Encounterlogs
Pennys Odd Encounter Sr William 241126
Penny's evening took a drastic turn when she stumbled upon Fergus, a man desperately seeking asylum from his own group, The Sapphire Martyrs, believing them to have lost their way and himself in immense danger from them. Encountering Fergus near her motorcycle, she is initially reluctant but decides to help him, driven by a mix of suspicion and the need to help, which is magnified by Fergus's evident injuries and fear. The journey to safety is tense, marked by the unsettling presence of a pair of mysterious blue eyes watching them, making the cold, rainy night even more chilling. Despite her inner turmoil and the eerie signs of pursuit, Penny pushes on, determined to get Fergus to the sanctuary he seeks with the Order, indicating Haven's undercurrents of danger and secrecy.
Upon reaching the manor that Fergus identified as a safe haven, their encounter took an unexpected turn. Fergus manages to enter the manor, albeit in a bleak state, while Penny is left outside, only to be approached by a mysterious woman with captivating green eyes. This woman, exuding a strange allure and serenity, engages Penny, momentarily entrapping her in a tranquil yet eerie spell. Just as the odd interaction begins to deepen, it abruptly ends, leaving Penny alone and disoriented. The woman disappears as mysteriously as she appeared, and Fergus is nowhere to be seen, having presumably entered the manor. This leaves Penny alone with her thoughts and a lingering unease, marking a bizarre conclusion to what started as a simple journey home.
(Penny's odd encounter(SRWilliam):SRWilliam)
[Mon Nov 25 2024]
At Elm Street and Paine Avenue
It is dusk, about 54F(12C) degrees, and the sky is partly covered by dark grey stormclouds.
Penny is walking up to her motorcycle, having just left the Apartment Complex. She's fiddling briefly on her phone, maybe sending out a text before she gets ready to drive.
(Your target and their allies come across a member of The Sapphire Martyrs who has lost faith in their cause and is seeking asylum. The character is being hunted by their former comrades and needs protection. The group must decide whether to risk their own safety to protect the defector or to turn them over to The Sapphire Martyrs. The defector has valuable information about the group's plans which could be crucial in preventing their mission's success.)
It had been quite the cold afternoon, the winter already starting to make the streets somewhere chilly to be, making it a pain to go outside without something to cover oneself with, seeking to retain some warth. This fact was not made easier by the heavy rains that had been hitting the town of Haven all day long, making the low temperatures even more noticeable. The moisture on the air making the clothes stick to the wearer's body, the soft wind only amplifying what was already an issue to begin with.
And as the hours keep on passing, one after another, the problem only grows bigger, the darkness of night working to add some more fuel to it. There is few people out on the streets, and not as many visible vehicle lights, people were choosing to stay inside, at home, comfy and warm. Or were still busy at work, finishing whatever they had left before seeking the same shelter as the previous, giving the streets an ominous and eery silence that is only interrupted by the sound of the water hitting the ground constantly.
But among the shadows, something seems to approach Penny. A figure, darkened by the ambience, walking towards her in a rushed manner, probably because she's the only person in sight. The street lights illuminating the figure every couple steps, making it switch between a pitch black silhouette and what seems like the vague form of a man.
Certainly tall, but crouching forward, wearing clothes almost as dark as the night, the most prominent a soaked wet trench coat, that covers most of his body, and a hat on top of his head, not giving much sight of his face at all. Walking towards the woman with difficulty, but not for that slower, seemingly like he could trip any second. But he's still far away enough, it is probably up to Penny to decide, to either let him reach her, to walk forward, maybe to just dismiss it all and keep about her day- He might be dangerous, it might all just be a coincidence, or he might actually be in trouble - In a town like Haven, who knows?
Penny heard the sound of someone coming in her direction, but she didn't immediately acknowledge it. Maybe because she was trying to finish that text. She hits send and slips the phone in her pocket as she starts reaching for her bike but the movement catches her vision. She furrows her brow, quick looking about to see if anyone else is about before she takes a couple steps backward. She turns toward the oncoming person, peering at him, body tensed like she's ready to run, or maybe pounce, depending on what he does. "You better go find someone else to cause trouble for!" She calls out, testing the waters maybe, trying to get more of a sense for what's coming before he's much closer.
The man doesn't seem to stop his movement, almost limping forward, but now it is evident he's going for Penny, at least direction-wise, getting closer and closer until he's only around four or five street lights away. His voice rises to speak, but it seems to be weak, strained, and clearly in pain. It seems spent, and with a clear touch of aphonia, whatever he had been up to, he wasn't in his best condition.
"No please! Please help!" He almost begs, but the cry for help seems more that of a desperate person than someone trying to lure a prey "They are coming for me. They are close by! I need help... Please!" He keeps begging, his advance never ceasing, but despite his words, there doesn't seem to be anyone around, at least, on this street.
