Log:Return from Gothel

2014/12/15 Bard Grimm Pelana Porter 1

Sandy Bottoms Island

Sandy Bottoms Island sits within the broad curve of Colonial Bay itself. The south of the island is composed of craggy rocks, and here the large historic lighthouse stands; the bridge too ends its great arch on this firmer ground, close by the Oceanarium. On the eastern side of the island, at the end of the rocky outcropping, is the old prison. The majority of the island, to the leeward, is a broad sweep of softer ground, coarse sand and small pebbles. The more secluded of Colonial Bay's beaches are here, as are the ruins of an old fishing village. Sparse sea grass sprouts here and there and many seabirds frequent the island as both nesting grounds and a place to rest between searches for food.

Previously, on Champions Mush...

Grimm's roommate put her in contact with a grieving woman whose child mysteriously disappeared without a trace. With Matt and Frankie's help, they found there was indeed a trace, magical in nature. Which led them to a quiet suburban home, and a trap. Grimm stepped onto a rug, which activated a magical trap that sucked her into one of Mother Gothel's many magical pocket dimensions. Meanwhile, the other heroes went through a magic mirror to find a particular pocket of Mother Gothels, and their particular missing child. After which, once back in this world, they destroyed the mirror, the rug, and Grimm's way home.

It's a sunny day, the morning gloom having been pierced by the rays of the sun at last. The beaches out here are more secluded and private, especially in non-tourist months. Which is why Grimm generally tries to pick this as a target for her extra-dimensional returns when she can get her aim right. Despite the desperation having to get back to this dimension.

The beach grows a little darker, the world a little colder, and suddenly a black shadowy mass appears, like a tear in reality. When it closes, it reveals Grimm standing (if barely) with her arms clutched around a girl sobbing in terror. Grimm has a wicked looking meat cleaver sticking out of her back, and scorch marks along her clothing.

By contrast the man sitting on the rocks of the coast seems to be in perfect health, carrying no sobbing children, with his clothes woefully intact. The Busker Marcus Bard's time staring out over the ocean is interrupted by the appearance of a crying child and Grimm. Likely not the face you want to come back from hell to, or maybe he is. One way or another Bard is sitting there looking at them, perhaps wondering why Grimm is burnt, or why the child is crying, admiring the blood from the meat cleaver, or simply annoyed at yet another interruption. Regardless to what it is that seems to vex the man he clears his throat to make grimm perfectly aware of his presence. "I suppose there are less subtle ways to make an entrance." He looks at the child, moving over to see if she is cold.

Did someone say something about aim? And getting it right? When you can go anywhere, even a small error gets magnified.

There's a very unsubtle flash of light and thwump of displaced air several meters above the beach. This announces Porter's arrival to the area. All is promptly followed by flailing and "Damnit!" This announces his rapid approach to the sand.

Magnified indeed, and exponentially so when you're crossing dimensions. As Porter can probably attest. Grimm's dazed and exhausted, which is probably why her shadow instinctively forms into a giant dark hand and stretches up to reach for Porter. It's much like the giant, clawed, man-sized hand that disemboweled him before. Only this time it just wraps its fingers around him in its massive grip and gently sets him down on his feet. Grimm let's go of the child once she realizes there's no present danger. The shadow hand also lets go of Porter as she starts to ask her usual line after dimension hopping. "Who w-won World War 2...? Axis, or...all..." and then she wobbles and falls over, landing on her left side as she starts to pass out.

Bard allows Grimm to pass out. His hand glows with a strange energy humming with an odd buzz before extending onto Grimm. He removes the cleaver from her back and studies the results of what ever it is he did to her. "Are yo okay?" He asks to basically everyone present, offering his coat to the terrified little girl.

The little girl sniffles and shivers. She can't be more than 8. "I wuh-want my mmmmmoooommmyyyy..."

Porter blinks when he doesn't hit the ground, then gets a wee bit concerned that he's caught by the same shadowy shadow hand that-"Hey!" All that's derailed when he spots Grimm, just in time for her to collapse.

Before he can get a step closer, Bard's there. And glowing. "Um... she gonna be Ok?"

Bard states rather calmly and dismissively, "Depends if she was till alive when I started."

Mercifully, Grimm was unconscious for the meat cleaver's removal. Perhaps less mercifully for Bard, the enchanted cleaver in his grip starts to try and jerk out of his hand.

Bard looks at the jerking Meat cleaver with some distain, his hands glow yellow and there is a rising pitch sound as the cleaver's metal bits may begin to vibrate violently threatening to shake themselves apart. "You will stop that." Bard seems to order of the meat cleaver.

