She emerged behind the commotion, the bulls and the rider otherwise occupied by the man. He handled himself well, even going as far as challenging the rider to single combat. Brooke raised a skeptical eyebrow as she raised her pistol.

Dialed in on the rider, Brooke took aim, and squeezed the trigger. The shot was true, a thunder crack through the streets, and into the hunter’s back. It was almost anticlimactic the way the horseman sloughed off his steed and to the pavement below. The shadowed bulls dissipated, losing the stone slabs that made their bulk.

Brooke lowered her pistol and trotted closer, still wary, but feeling the danger passed. “Hey my guy! You like, good?”

Brooke Luck: 5/7
Horseman Luck: 0/6

[Third on the Match]

The Hunter of Madrid - Defeated

The horseman falls limp over the saddle's pommel and lists to one side out of Brooke's line of sight, but he doesn't go far. The Andalusian's combat saddle keeps his headless body seated, an unsightly hanger-on on the stately horse.

After a moment, however, there's the creak of leather and a shifting body. The horseman pulls himself back into the saddle with quick, efficient movements. In the tense silence that follows, though he has no head, he appears to look around, assessing the situation. When he sees both his bulls are gone, he regards Brooke and Evan with mute respect. Then, fist thumping against his chest in a brutish salute, he rips the pennant from the head of his lance and lets it flutter to the ground at their feet.

Afterwards, he turns his horse about and spurs it into motion, galloping off into the night.

The Hunter's Pennant

The Hunter throws down a pennant, a blood-red strip of cloth depicting scenes of Spanish bull running, and other lovely designs. The fabric is stained with blood. When held or worn, you are able to use the Animal Handling keyword spontaneously, like a Half-Blood. It has three charges. When these charges are spent, it becomes inert.

If used in a ritual, the Pennant can provide the Animal Handling keyword. When used this way, it is destroyed.

[Evan Saaranen]

Another gunshot rang out and a moment later the horseman seemed to fade and die. That was good, much more and Evan worried he'd... well bear out and just start tearing the place up. Oddly enough Evan never felt like he was in too much danger. He knew if things got real bad the biggest threat would have likely been himself- shifting and hurting a lot of people. Seeing the horseman die he was just glad things hadn't gotten much worse. Of course then the knight that had slumped in his saddle sat up suddenly seeming perfectly fine. Evan tensed up as he curled his hands into tight fists and considered what he could do to take this thing down.

Only that seemed to be a waste as the knight just tore a cloth or something free and dropped it on the ground before ridding off calm as you like. Evan frowned not really sure what the fuck just happened... like... what the fuck.

The girl who had been going all gun happy started walking up too asking if he was good and Evan was quick to hold up a hand toward her warning her from getting any closer. Was he good? He was still kind of worked up and he needed some time to make sure he was safe from a sudden shift. He'd shown a lot of control and didn't need to lose it last second now. It probably didn't help either than with his costume torn it was starting to slip from his waistline now too- thankfully he'd worn some boxer briefs instead of going full commando under the halloween costume.

“Y-yeah, but give me like a second.” Evan told her, trying to sound calm despite being a bit worried he might still go full yogi on his surroundings.

[Brooke Hansen]

Not knowing what else to do, Brooke mirrored the horseman’s salute. Hers was more laissez-faire. The horseman galloped into the night beneath Brooke’s watchful eye. So. Fucking. Weird.

“Sure thing, dude.” Brooke gave the man his space for now. Finger off the trigger, Brooke kept the pistol at the ready as she hurried towards the torn pennant. Stooping to pick it from the ground, she grimaced at the ghoulish and bloodstained trophy. She wanted to show this to the others and get their read on what happened. Other than this bit of cloth, there was precious little evidence of the engagement.

She moseyed back. “Sucks about your costume.” Brooke said and made a show of sadness. Best not to dwell too much on the headless hunter and his duo of shadow bulls.

[Evan Saaranen]

Evan Attunement Cinder 4d6, FAILURE

Okay okay okay. Everything was good now. Everything was calm now.