He seemed to be coming from the south, from town, someone should be able to be seen if they were following him up all the way from Elm Street, but there is no one to be seen there. No. Maybe the lack of light and the misty ambiance created by the cold and the rains could be concealing someone, but it didn't seem likely- Maybe he simply was not making sense anymore.
"I need help- I need to get away... To the Order... That's a safe place... Can you take me to them?" The man almost begs, now almost close enough to Penny's vehicle for her to see his face, only obscured by the wet dark hair that seems to cling to his face, he looks disheveled, much of a mess, looks didn't matter to him right now
Penny's nostrils flare as the man comes closer, using her slightly enhanced sense of smell to see if he might be bleeding at all. Then those keener eyes skim the direction the man is coming from. Suspicious, but also...what was that Irene had said before? People could travel through the Nightmare? Maybe they were chasing him there? There's a glance to her bike and then to the man. She bristles briefly at the mention of the Order but..."Goddamnit." She growled. "Are you one a theirs? I guess I owe Harry one." Whether he is or not maybe.
She moves now, reaching for the man to grab him by the arm and draw him closer to where she's parked. Her vehicle is a 2018 Ducati motorcycle. "You better be able to hold on tight. I don't do helmets." Then she'll swing her leg over the bike, sitting forward to give room for him to get on while she keeps an eye out for any would-be pursuers.
The man not only seems to smell of blood, he reeks of it. There is a pungent and strong iron-ish smell coming from him, probably held back by the trench coat, it not only seemed like he had a wound, but multiple. Yet they remain out of sight, covered by the wet piece of clothing, probably trying to keep the smell concealed for some reason - But it was raining, surely the combination of a heavy layer and the water washing down over them would be enough to make it not obvious, yet Penny was able to smell it when he came closer, and if she could, maybe whomever he claims to be following them could.
Stumbling his way over the bike as he's pulled, he clumsily manages to get on behind her, upon closer inspection, he seems to be a huge guy, something that probably his crouching form had been deceiving off, at least six foot tall, and with a good amount of muscle, yet right now, he seemed more like a rag that anyone could move around at will, something was truly off, it really did seem like he was in some danger.
But as Penny looks around, no danger seems to be present. None to be spotted, none to be on guard about. Wait, something seems to move around the foliage, right around the little bits of vegetation surrounding this side of White Oak, it seems like it could have just been an animal at first, but then there's something else, from within the darkness, two blue orbs- It was eyes, but why did she see them so well in the darkness? It seemed like they were drowning everything visible around them. Like everything was moving onto a second plain. Blurring reality. It was captivating to watch, trapping her eyes, making her lose awareness of whatever was merely inches around those two bright orbs.
But that doesn't last long. There is a shake from the man, one of his strong hands rested on Penny's shoulder, disturbing her position and shaking her around in order to snap her back to reality. And even if she is to look back at the same spot, there is nothing there any longer. His voice seems to be lower now, more ragged, desperate "Don't look... Just run- Or they'll take us- They'll take me"
This man was lucky Penny wasn't a vampire. Her nose wrinkled at the strong smell, another low growl emitting as he gets settled in and she spots that movement. Those blue eyes were captivating. Bright. Blue. Only-The man is shaking her. "Wha-woah-fuck! Okay! Okay! I'm going!" She shakes her head, rubbing at her eyes and revving the motorcycle to life. "Tell me where the hell I'm goin'!" She tells him as she starts to take off, trusting that he'll be holding on because he doesn't want to get left behind. Her expression was set in a thin line, unsettled by those blue eyes that she could still picture in her minds eye.
There is something about the night that doesn't feel right. Not anymore. Not since that person had appeared. It was already eerie before, dark cold streets without a single soul in sight, all while having to take the freezing down pour. But now it was something else entirely. Maybe it was the scent of blood so close to her. Maybe it was just the disturbance of the peace that was causing this effect, maybe it was something else entirely.
But the paranoia of the man seemed almost contagious, the sensation of being watched was clinging to the the very air. Maybe it was simply whatever had happened just now with those eyes. Was that just her imagination? Surely it couldn't be, they seemed so real... But then again, how could she had sense something so clearly from so far away?
The only thing to maybe be distracting from these thoughts and sensations that might arise could be possibly the weight of the man leaning forward against Penny's back, securing his arms around her as if to avoid falling from the vehicle. He was quite heavy, probably from the bulk hidden from within the layer of clothing "The manor. I don't know anywhere else... I need to get to the Order"
The string of voice that comes out of him is almost begging, every single moment that passed, his tension seemed to be growing bigger, clinging to his body and causing a despair that was visible on his expression were one to turn around and look at him "I am Fergus... Of the Sapphire Martyrs... In case I don't make it, tell the Order..." There is a brief pause there, catching his breath, swallowing hard "If they get me... Tell them it was Lucy... Of the Sapphire Martyrs..."