The cleaver shatters in Bard's hand the cracked broken bits falling to the the ground. "Porter, you're lucky, go find those bits." Bard looks to Grimm. "I wonder when she'll wake up." He says noting her breathing. He looks at the girl. "What's your name?"

Porter blinks as the cleaver decides it isn't done cleaving. "What the hell?!" And then it explodes? Well, on the bright side, he's at least stepped to Grimm by now. He crouches down and looks about ready to ...help? when he pauses abruptly. And looks to Bard. "Me? Why do we need to find all the little pieces? And you sure she'll be Ok?" The last answer wasn't very reassuring.

"J-Jessie Halkins," the girl sniffles as she wipes her eyes with the sleeve of her winter coat.

Grimm is at least breathing, but she's still bleeding and burnt.

Bard looks to Jessie, then to porter. "Because I just sundered a magical piece of metal, mostly malevolent, menacing, ma'ams and men, maiming merrily. Malignant means make measured calls. Make sure nothing of it escapes your grasp." He prattles, "In case something else happens. Knowing your lucky, yes it will." He looks to Jessie. "Where are you from Jessie?"

Jessie looks up at Bard now that the scary meat cleaver is gone. "Green acres," she sniffles a few more times.

Grimm's injuries are very slowly mending themselves while the others talk, but she's still unconscious and sprawled in the sand for now.

Bard gathers up Grimm and proper her up so that she at least won't be waking up in the sand as much. 'well we're going need to stop one other place before we do that, but do you know your parents number? I'm certain they'd want to hear from you.'

Porter sighs. "Right." He takes a couple steps towards the sand where magical cleavers exploded. Wait. Magic. He stops cold again and looks to Bard. "Uh... your stuff isn't magical is it? Even if it isn't, might not want to be standing right next to her when she wakes up. She may get the wrong idea. Trust me." He isn't ignoring Jessie, but is pretty sure she's Ok, and will be fine soon.

"I bend aspects of reality to my will, one could argue, but I do it differently." Bard replies. "Also give me a minute." He gets on the phone and contacts Starguard. they have the means to handle extra dimensional travel shock and the other fun things associated with that. They'll be the ones to handle the little girl, or even identify if she is who she seems to be.

Jessie takes a few steadying breaths before she's brave enough to remember her phone number, which she gives to Bard with some stammering. Then she looks at Grimm. "Is she going to be okay? She saved me from the bad grandma."

Bard relays the numbers to the person he's talking with on the phone

The Starguard representative on the other end takes down the name, number, address of the girl, and reports to Bard, "We got a hit. She's been reporting missing for three days. We can send the CBPD to pick her up."

Porter nods to Bard. "Good. Er, I mean that they know about her. Not that she's been missing." He looks to Jessie as he tries to pick up the hewn cleaver pieces. "I'm sure she'll be Ok. She's tough. And looks like she's getting better already."

Bard replies. "Send a star guard team, This has the feel and signs of magical otherworlds on it. I want the girl checked to make sure she isn't a threat or didn't bring a threat. I don't want to have to try to talk a meta human from smashing your head quarters with an asteroid again." Bard commands. The incident he is referring to is when another dimensions imaginary girl coming in and in an attempt to stop adults from ruining the world she tried to smash SGHQ with an asteroid.

"The Starguard representative says, "Alright, we'll send some agents to pick her up, then."

Grimm starts to finally rouse with a pained groan as she continues to heal. Most of the burns have healed up with new skin, and the slash to her back is almost closed up. Her eyes blink open and she looks around groggily.

Porter winces at talk of smashing with asteroids. And here he worries about the random ones hitting things... He picks up a good handful of metal pieces, and probably a good handful of cuts, too. "Think I got all of them. Mostly." Porter looks to Bard, then to Grimm as she moves.

"Good news, you're alive, the girl is too, we're going to have star guard over here to wrap up the scene, and you're still mostly clothed." Bard states, looking down to the injured grimm. "You'll be fine soon."

"And the bad news...?" Grimms asks weakly. Then she becomes more lucid as her eyes suddenly settle on Porter. Ah, there's the bad news. And did Bard just say she was mostly clothed?? Hopefully on the parts that need them. Which they are.

"We have porter and somewhere around here is likely a missed shard of a cleaver that attacks people." Bard replies. "Oh and you're still going have to put up with me."

Porter looks annoyed at the combination of 'mostly clothed' and the look(s) at him. He sighs. "I didn't even do anything, except show up... But thanks for the catch, Grimm." He's not too annoyed or exasperated to be polite. Before he starts digging around in the sand again for a possible overlooked shard.