Evan felt his heart beating in his chest still, pretty wildly to be honest. Guess punching up with some type of magic medieval knight would do that, but he was all good now. Everything was all totally fine now. The woman said something but he barely heard her over the sound of blood rushing in his ears. But that would pass soon, because he was calming down. Calm, calm, calm, calm, CALM. He took a long slow- admittedly ragged- breath to prove how perfectly calm he was after that whole fight.

She said something again and Evan looked at her, everything looked and felt weird when he turned his head. Like it was surrounded by cotton, and his vision didn't really look right either. Lights were too bright and stuff had a kind of motion blur on it. But he was fine, he was perfectl-

He was not fine.

A look of pure panic crossed his face as he looked over at the woman with the gun. “RUN!” He shouted at her.

A second later he hunched over as his back started to bulge and his mass drastically increased. The color seemed to darken in his eyes until they were near total black and his bodily proportions started to morph. He stumbled near a car and put a hand on the hood, the hand was shifting as well as long claws curled out of his fingers into the metal top of the car. It parted the metal like butter. His height seemed to be changing too as he grew taller and taller, the weight pressing down and denting the car he leaned on. His costume quickly shred to further rags as thick fur started coating his entire body.

The shape of a bear came into view quickly.

A monster of a bear.

Evan's luck was above 4 so for this I'm dropping it by 2 to put him on the new track with updated rules.

Evan Luck 4/4

[Brooke Hansen]

“H-hey.” She stammered and took a step back from the writing mass of muscle and shredding dinosaur costume which once had been a man. “Take it easy now. It’s done.” Her plea fell on deaf ears and she back peddled again.

The spring maiden and the bear. Her Halloween costume choice felt prophetic. Brooke dropped the pennant and raised her gun.

Adjusting for new rules.
Brooke Luck 5/5

[Evan Saaranen]

The bear rolled its shoulders as it adjusted to his perceptions. The smells, the noise, the streetlights.

The sound of someone moving very close to it. The bear turned and stared at a human with its dark eyes. The human lifted up something and instinct told the beast it was a weapon. The face of the monster contorted angrily at the gesture and the lips of the monster peeled away to show angry yellow teeth. The shifter took a heavy step forward as it stood on its hind legs, the bulk of its body seeming to grow taller and taller as it towered over the girl looking down.

“GRAAAAAAAAAH!” the bear roared at the girl.

This was a challenge, as the bear would do to anyone that attempted it harm.

The monster expected this girl to ignore its warnings- all perfectly reasonable warnings to any animal and then the bear would rip her apart and eat her. It was the only response its feral instincts assured it.

Evan Luck 4/4

[Brooke Hansen]

The roar cut through Brooke and made her start. Spittle flecked teeth bigger than her fingers gaped from the bear’s open maw. She held her ground, only shuffling back a step to put a meager distance between her and the monstrous bear. If it had a mind to attack, it would be upon her in less than a second. Brooke grimaced at her chances and the barrel of her gun wavered across the beast’s pelt. The man’s last word echoed in Brooke’s mind. Run.

Tempting as it was to flee for her life, the boss man would have her coin if she let this thing run rampant through Old Town. She darted her eyes nervously around the streets as if they’d provide some answer. Only streetlights and concrete met her eye. Her without silver, the gun she held between them would do little more than piss the bear off. A mistake Brooke wouldn’t make again if she made it out of this alive.

How did you deal with real bears? Bears could climb trees so that wasn’t the answer. Was it play dead or get big and make noise? Was she meant to punch it in the nose like a shark? Panic made her mind wander, yet maybe, just maybe, pissing it off was what she wanted to do?

If she could hold the shifter’s attention and lead it away from the busy streets, then it could kill her there instead of here. It was a terrible plan, but the only thing that came to mind. If she could just think of something that wasn’t that.