Back between the vegetation though, once more from the darkness, that pair of blue orbs seem to appear, not this appealing this time, at least not absorbing their surroundings, but definitely closer, and visible, almost passing, tempting- Maybe it was an invitation for Penny, would she approach to inspect whatever was going on, or was she just going to leave with the man and leave them behind?
It all feels wrong. The wolf inside is restless, pacing, agitated at the wrongness of it all. Penny grips the motorcycle tighter. "Betrayed by your own people?" She didn't know much at all about the Sapphire Martyrs, nor did she entirely know where this Manor was that he was on about, but she figured if she could at least get him farther away from town, she could take a minute to contact someone or figure it out. "Why did she do this?" Penny asked, trying to keep him talking - keep him upright maybe as she tears down the street. Those brown eyes flit off the side, spying blue eyes once more. "Why's she following us?" She swallows hard. It was tempting. Stop. Confront this Lucy chick and be done with it...but Penny wasn't too confident that she could handle Lucy on her own if she did this to Fergus. Much belatedly she adds, "Name's Penny." As she tries to push the motorcycle faster to keep driving, trying to take a few extra turns in an earnest effort to lose their pursuer.
"That's not her" The weak voice coming from the man adds, clinging closer to Penny as she starts driving, specially in order to avoid falling from the bike in the many turns she was taking, though, midway through their attempt to get away, the hat he was wearing comes out of his head, flying past and falling on the road as they get away, revealing the man's soaked brown hair. It wasn't a big revelation really, but it gave away the fact that he had at least lost one piece of clothing along the way, something that, something like a werewolf, might know is a way to track someone. But could they be tracked with this heavy rain washing away scents and trails?
But the man continues, despite the weakness coming from his mouth, with only a string of voice that would have been drowned by the roar of the engine were it not for Penny's exceptional sense of hearing "The Martyrs... They are crazy- I thought I was joining a fair cause, that we were saving the world..." There is a bit of a shake to his head, contained, against her back "They are a group of... Psychotic people... I have classified information about them... I need to get it to the Order... I need their protection, or else I'm done for".
There is something convincing in the way he says that last sentence, it is odd to describe, but it sounds compelling to believe him, or at least, to follow through with what he's saying. It's nothing clear or overt, just a tiny little nudge in the direction of his words, similar to the way those eyes were captivating, but this time, it was something in his voice "I need you to get me to safety..."
Penny is wracking her brain for information that she's read from the Temple files as she tries to focus on Fergus' words, trying to remember any mentions of the Manor. It sounds like it must be the Order's main stronghold? One of them at least. "Don't worry, Fergus. I ain't gonna let 'em get ya." She promises the larger man. Something seems to click in all her mental hoops, making one more turn, heading away from the town proper. She might not have a specific address in mind, but she thinks she knows the area where this Manor might be in.
Heading in that direction now, trying to feel confident and ignore the freezing cold of the weather, Penny keeps focused. "I think we're almost there. Just hang on a little longer." She's keeping a look out for any more blue eyes too, but maybe they've finally shaken the trail enough to get him to safety.
The condition of the man doesn't seem to be getting any better, as it would be logical, presumably heavily wounded under the concealing coat, his body language seems to suggest he's getting weaker and weaker, his limbs starting to slack some, even as he tries to keep a tight grip on Penny in order to avoid falling from the bike. But he is a heavy man, it probably is annoying and pretty noticeable when he loses agency of his own weight, tilting things in one direction or another
The manor though, sat to the west, resting between the woods, just barely out of the town itself, if she had taken the proper route, Fergus and Penny might be traversing Devilwood Drive by this point, about to enter Fleet Street, and soon enough, the manor itself, on it's dedicated little stretch Fairfax Drive.
The eyes though seem nowhere to be seen, after all, it was probably just someone within the woods surrounding the White Oak institute, right? No person could move as fast as a motorbike, could they? It seemed unlikely, even in this town full of mysteries and weird happenings, for something to contradict logic so strongly. Nothing on the shipping bay, nothing on the street ahead, nothing to the left, where the institue can be seen, separated from the street by a mass of water
Penny 's above average strength and just the sheer number of years she's been riding motorcycles probably helps her not completely wipe them out when Fergus starts leaning, but it -is- most definitely annoying. "You gotta keep it together, Fergus!" She shout at him above the wind and rain. "We're almost there!" She says, about half way down Fleet Street now. She's sure they're mostly safe. They -have- to be. There's no way they haven't outpaced those blue eyes by now. Still, her guard isn't completely down.
"Stay with me, Fergus!" She makes that turn on Fairfax Drive, seeing the manor looming in the distance. "Just a little longer!"
Reaching the manor hidden within the woods, Fergus seems to slump out of the bike, falling straight to the ground with all of his weight, and letting out a loud thump as this happens. There is a groan, protesting at the pain of getting off the vehicle in such manner, from the very own man, which presses one of his heavy arms against the muddy ground to push himself back up to both feet, not seeming to care all that much about how dirty he got, or about the pain of that moment. He seemed adamant on getting into the manor, into safety. But the gates were closed, with a sign beside the door asking of people to "Please close the door".