Of course, Grimm wasn't aware of who she was catching at the time. But she doesn't say that. Or make mention of the likelihood of said catch if she knew who it was. "Welcome," she says with some politeness, gruffness, and guilt, all rolled into one. She looks up at Bard and lets out a sigh. "And thanks. Guess there are worse things," she says as she wraps her arms around herself protectively to guard any potential decency issues. Her wounds start to seal up more rapidly now that she's awake to rebuild herself. And after the last injury is healed, her clothes 'heal' and do the same, knitting together and becoming whole.

Grimm starts to sit up on her own and looks around at the sand. "Well, more good news; the enchantment on that damn--" her eyes flit to the little girl, then back to the sand, "...dang cleaver is broken, too. So at least they won't go attacking anything on their own. Still a hazard for anyone playing on the beach, though."

Bard keeps an eye on the girl while he awaits the SG agents. "Good to hear, lucky in fact." bard grins towards Porter.

"Or anyone trying to pick up the pieces," Porter points out. He lifts up his overflowing handful of shattered steel. "But I'm pretty sure I got all the big pieces, and most of the small ones. Don't think there'll be that many people out here playing right now..."

Jessie is sitting down in the sand now, knees curled up to her chest as she hugs them. Grimm struggles for a moment before standing up. "Huh? Yeah, uh. Lucky, I guess?" She doesn't get the reference or the grin, being only vaguely acquainted with Porter. "Well, 'least you got the worst of it."

"I'd disagree, but you no longer are burnt or have a cleaver in your back." bard replies.

Porter can only hold so much, and doesn't have a magical metal shard sharps disposal container handy. So he has to use his jacket pocket for now. He'll dispose of them later. Or it'll go through the wash and next thing he knows the dryer will be trying to murder him. More than it already is. He frowns as Grimm struggles to stand up. "You can sit and take it easy, you know. They'll be here to get Jessie, but could be a few." So he seems to agree with Bard, in part.

Grimm smirks a bit at Bard's reply. "Just one of my typical days of suck," Grimm grumbles and says it in a way as if all her days are like this. She kneads her right shoulder and rolls the joint experimentally, feeling exceptionally stiff. "But...at least there seems to be a happy ending for someone," she looks to Jessie and sighing in relief, but there's some sadness in her eyes. Then her face becomes that tough mask again and she looks back to Porter. And wordlessly sits back down in the sand. Not because she needs to after going through hell. No siree.

"It'll get better," Porter offers. He keeps his distance, but is close enough to not need to yell, at least. As if on cue, a CBPD cruiser emerges from the bridge, heading their way. "Looks like your ride's almost here, Jessie." He gives her a smile. "You'll get to see your mom soon. She's probably worried sick for you." After a very long pause watching the approaching cruiser, he glances sidelong at Grimm. "You Ok?"

Grimm sighs and rubs the bridge of her nose, clenching her eyes tightly. "I will be," she says in that guarded tone of hers, but through a constricted throat. Her eyelashes seem to sparkle with a little wetness.

As the Porter tells Jessie she'll get to go home soon, she gets up and jogs to Grimm to give her a big hug from behind. "Thanks for fighting the monster, Gabby. Now I can go home and see mommy and daddy and my big sister."

That did something. Something that Jessie said broke Grimm. A tear trickles down her cheek and she nods silently, then clears her throat. "Yeah, uh. Be sure to give them all a big hug, k?" she manages to say gruffly as the cruise parks by their locations and officers step out.

One of the officers steps towards the trio. "We got a report that a girl was found?" he asks, looking to Porter.

Sure. He didn't really have anything to do with it, so of course they'd ask him. "Yeah," Porter grins and points at the girl recently big-hugging gruff Grimm. "But she's the one who found her. Rescued her, from the sounds of it, and didn't look like it was easy." Jessie looks up at the officers. "Are you gonna take me home?"

Officer Rodrigez nods as he walks over to the girl. "That's right. We contacted your parents and they're going to be waiting for you at Starguard," he says as he crouches down to be at eye-level with the girl. Jessie lets go of Grimm and walks over to the officer. His partner takes the girls hand, and he escorts her to the cruiser. Rodrigez gets up and nods to Porter, then looks to Grimm. "Oh, Ms. Grimm. Guess I should've figured it was you. Good work finding her. We'll need you to come down to the station at some point to give a statement." Grimm is apparently somewhat known by law enforcement.

Grimm nods silently. "I'll, uh, be down there later today. Just need some time," she says without turning around to face the officer.

Porter is a bit known, himself. So they were probably glad Grimm's the one who found the girl. Otherwise there'd probably have been more collateral damage, and more paperwork. He gives Jessie and friendly wave as she heads off, then nods to the officers. It's not until after the officer heads back for the car that he looks back to Grimm. Concerned. But not quite concerned enough to step any closer.

