It is about 60F(15C) degrees. The mist is heaviest At Maple and Lake/span>/span(Your target discovers a cursed object in an antique shop or pawn store that begins to whisper dark promises to them. The object feeds on their desires and slowly corrupts their judgment, offering them exactly what they want most – but at a terrible price. They must resist its influence long enough to find a way to break the curse or destroy the artifact before they succumb completely to its temptations.)

It was a pawn shop that they found themselves in. What Eve was looking for was new furniture for her dorm room, something cheap that she could use to pretty the place up. But she wasn’t finding anything interesting just yet. Flipping through a pile of what amounted to trash, she picks up a chair, pursing her lips as she looks at it.

Whatever reason might have brought Jakem into this place, only he may know. Wasn’t it a meme that in old, dusty pawn shops, you can find the item that promises you everything?

Jakem might hear it calling to him, from a corner, right behind a signed(?) CD case of Taylor Swift’s ‘Lover’ album. A Monkey’s Paw, if he decides to investigate the call. Heard of those?

Jakem lets out a soft whistle at the call, smirking faintly “Wonder you cad, you wanna put that in your museum? Well color me three sorts of interested.” he says as he heedlessly approaches the call. He spots someone picking up the chair and does a quick salute “Oh hey, didn’t notice you in here. You seen the shopkeep about?” He asks as he lingers near where he suspects the ‘monkey paw’ might be located.

Jakem lets out a soft whistle at the call, smirking faintly “Wonder you cad, you wanna put that in your museum? Well color me three sorts of interested.” he says as he heedlessly approaches the call. He spots Eve picking up the chair and does a quick salute “Oh hey, didn’t notice you in here. You seen the shopkeep about?” He asks as he lingers near where he suspects the ‘monkey paw’ might be located.

Eve looks up towards Jakem, her smoky eyes taking in his colorful appearance. “I think I saw an old man when I first came in here, but…” she looks back towards the counter, seeing no one behind it. “Maybe he got busy? I don’t see anyone back there now,” Eve says, frowning.

“And yes, I blend in,” she admits with wryness. “It’s kinda a weird shop,” she says.

But behind that CD, something unseen calls to someone. Something offering promises. Riches – anything they wish – lovers, wealth, partners. And it’d be easy. All too easy. Just… find it. And give in.

Eve looks up towards Jakem, her smoky eyes taking in his colorful appearance. “I think I saw an old man when I first came in here, but…” she looks back towards the counter, seeing no one behind it. “Maybe he got busy? I don’t see anyone back there now,” Eve says, frowning.

“And yes, I blend in,” she admits with wryness. “It’s kinda a weird shop,” she says.

But behind that CD, something unseen calls to Jakem. Something offering promises. Riches – anything they wish – lovers, wealth, partners. And it’d be easy. All too easy. Just… find it. And give in.

Jakem nods a bit “Found you something.” He says as he picks up the CD “This’ll be perfect for yah. You’re setting up a new place right? You got that ‘just moving’ smell to yah, and nothing motivates you to get things moved about swiftly than a little taylor-made music.” he comments, amusing himself as he fishes around for what he’s really looking for. Wealth, lovers, partners; He’s already been tempted and given in. And this little wonder will be the perfect gift to what he’s given in to.

“It’s always an old man.” he says with a soft chuckle.

“Is that… a CD?” Eve says, looking at the CD then to Jakem. “I am. I just got into a dorm at Windermere,” she says. When he lifts the CD though, that Monkey Paw shows itself again. Trying to tempt a man who had given into every temptation in the book.

He may recognize that the promises came with a terrible curse, though. It was a gateway, a vessel for a Fae to manifest through this by essentially possessing someone.

The issue is, once the Fae was done, usually there was nothing left of the person that was in there before.

“What sorts of things are you looking for here?” Eve asks, “And no thanks. I love Taylor as much as the next girl, but I don’t even know how to play a CD.”