The man seems to take the lead towards the entrance. It was slightly away from the parking spot, the cars all tucked to a side around thirty or forty feet from the actual entrance to the colossal building. And while the huge man seems to be busy knocking at the door, another woman approaches from the street, this one walking, paused. Calm and collected as she approaches Penny.
The woman is tall, at least six feet two in height, and, much like Fergus, covered in a long trench coat, it seemed a popular choice among Haven being both protective against the rain and providing body coverage. Her hair is long, and brown in color, soaked and resting behind her back. A sharp nose and prominent cheek bones, with an U-shaped chin, but most noticeable feature of all, her piercing green eyes. She flashes Penny a little smile, showcasing her perfectly white teeth "Is something the matter, Miss?"
The woman's voice seems firm in nature, but it is softened to look friendly, but before she has the time to answer the question, her eyes seem to get caught on those of the woman, much like it happened with the blue orbs back at the Elm apartments. Everything around them seems to be slowly fading away, becoming a blur, merely an echo of what it was moments before, like it didn't matter anymore, her attention being drawn to her eyes like they were the only thing worth paying attention to
Penny lets Fergus get off while she shuts the bike off. She swings off, ready to follow suit but then that woman is approaching. Penny is wary, on guard, trying to step in such a way as if she's inserting herself metaphorically between the woman and Fergus. Could -this- be Lucy? Could it be someone in the Order? She tries to avoid looking at her eyes but it was too late. "There-ah...there's trouble, yeah." She says, her words a little distracted as she focuses on those green eyes. "Well. There was."
The woman offers Penny another smile, maybe she could see it, maybe not, she might have had a chance to avoid that grip, that pull that the woman's gaze seem to have on hers. But it didn't seem like Penny had managed to do so. She was focusing on them. Those two pretty eyes. They seemed deeper the more one stared into them. It was an odd sensation, almost like looking more and more would reveal new things previously unseen.
The voice of the woman comes almost muffled, as if it was going through some filter when she spoke to Penny, but there was really nothing causing it, other than her own distraction with the pair of green orbs. Once more the reality around her seemed to blur. Things weren't as detailed anymore, it was hard to look away from them, everything else seemed uninteresting in comparison, why would one look towards those forest trees? Or behind her back? Or at the vehicles around?.
"That's good. Not that there's trouble, but that there was... Means things are alright now, yes?" There is a confidence in the way she talks, a security, maybe even a pride- It is firm, yet somehow gentle, it was pleasant to listen to, much more than anything around, to the point it seemed to coax out of existence the noise of the rain meeting the ground second after second. It was almost like the world around her was shutting down, while that voice, and that gaze kept something alive. Everything going grey while they retained color, emotion. And her words just seemed right, they sounded correct, like she was simply speaking the truth with every sentence she formed, simply stating facts that were objectively right "But everything is good now, isn't it?"
Rarely has Penny ever felt truly serene without the aid of drugs and alcohol, but looking into this woman's eyes it was like nothing else mattered at all. She just had to listen to her, because she was speaking things that were important to hear. Somewhere in the back of her mind was a little needling sensation, like she was forgetting something, but she couldn't quite grasp it. What was she doing? "Everything is good now." She repeats in the affirmative. "No more trouble." She's trembling some in the rainy weather but she doesn't seem to notice at all.
There is yet another smile coming from the woman, her eyes gazing into Penny's, seemingly keeping her stuck right there, almost entranced to keep staring ahead, at the pretty woman right in front of her. There was a certain allure that one wouldn't expect of just some random stranger walking the streets to some forest, something more. There was a beauty beyond what's common, she almost seemed to equate to a model, or something along those lines, despite the casual attire, or the wet hair, it was certainly unnatural in a sense.
There is a silence after Penny speaks, like her words didn't need to be addressed, there was just a moment shared between the two, peering into each other's eyes, enjoying the peace of the moment, undisturbed. Someone could be shouting, or being dragged away just beside them right now, and they might not even notice that fact, everything seemed to have come to a halt, like the world needed for this moment to end before it could resume it's natural course.
One of the woman's hands moves up painfully slow, but it was not like Penny was in a rush to go anywhere, she could spare the moment. The back of her soft hand rubbing gently against the werewolf's cheek, appreciative, almost a sign of care "That's right..." She almost coos, the hand them slowly moving down to rest on her shoulder, squeezing it gently as if to offer some comfort.
Then, the gaze is adverted, the link between them broken, severed as the woman peers towards the entrance of the manor. That sensation of being absorbed slowly fading away, but leaving her just as calm as she was moments before, the pull might have stopped, but that didn't take away any of the feelings or comfort it might have drawn out. There is a small chuckle coming from the tall woman and a faint smile "Look at that, your friend finally got into the manor... Took him a while".