"You need anything?" he finally asks after a long quiet. Hopefully her needs don't involve his head on a stick or anything painfully similar.

Grimm remains seated with her head down as the cruiser drives away, still rubbing the bridge of her nose like someone with a headache. "A f***ing break..." she answers in a murmur, but it's not directed at him. Then she sighs and wipes at her eyes before looking out at the sea. "Just one day without awful shick happening. Without monsters. Without nightmares. I just want one day..."

Porter sighs. "I know that feeling." Oh boy does he. Not that Grimm would necessarily appreciate that fact. "You'll get a break. It all evens out. A bunch of crazy, then a breather. Then probably more crazy. I can try and help." He does. By takes several steps back from her. It might help?

"Hmph. Evens out? Great. I get all this power," Grimms looks down at her hands, which become wreathed in black flame. "But because I got all this power, people want to hunt me down to take it for themselves. Or harness it for something. Or I gotta fight nasties because I can. Doesn't feel even at all."

"What about Jessie? Did a nightmare help you find her? Or that power help you save her? Would she be Ok if you didn't find her and bring her back?" Porter can think of at least one easy example of something that helps even things out. At least in his mind. "And you fought DEMON mages before, right? Pretty sure they weren't up to anything good." An organization called that doesn't exactly bring up thoughts of community service or charity work.

Grimm is standing on the beach, staring out at the sea with her hands wreathed in black flame. Porter is standing not too close by off to the side, and talking with her.

Grimm's expression actually softens for once at Porter's mention of the little girl. "I...guess it helped lead me to where I could find her, indirectly. Helped me fight the witch that was trying to fatten her up to eat her. And when the way back home wasn't working...it got us back," she sighs, actually agreeing with Porter. The world may very well tremble at that event.

Porter blinks a little as she agrees with him. He almost forgets that that was his point. "Nothing bad with saving kids, Grimm. Way the opposite. Or saving anybody, really. You did a great thing."

Pelana is flying overhead, and she spots a favorite person way down below. She circles about to see if this is something she should get into... wait... it's that Grimm person! PORTER MUST BE KEPT SAFE! She dives to land as close as she can without barreling into the two.

Grimm doesn't even bother to look Pelana's way. But the shadowy flames on her hands die away and her head lifts up a bit at her arrival.

Porter blinks again, this time at Pelana's suddenly descent and landing. "Oh! Hey, Pel. What's up?"

Pelana dashes to Porter, grabbing a hold of his shoulders. "She hasn't clawed you or anything, has she?," the dragoness demands, shaking the poor man vigorously.

"No, she hasn't. Technically she didn't, either," Grimm mutters. Not that anyone would really understand she and her shadow aren't exactly as attached and simpatico as is tradition. She does, however, look down at her shadow to eye it carefully.

"Wha?" Porter has gone from possibly seemingly mildly wise to brain dead rather quickly. And rattley. "No, P-p-pel-l-l, she didn't c-claw me. And last time wasn't her fault-t, either. I already t-told you that. I'm f-f-fine..."

Pelana stops and releases Porter, but she still shoots Grimm a distrustful look. But she doesn't try to immediately turn the poor woman two-dimensional, either, so she seems to take Porter at his word.

Grimm is at least confident her shadow will behave, seeing as how it bows its head pitifully at her glaring. Mostly confident. "See? I didn't claw him." This time.

"Pel... chill. It's Ok. She's a hero. She just rescued a little girl. That some witch was going to eat!" Porter points at Grimm emphatically. "She wasn't trying to hurt me. I was trying to help her... cheer her up."

Pelana is still frowning. "Okay, so why were you all clawed up last time? Something about a shadow?" She glares at the SHADOW, then. Unfortunately, shadows are ALREADY two dimensional.

Grimm, unfortunately, can't really be separated from her shadow. Guilt by association? The shadow looks back at Pelana while Grimm still looks at it.

Porter reaches up to grab Pel's chin, or a horn, or whatever part of her head he can reach. To turn her glaring his way. "It was an accident. Stuff sometimes happens whether she wants it to or not. Give her a break."

Pelana shrugs. "Well, if you say so. What little girl? I mean, this isn't a problem with YOUR little girl, I hope. Your life works that way..."

Grimm suddenly turns her head and flashes a look at Pelana. "I definitely didn't do anything to HIS little girl," she snaps darkly.

"No, Pel. No, Kyssie's fine! And she's coming next weekend!" Porter's delight at sharing this is muted by the snapping of Grimm. "Whoa. Hey, nobody was accusing you of anything, Grimm..."