Jakem frowns a bit as he peers at the item “Already promised that to someone else.” he mumbles to the object. He grins over to Eve “Oh yeah? You just put a needle on it and spin it… Probably.” he says with a crooked smile. “New college student eh? You should drop by the Den of Wonder. We’re not too far off campus. Even putting together a museum of oddities.” he says with a squint at the object in question. He wants it, but… How to get ahold of it safely?

“So whatcha studying?” He asks conversationally as he picks up another piece of furniture; Another chair, conveniently taking up both his hands. “Oh, don’t suppose you could grab that for me and stick it atop the chair? It’s cute.” He says of the monkey paw.

“I *just* heard about the Den of Wonders from someone, they said that you do wrestling or something there?” Eve says, his appearance seeming to make more sense with that explanation in mind, judging by the way that the girl relaxes. “I bet you could get all sorts of oddities from a place like this,” Eve says to Jakem. He asks the question. “I’m studying conservation, and thinking about getting into business, politics, or whatever else I have time to study. I’m getting with a group – JennyTrails, and considering more volunteering, you know?” Eve says.

“Why don’t you want to touch it?” Eve says, looking at the paw on the countertop. “It’s hideous, but… there’s something about it,” she says, drifting off as he shuffles closer to the paw.

Jakem nods to Eve “Huh, oh my hands are full with this chair.” he explains. Though he clearly could just put it down “Yeah, it’s ugly, but it’ll go great in the boss’s museum. You know Jenny? She actually is in a club with me. Local community thing, kinda sponsors the arts or whatever.” he comments conversationally. “You should consider askin’ her about it if you’re tight. If it sounds interesting that is.” he comments, watching her hawkishly as she seems as drawn to it as he was. Course… If she’s a potential recruit, maybe he shouldn’t just toss that away. “Hey, uh, actually…” he says “I don’t think I want it afterall. Doesn’t look quite interesting enough for the club. You know, not artistic enough. Probably just a replica anyways.” he says dismissively. “We’d be better off trashing it.”

“I uh…” Eve seemed a little distracted. “Just met with Jenny last night,” Eve says. “It was a weird situation though, so probably better to talk to her again about it,” Eve says, the young woman’s face seeming marvelled by the paw.

Eve reaches out to take it, and she touches it, poking the paw to roll a little bit away from herself. “Ewwww, it’s disgusting,” Eve says. “Why would someone even sell that in a shop?” Eve asks. “It’s so exploitative, and not to mention that monkeys are intelligent animals. You’re right though. Are you talking about stealing it? I think we should pay for it, and destroy it,” Eve tells Jakem.

Jakem gives a dismissive gesture “Pay for it? The owner should be paying us to get rid of it for him. You know that thing’s probably infected with monkey pox. He’d need to chunk down thousands just for a hazmat team.” he comments with no attention to the believability of his excuse, snagging a trash bin from near the counter and, without touching it, sweeping it inside.

Then he steals the trash bin; because of course he does “We’ll dump it in the dumpster.” he comments with a shrug. “So what was your weirdness with Jenny? Didn’t involve a dog collar did it?” he asks with a wry smirk as he heads towards the back exit of the shop, pulling out his phone with his other hand.

Already in town, and she was getting involved with a robbery. Eve looks behind the counter for the old man, and not seeing him, decides to follow after Jakem. “I guess if you put it that way,” she says. Did she believe the excuse? Absolutely not, she was just going with it.

When the paw hits the trash can, its promises get more intense for a moment in an effort to stop Jakem from trashing it.

A vision, briefly. He wasn’t just having parties with local Havenites, he was having parties with *celebrities*, beautiful and powerful people who showered him with gifts. His Den of Wonders could be the size of a skyscraper with just a little wish. Everyone in the state, no, the country would be lining up to see his successful business, and he’d be fabulously wealthy.

Fabulously. All of this and more, if he just… gives into the paw.