Were Penny to look behind her, towards the entrance of the manor, she would find that, just like she had just been told, Fergus was no longer there, whether he had entered the manor, or simply left the place, was unclear, but there was a bit of a spot with blood on the ground near the door, understandable if he truly was bleeding so much under his clothes, but no trail of him could be found
Penny finds her head tilting into that touch to her cheek, captivated though if one were to ask she couldn't precisely say why. But then it's over, with the woman looking away from her and she blinks in some mild confusion. "My friend?" That confusion lingering for half a second longer. Her friend! "Fergus?" She looks over her shoulder toward the now empty doorway with some uncertainty. She can feel a sense of unease starting to creep up and mingle with that calming feeling. She tries to take a single step back from the woman, actively avoiding looking directly at her again. "I-I should go. He's, uh, he made it inside. So I should get going."
A little nod comes from the woman, who seems mildly amused by the confusion that seems to take over Penny, it might seem just innocent, or maybe condescending, it is unclear. With a step to a side, closer to the forest, she moves herself off from the road, making sure that Penny can drive his bike out properly, not wanting to stand in the way of a vehicle obviously.
"Of course. Take care of yourself. It is a cold night. And the rain is relentless. Don't you catch a cold" The firm voice almost lilts out, rising one hand to flash her a little wave. And, within the blink of an eye, she doesn't seem to be there any longer. Leaving Penny completely alone with her thoughts, and with now two people that seemed to banish into nothingness
Upon reaching the manor that Fergus identified as a safe haven, their encounter took an unexpected turn. Fergus manages to enter the manor, albeit in a bleak state, while Penny is left outside, only to be approached by a mysterious woman with captivating green eyes. This woman, exuding a strange allure and serenity, engages Penny, momentarily entrapping her in a tranquil yet eerie spell. Just as the odd interaction begins to deepen, it abruptly ends, leaving Penny alone and disoriented. The woman disappears as mysteriously as she appeared, and Fergus is nowhere to be seen, having presumably entered the manor. This leaves Penny alone with her thoughts and a lingering unease, marking a bizarre conclusion to what started as a simple journey home.
(Penny's odd encounter(SRWilliam):SRWilliam)
[Mon Nov 25 2024]
At Elm Street and Paine Avenue
It is dusk, about 54F(12C) degrees, and the sky is partly covered by dark grey stormclouds.
Penny is walking up to her motorcycle, having just left the Apartment Complex. She's fiddling briefly on her phone, maybe sending out a text before she gets ready to drive.
(Your target and their allies come across a member of The Sapphire Martyrs who has lost faith in their cause and is seeking asylum. The character is being hunted by their former comrades and needs protection. The group must decide whether to risk their own safety to protect the defector or to turn them over to The Sapphire Martyrs. The defector has valuable information about the group's plans which could be crucial in preventing their mission's success.)
It had been quite the cold afternoon, the winter already starting to make the streets somewhere chilly to be, making it a pain to go outside without something to cover oneself with, seeking to retain some warth. This fact was not made easier by the heavy rains that had been hitting the town of Haven all day long, making the low temperatures even more noticeable. The moisture on the air making the clothes stick to the wearer's body, the soft wind only amplifying what was already an issue to begin with.
And as the hours keep on passing, one after another, the problem only grows bigger, the darkness of night working to add some more fuel to it. There is few people out on the streets, and not as many visible vehicle lights, people were choosing to stay inside, at home, comfy and warm. Or were still busy at work, finishing whatever they had left before seeking the same shelter as the previous, giving the streets an ominous and eery silence that is only interrupted by the sound of the water hitting the ground constantly.
But among the shadows, something seems to approach Penny. A figure, darkened by the ambience, walking towards her in a rushed manner, probably because she's the only person in sight. The street lights illuminating the figure every couple steps, making it switch between a pitch black silhouette and what seems like the vague form of a man.
Certainly tall, but crouching forward, wearing clothes almost as dark as the night, the most prominent a soaked wet trench coat, that covers most of his body, and a hat on top of his head, not giving much sight of his face at all. Walking towards the woman with difficulty, but not for that slower, seemingly like he could trip any second. But he's still far away enough, it is probably up to Penny to decide, to either let him reach her, to walk forward, maybe to just dismiss it all and keep about her day- He might be dangerous, it might all just be a coincidence, or he might actually be in trouble - In a town like Haven, who knows?
Penny heard the sound of someone coming in her direction, but she didn't immediately acknowledge it. Maybe because she was trying to finish that text. She hits send and slips the phone in her pocket as she starts reaching for her bike but the movement catches her vision. She furrows her brow, quick looking about to see if anyone else is about before she takes a couple steps backward. She turns toward the oncoming person, peering at him, body tensed like she's ready to run, or maybe pounce, depending on what he does. "You better go find someone else to cause trouble for!" She calls out, testing the waters maybe, trying to get more of a sense for what's coming before he's much closer.