Her lip quirked. Maybe the best thing she could do nothing at all? The idea had a Zen go-with-the-flow quality which felt less suicidal than infuriating the bear. So that’s what Brooke did; nothing. Pistol still raised, she stared the shifter down and tried not to shake in her shoes.

[Evan Saaranen]

Evan Attunement Cinder 4d6, Exceptional success! (7 Passes)

The bear moved closer to the girl who continued to stand very still. It narrowed its dark eyes at her as it hunched over and watched her. It watched this girl that... fought with it recently... memories slowly drifted in from the haze of aggression and instinct that swirled in Evan's head as he started collecting his mind inside the thick skull of his bear form. He tilted forward and placed a massive paw on the ground, sniffing at the girl before a low rumble came out of his throat.

“Stay. Still.” his voice growled out.

It didn't sound or feel right, Evan had never spoken before as a bear and the words were stilted and poorly enunciated.

Slowly turning his head he looked to his left, then his right, then his left again as he focused on something. He turned his head as his eyes naturally started to mark something in the distance... and a skin crawling sound of bones shifting came from his body. The hair seemed to recced into himself as his mass shrunk considerably. His hand came up from the ground so that he continued to change without altering his height too much- his head having been lowered to his usual eyeline. All the while he kept slowly turning his head. His body became hairless but deformed with bulky muscles and his mouth filled with sharp fangs but he kept his breathing calm as he watched the street- his more human lips now moving silently.

Then his body seemed to deflate as his muscles took on a more natural look and his skin rippled slightly to a smooth normal texture. Faint words drifting from his lips “-seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven...” as he slowly finished, looking at a streetlamp to his right. He was counting things around him, establishing facts about his surroundings, and calming himself down. It was a trick he learned in psyche class that helped some people deal with panic attacks.

As he finally ended his shift he let out a long low breath before looking back at the girl. “Sorry about that.... I'm naked again aren't I?” he said fearing to look down.

[Brooke Hansen]

Poised as she was to defend herself if it came to that, Brooke tensed as the monster of a bear craned towards her and sniffed. Contemplating where to put her first bullet and which direction to go, the bear’s growled command made her twitch. It wasn’t every day Brooke got so up close and personal with a shifter, but she did as it bid.

Watching the beast melt to the man was riveting. Brooke stared with open fascination as the grim scene played before her to a chorus of cracking bone and rending meat. He whispered something as he changed back, and soon Brooke heard the recited numbers come in a human cadence. She lowered her gun.

For his question, her eyes flicked downward, and then smirking, Brooke nodded. If she had a jacket to offer him, she would have. Then she remembered the huntsman’s grim trophy and crouched to pick it from the floor. She considered the bloodstained pennant in her hand, the grizzly scenes, and glanced back to the poor guy. Brooke tossed the pennant his way, thinking it wise to keep her distance, at least until she was sure he wouldn’t relapse.

“For your—uh—modesty.” She said and couldn’t stop her grin from cutting ear to ear.

[Evan Saaranen]

Evan gratefully grabbed the strip of cloth and used it to cover up... well what he could manage to cover up. He wasn't unused to being nude at this point but doing so in front of a girl he didn't know, in the middle of the street. Look he was feeling a bit vulnerable right now. And it was cold out. Why did she have to smirk, now he was gonna feel self conscious all night. Jeez. Evan let out a long low sigh of pure defeat. “Yeah, all that modesty I have left.” he said with a wry smile.

He moved closer to a car, one that had a weird big dent in the top. Probably his fault. He didn't think that back up to it would show the girl the reflection of his glutes, he was just trying to get a solid object at his back to feel a touch less vulnerable. “Weird ask but um... I couldn't talk you into calling me an Uber could I? I can't remember which pocket I left my phone in.” he said, glancing down at his clear lack of any pockets.

[Brooke Hansen]

“You can try, but dude.” Brooke shook her head. “No Uber is gonna pick you up like this.”