Pelana hostility recedes another centimeter or so. "Look, just, when I first come across someone doing damage to my boyfriend and claiming he's some kind of evil cultist, you leap to conclusions, okay? I don't think it's something totally weird and hard to understand."

Grimm folds her arms over her chest and states calmly, "Fine. Granted." Story of her new life.

Well, theere's no stomping, or clawing or whatever else. So far. That's a good sign, right? Porter still doesn't exactly feel calm. He sighs. "Ok, you misunderstood. She misunderstood. And we all know I get things wrong all the time... So we've got something in common... ?"

Pelana shrugs. "So, on to more important things. Who WAS in danger, anyway? And why?"

"Some little girl that got whisked away by an old grandma looking thing. Because she likes children? Shick, I don't know. Who can tell why faerie creatures do anything. The girl was locked up in a cage when I got there," Grimm mutters.

"But she's Ok, now. Probably with her parents." Porter points out. "It's Ok. I was more worried about her," now he points out Grimm.

Pelana looks from Porter, back to Grimm. "What, was the 'old grandma thing' a tough fight? What's some fairy doing loose? I thought Undermoon kept a tab on that kind of thing...."

"About...me...?" Grimm sounds stunned that Porter would. Her attention flickers to the actress briefly. "A nasty fight. And not Fae. Faerie. Different thing. Undermoon's really just an alternate dimension based more on magic. Another earth. Just really divergent."

Porter gives Grimm a shrug, that is a tad sheepish. "You were hurt. Then you looked worn out and upset. Jessie didn't need anymore help, and looked like you did... And I don't really know the difference between fae and faeries. But I'm sure there's plenty of weird stuff all around." He looks between the ladies.

Pelana quirks a smile at least. "You're sure there's plenty of weird stuff because you and the people you know are half of the weird stuff that EXIST, Porter, me included."

"Hm. The things you don't know," Grimm says under her breath and looks back out at the water. The whole world is filled with weird beyond this little slice of it. "Fae are just a race. Like elves. Undermoon's just a kingdom in that dimension. They have other kingdoms, other races. Mainly the goblins and the Fae have a thing against each other. They say there's a goblin being harbored right here in Colonial Bay somewhere."

"Lucky me that I know all the weird people," Porter smirks. But it's a good-natured one. Then he quirks a brow at Grimm. "Really? Even if they don't like each other, is it a big deal that there's a goblin here? I mean, there's fae here, too, rght?"

Pelana nods at Grimm. "Yeah, I hear tell they even have dragons in this down." She gives a silly grin.

"Yeah, she owns a tea house in Chinatown. Kind of a weird one. Grants favors if you know how to ask and are willing to pay the cost." Grimm's heard all sorts of weird news of the magical underworld of Colonial Bay, but still doesn't know where the best coffee is, or a good club. She glances to Porter. "Well, kind of a big deal for a goblin to get all the way from the kingdom of Wyrmwood, through enemy territory, to the capital city of Undermoon and through the portal to here. We're diplomatic allies to the Fae; not the goblins."

"Oh. Didn't know that." Like she said, the things he doesn't know. Porter should be taking notes. He looks at Pel, "Do we have to worry about more dragons showing up? You said they didn't really get alone with the Fae, either."

Pelana shrugs. "Only what I was told. I knew there was supposedly one, but she's real reclusive." She turns to Grimm. "I *meant* me, you know. It was a joke!"

Grimm glances at Pelana. "You're not a real dragon. Just a half-breed," she states as she looks through Pelana and reads the aura off of her."

Porter's jaw drops at Grimm's comment. True or not, he then winces. "I'm pretty sure that half includes their temper, Grimm... And I know you were talking about you, Pel."

Porter adds a smile to Pel.

Pelana actually takes that in stride. "Yeah, I know I'm a 'half-breed'. Or as I like to think of it, twice the awesome. I like having opposable thumbs, you know? Doesn't offend me none."

"Not all dragons have a temper. Aurica is maddeningly calm. I got to see her, once. To ask a favor. A gift. But it wasn't hers to grant," Grimm answers. Her eyes flicker to Pelana. "And she has opposable thumbs, to boot. Might be because of her breed, though."

Porter lets out a breath he didn't really realize he was holding. "Ok... Sorry."

Pelana ahs, "But does she have them WHILE BEING SCALY? I know plenty of dragons can look human. I mean, it's how my parents presumably had me, unless mom had some really weird tastes."

Grimm shrugs. "Could be. Gold dragons tend to be mighty impressive. I'm partial to the black ones, myself. Those do have opposable thumbs. Massive talons."