The man doesn't seem to stop his movement, almost limping forward, but now it is evident he's going for Penny, at least direction-wise, getting closer and closer until he's only around four or five street lights away. His voice rises to speak, but it seems to be weak, strained, and clearly in pain. It seems spent, and with a clear touch of aphonia, whatever he had been up to, he wasn't in his best condition.
"No please! Please help!" He almost begs, but the cry for help seems more that of a desperate person than someone trying to lure a prey "They are coming for me. They are close by! I need help... Please!" He keeps begging, his advance never ceasing, but despite his words, there doesn't seem to be anyone around, at least, on this street.
He seemed to be coming from the south, from town, someone should be able to be seen if they were following him up all the way from Elm Street, but there is no one to be seen there. No. Maybe the lack of light and the misty ambiance created by the cold and the rains could be concealing someone, but it didn't seem likely- Maybe he simply was not making sense anymore.
"I need help- I need to get away... To the Order... That's a safe place... Can you take me to them?" The man almost begs, now almost close enough to Penny's vehicle for her to see his face, only obscured by the wet dark hair that seems to cling to his face, he looks disheveled, much of a mess, looks didn't matter to him right now
Penny's nostrils flare as the man comes closer, using her slightly enhanced sense of smell to see if he might be bleeding at all. Then those keener eyes skim the direction the man is coming from. Suspicious, but also...what was that Irene had said before? People could travel through the Nightmare? Maybe they were chasing him there? There's a glance to her bike and then to the man. She bristles briefly at the mention of the Order but..."Goddamnit." She growled. "Are you one a theirs? I guess I owe Harry one." Whether he is or not maybe.
She moves now, reaching for the man to grab him by the arm and draw him closer to where she's parked. Her vehicle is a 2018 Ducati motorcycle. "You better be able to hold on tight. I don't do helmets." Then she'll swing her leg over the bike, sitting forward to give room for him to get on while she keeps an eye out for any would-be pursuers.
The man not only seems to smell of blood, he reeks of it. There is a pungent and strong iron-ish smell coming from him, probably held back by the trench coat, it not only seemed like he had a wound, but multiple. Yet they remain out of sight, covered by the wet piece of clothing, probably trying to keep the smell concealed for some reason - But it was raining, surely the combination of a heavy layer and the water washing down over them would be enough to make it not obvious, yet Penny was able to smell it when he came closer, and if she could, maybe whomever he claims to be following them could.
Stumbling his way over the bike as he's pulled, he clumsily manages to get on behind her, upon closer inspection, he seems to be a huge guy, something that probably his crouching form had been deceiving off, at least six foot tall, and with a good amount of muscle, yet right now, he seemed more like a rag that anyone could move around at will, something was truly off, it really did seem like he was in some danger.
But as Penny looks around, no danger seems to be present. None to be spotted, none to be on guard about. Wait, something seems to move around the foliage, right around the little bits of vegetation surrounding this side of White Oak, it seems like it could have just been an animal at first, but then there's something else, from within the darkness, two blue orbs- It was eyes, but why did she see them so well in the darkness? It seemed like they were drowning everything visible around them. Like everything was moving onto a second plain. Blurring reality. It was captivating to watch, trapping her eyes, making her lose awareness of whatever was merely inches around those two bright orbs.
But that doesn't last long. There is a shake from the man, one of his strong hands rested on Penny's shoulder, disturbing her position and shaking her around in order to snap her back to reality. And even if she is to look back at the same spot, there is nothing there any longer. His voice seems to be lower now, more ragged, desperate "Don't look... Just run- Or they'll take us- They'll take me"
This man was lucky Penny wasn't a vampire. Her nose wrinkled at the strong smell, another low growl emitting as he gets settled in and she spots that movement. Those blue eyes were captivating. Bright. Blue. Only-The man is shaking her. "Wha-woah-fuck! Okay! Okay! I'm going!" She shakes her head, rubbing at her eyes and revving the motorcycle to life. "Tell me where the hell I'm goin'!" She tells him as she starts to take off, trusting that he'll be holding on because he doesn't want to get left behind. Her expression was set in a thin line, unsettled by those blue eyes that she could still picture in her minds eye.
There is something about the night that doesn't feel right. Not anymore. Not since that person had appeared. It was already eerie before, dark cold streets without a single soul in sight, all while having to take the freezing down pour. But now it was something else entirely. Maybe it was the scent of blood so close to her. Maybe it was just the disturbance of the peace that was causing this effect, maybe it was something else entirely.
But the paranoia of the man seemed almost contagious, the sensation of being watched was clinging to the the very air. Maybe it was simply whatever had happened just now with those eyes. Was that just her imagination? Surely it couldn't be, they seemed so real... But then again, how could she had sense something so clearly from so far away?