Still with gun in hand, Brooke seemed to consider the weapon and the naked man pressed up against a car. She grinned, a little lewdly, and hitched up her skirt. Brooke wore bicycle shorts underneath and there was a holster and spare magazine high on her thigh. With one foot propped against the car, she swapped out the magazine and holstered the pistol. Patting down her dress, she sighed, deciding what to do with him.

She glanced around, luckily they had no onlookers… yet. But it was probably only a matter of time before the police showed up; gunfire and all.

“Why don’t I…” She trailed off, unsure what to do, then grinned broadly with an awkward laugh. “I’m sorry my dude, this is my first time. How do you normally do this? Wait—do you like, seriously really just call and Uber?”

[Evan Saaranen]

Evan was feeling more self concious, and cold, by the second. The young woman near him seemed to be looking around for others and pointed out that no Uber would want him in their car in his current state... which was a bit unfair. Like, yeah he was naked but he felt he was a pretty good looking guy all in all. Surely some driver wouldn't be too upset to look in their rear-view and see him. Maybe he was just trying to make himself feel better. Yeah, probably just that.

“So normally I'm out in the woods during these... um... episodes. But a couple times... yeah. Just let them know you had a few too many and then someone stole your clothes. It happens.” Evan shrugged.

Fact was he'd had a few weird nights ending like that even before he contracted his werebear-ism. “ You're um... taking all this really well. Miss...?”

[Brooke Hansen]

She mimicked his shrug and nodded to the excuse. Most would laugh and shake their heads, pitying the fool, while thinking the poor guy needed better friends. It was embarrassingly outlandish and stupid enough to ring true. 

“Hansen.” Brooke stood a little taller. “I’m with the Exchange, so like… it’s all part of the job!” She gave a small smile, more professionally pleasant than how she regarded him up until now. He knew the Exchange, right? This all made sense if he had that piece of the puzzle.

[Evan Saaranen]

Evan laughed nervously, mostly just to fill his part of the conversation because jeez this was on the awkward side of things for him. She introduced herself as Hansen and he nodded back to her. “Hey, I'm Evan.” he responded. Then she said she was with the exchange. His first thought was an exchange student but this his brain kicked into gear and he remembered Milo talking a bit about the group. Riiiiiiiight. Magic cops or something. He nodded a bit and gave her a smile. “Okay cool, yeah. I've heard a bit about you guys. Nice to meet you and um, thanks for not shooting at me earlier. Real decent of you.” he said.

He didn't mention that odds were in his favor had she fired. That would have been rude, and he didn't really like thinking about what his animal side could really do when it got out of control. Man, he had been doing so good that whole fight just to lose it all at the end like a fucking scrub. He chided himself as he kept talking to her- still naked in the cold. His nips could cut diamonds right now damn.

[Brooke Hansen]

“Awww… thanks Evan, for not like, making me put you down or something.” Brooke grinned and laughed. Her expression sparked and she glanced back to the fair. “Oh, okay… so like, I think I know what we can do about your… unfortunate situation.”

“There’s a bunch of stalls and people selling stuff and whatever. We can get you some new threads there. But… you may need to grin and Bear it until then.” She said, and her smile broadened.

[Evan Saaranen]

Evan heard her mention putting him down.

Maybe he was just speaking from Ego but he didn't see how this girl would take down a massive bear. He sniffed the air a bit but she didn't smell like a shifter. He hadn't met a lot of shifters mind, just Milo and a few around Easthaven but even when they were all different animals they all had... a certain something to them that gave it away instantly. This girl didn't.

He glanced over at the fair as she said her bit then he chuckled despite himself before quickly making a deadpan expression. “That was a terrible joke.” He said, as if it hadn't still made him laugh.

[Brooke Hansen]

Brooke grinned. “Come on.” She said, ushering them towards the tent city hosting the festivities. Keeping this to herself, she prayed they’d find something to fit the big man. Otherwise, she’d just have led his naked ass through town for nothing. Further beneath that worry, Brooke pondered what brought on the attack. It had all seemed so sudden. Other than property damage, the only evidence that anything happened was the pennant flapping between his legs.