Obvilious to whatever might be going on there, Eve follows along. “A dog collar?” she asks, sounding offended. “Not in the slightest. She just was being… punished by the faculty at that time. She had broken some rules, so they were chewing her out.”

Jakem nods over to Eve. He’s heard the whole schpiel, and the deals already struck with another fae. The paw really chose the wrong person; trying to poach another fae’s property. He tsks at it, wagging his finger. Probably looks a little crazy, but that doesn’t seem to bother him. “Be good and go get compacted my dear. S’what yah get for poaching another gal’s property.” he comments with an amused chuckle, turning now to Eve. “Was she? Hah! That’s my girl. Rules are for chumps.” he declares as the adult in the room. Or rather, in the back alley.

He reaches into a pocket of his ripped jeans and retrieves a card: Jakem; Purveyor of Wonder. 7100105

“Gimme a call sometime.” he says, slamming the dumpster shut on the entire trashbin he threw out. Guess the old man will have to find another. Fortunately he owns a junk shop.

Jakem grins as he tilts his head, little lecherous now that he’s not distracted “Den’s gonna be the spot to be for you college folk pretty soon. Even got the student council meeting there Saturday after next.”

Yes, he kinda did, if Eve’s features were anything to go by. Taking the card, overall, Eve looked concerned about the interaction so far. “I can,” Eve says. “I’ll talk to Jenny first though, and yeah?” she says to Jakem. “I’m not on the student council, but maybe it’ll be someplace I can go and check out then,” she says.

Overall, she was glancing back to the dumpster, and then back to Jakem, mildly confused at the experience. But still, she was in the alley. “What’s there to do there?” she asks him.

Jakem tilts his head “Right now? We do some brawlin’ about twice a month. Pit some gladiators against each other, mostly mist monsters and folks bet on who comes out victorious. Not to the death mind you.” he glances away “That’d get expensive.” he mumbles under his breath, before turning back to her “But it’s a lotta fun, and everyone’s got their favorite gladiator. Medusa’s a crowd favorite.” he adds. “We also bring in specialty drinks and treats from the otherworld. Stuff you can’t get from anywhere else, and pretty soon we’ll be openin’ a museum of truly wondrous items from the world over; this and others. That’s not ready yet though. Also, probably gonna start having doll fights pretty soon too. Once the production line is up and running.”

He frowns “Is that too much? I feel like it’s overwhelmin’ when people ask that and I lay out all the stuff we’re doing. Well; good drinks, special treats, and some gladiatorial action. We’ll leave it at that for now.”

Jakem nods to someone “And You’re a Ransom right? Eh, tell yah what. If you’re lookin’ for a job we’re hiring. We could use someone that knows a little more about ecological shit. I wanna set up an aquarium for aquatic beasties.”

Jakem nods to Eve “And You’re a Ransom right? Eh, tell yah what. If you’re lookin’ for a job we’re hiring. We could use someone that knows a little more about ecological shit. I wanna set up an aquarium for aquatic beasties.”

“I’m a Ransom, but there are a lot of us in the town,” Eve says. “And it is a lot, but it’s something you’re excited about, so that is good,” Eve says. “And sure – I have your number now, maybe we can meet somewhere when we’re not in a dingy alley right after committing a crime against a poor old local business owner?” she asks, holding her beat up phone. “I might be able to help you.”

Jakem frowns a bit “Well, that restriction doesn’t leave a lot of openings in my schedule, but I’ll see if I can maybe take a holiday on the crime thing for a bit to chat.” He grins broadly “That’s great! Shit, I’ve had this sea monster thing on the backburner for weeks. Having an honest to god person that vaguely knows this stuff, or is at least learning it, should help immensely. It’ll be good to have you aboard.” he declares confidently as if she’d already signed a contract.

“Need a lift home? My bike’s just outside.”

“That could be good. I had to take a bus here, so I’d have to take one back” Eve says. “And uh… I don’t know that much about sea monsters, yet, but I can look them up?” she says, looking to Jakem.