The only thing to maybe be distracting from these thoughts and sensations that might arise could be possibly the weight of the man leaning forward against Penny's back, securing his arms around her as if to avoid falling from the vehicle. He was quite heavy, probably from the bulk hidden from within the layer of clothing "The manor. I don't know anywhere else... I need to get to the Order"
The string of voice that comes out of him is almost begging, every single moment that passed, his tension seemed to be growing bigger, clinging to his body and causing a despair that was visible on his expression were one to turn around and look at him "I am Fergus... Of the Sapphire Martyrs... In case I don't make it, tell the Order..." There is a brief pause there, catching his breath, swallowing hard "If they get me... Tell them it was Lucy... Of the Sapphire Martyrs..."
Back between the vegetation though, once more from the darkness, that pair of blue orbs seem to appear, not this appealing this time, at least not absorbing their surroundings, but definitely closer, and visible, almost passing, tempting- Maybe it was an invitation for Penny, would she approach to inspect whatever was going on, or was she just going to leave with the man and leave them behind?
It all feels wrong. The wolf inside is restless, pacing, agitated at the wrongness of it all. Penny grips the motorcycle tighter. "Betrayed by your own people?" She didn't know much at all about the Sapphire Martyrs, nor did she entirely know where this Manor was that he was on about, but she figured if she could at least get him farther away from town, she could take a minute to contact someone or figure it out. "Why did she do this?" Penny asked, trying to keep him talking - keep him upright maybe as she tears down the street. Those brown eyes flit off the side, spying blue eyes once more. "Why's she following us?" She swallows hard. It was tempting. Stop. Confront this Lucy chick and be done with it...but Penny wasn't too confident that she could handle Lucy on her own if she did this to Fergus. Much belatedly she adds, "Name's Penny." As she tries to push the motorcycle faster to keep driving, trying to take a few extra turns in an earnest effort to lose their pursuer.
"That's not her" The weak voice coming from the man adds, clinging closer to Penny as she starts driving, specially in order to avoid falling from the bike in the many turns she was taking, though, midway through their attempt to get away, the hat he was wearing comes out of his head, flying past and falling on the road as they get away, revealing the man's soaked brown hair. It wasn't a big revelation really, but it gave away the fact that he had at least lost one piece of clothing along the way, something that, something like a werewolf, might know is a way to track someone. But could they be tracked with this heavy rain washing away scents and trails?
But the man continues, despite the weakness coming from his mouth, with only a string of voice that would have been drowned by the roar of the engine were it not for Penny's exceptional sense of hearing "The Martyrs... They are crazy- I thought I was joining a fair cause, that we were saving the world..." There is a bit of a shake to his head, contained, against her back "They are a group of... Psychotic people... I have classified information about them... I need to get it to the Order... I need their protection, or else I'm done for".
There is something convincing in the way he says that last sentence, it is odd to describe, but it sounds compelling to believe him, or at least, to follow through with what he's saying. It's nothing clear or overt, just a tiny little nudge in the direction of his words, similar to the way those eyes were captivating, but this time, it was something in his voice "I need you to get me to safety..."
Penny is wracking her brain for information that she's read from the Temple files as she tries to focus on Fergus' words, trying to remember any mentions of the Manor. It sounds like it must be the Order's main stronghold? One of them at least. "Don't worry, Fergus. I ain't gonna let 'em get ya." She promises the larger man. Something seems to click in all her mental hoops, making one more turn, heading away from the town proper. She might not have a specific address in mind, but she thinks she knows the area where this Manor might be in.
Heading in that direction now, trying to feel confident and ignore the freezing cold of the weather, Penny keeps focused. "I think we're almost there. Just hang on a little longer." She's keeping a look out for any more blue eyes too, but maybe they've finally shaken the trail enough to get him to safety.
The condition of the man doesn't seem to be getting any better, as it would be logical, presumably heavily wounded under the concealing coat, his body language seems to suggest he's getting weaker and weaker, his limbs starting to slack some, even as he tries to keep a tight grip on Penny in order to avoid falling from the bike. But he is a heavy man, it probably is annoying and pretty noticeable when he loses agency of his own weight, tilting things in one direction or another
The manor though, sat to the west, resting between the woods, just barely out of the town itself, if she had taken the proper route, Fergus and Penny might be traversing Devilwood Drive by this point, about to enter Fleet Street, and soon enough, the manor itself, on it's dedicated little stretch Fairfax Drive.
The eyes though seem nowhere to be seen, after all, it was probably just someone within the woods surrounding the White Oak institute, right? No person could move as fast as a motorbike, could they? It seemed unlikely, even in this town full of mysteries and weird happenings, for something to contradict logic so strongly. Nothing on the shipping bay, nothing on the street ahead, nothing to the left, where the institue can be seen, separated from the street by a mass of water
Penny 's above average strength and just the sheer number of years she's been riding motorcycles probably helps her not completely wipe them out when Fergus starts leaning, but it -is- most definitely annoying. "You gotta keep it together, Fergus!" She shout at him above the wind and rain. "We're almost there!" She says, about half way down Fleet Street now. She's sure they're mostly safe. They -have- to be. There's no way they haven't outpaced those blue eyes by now. Still, her guard isn't completely down.
"Stay with me, Fergus!" She makes that turn on Fairfax Drive, seeing the manor looming in the distance. "Just a little longer!"
Reaching the manor hidden within the woods, Fergus seems to slump out of the bike, falling straight to the ground with all of his weight, and letting out a loud thump as this happens. There is a groan, protesting at the pain of getting off the vehicle in such manner, from the very own man, which presses one of his heavy arms against the muddy ground to push himself back up to both feet, not seeming to care all that much about how dirty he got, or about the pain of that moment. He seemed adamant on getting into the manor, into safety. But the gates were closed, with a sign beside the door asking of people to "Please close the door".
The man seems to take the lead towards the entrance. It was slightly away from the parking spot, the cars all tucked to a side around thirty or forty feet from the actual entrance to the colossal building. And while the huge man seems to be busy knocking at the door, another woman approaches from the street, this one walking, paused. Calm and collected as she approaches Penny.
The woman is tall, at least six feet two in height, and, much like Fergus, covered in a long trench coat, it seemed a popular choice among Haven being both protective against the rain and providing body coverage. Her hair is long, and brown in color, soaked and resting behind her back. A sharp nose and prominent cheek bones, with an U-shaped chin, but most noticeable feature of all, her piercing green eyes. She flashes Penny a little smile, showcasing her perfectly white teeth "Is something the matter, Miss?"
The woman's voice seems firm in nature, but it is softened to look friendly, but before she has the time to answer the question, her eyes seem to get caught on those of the woman, much like it happened with the blue orbs back at the Elm apartments. Everything around them seems to be slowly fading away, becoming a blur, merely an echo of what it was moments before, like it didn't matter anymore, her attention being drawn to her eyes like they were the only thing worth paying attention to
Penny lets Fergus get off while she shuts the bike off. She swings off, ready to follow suit but then that woman is approaching. Penny is wary, on guard, trying to step in such a way as if she's inserting herself metaphorically between the woman and Fergus. Could -this- be Lucy? Could it be someone in the Order? She tries to avoid looking at her eyes but it was too late. "There-ah...there's trouble, yeah." She says, her words a little distracted as she focuses on those green eyes. "Well. There was."
The woman offers Penny another smile, maybe she could see it, maybe not, she might have had a chance to avoid that grip, that pull that the woman's gaze seem to have on hers. But it didn't seem like Penny had managed to do so. She was focusing on them. Those two pretty eyes. They seemed deeper the more one stared into them. It was an odd sensation, almost like looking more and more would reveal new things previously unseen.
The voice of the woman comes almost muffled, as if it was going through some filter when she spoke to Penny, but there was really nothing causing it, other than her own distraction with the pair of green orbs. Once more the reality around her seemed to blur. Things weren't as detailed anymore, it was hard to look away from them, everything else seemed uninteresting in comparison, why would one look towards those forest trees? Or behind her back? Or at the vehicles around?.
"That's good. Not that there's trouble, but that there was... Means things are alright now, yes?" There is a confidence in the way she talks, a security, maybe even a pride- It is firm, yet somehow gentle, it was pleasant to listen to, much more than anything around, to the point it seemed to coax out of existence the noise of the rain meeting the ground second after second. It was almost like the world around her was shutting down, while that voice, and that gaze kept something alive. Everything going grey while they retained color, emotion. And her words just seemed right, they sounded correct, like she was simply speaking the truth with every sentence she formed, simply stating facts that were objectively right "But everything is good now, isn't it?"
Rarely has Penny ever felt truly serene without the aid of drugs and alcohol, but looking into this woman's eyes it was like nothing else mattered at all. She just had to listen to her, because she was speaking things that were important to hear. Somewhere in the back of her mind was a little needling sensation, like she was forgetting something, but she couldn't quite grasp it. What was she doing? "Everything is good now." She repeats in the affirmative. "No more trouble." She's trembling some in the rainy weather but she doesn't seem to notice at all.
There is yet another smile coming from the woman, her eyes gazing into Penny's, seemingly keeping her stuck right there, almost entranced to keep staring ahead, at the pretty woman right in front of her. There was a certain allure that one wouldn't expect of just some random stranger walking the streets to some forest, something more. There was a beauty beyond what's common, she almost seemed to equate to a model, or something along those lines, despite the casual attire, or the wet hair, it was certainly unnatural in a sense.
There is a silence after Penny speaks, like her words didn't need to be addressed, there was just a moment shared between the two, peering into each other's eyes, enjoying the peace of the moment, undisturbed. Someone could be shouting, or being dragged away just beside them right now, and they might not even notice that fact, everything seemed to have come to a halt, like the world needed for this moment to end before it could resume it's natural course.
One of the woman's hands moves up painfully slow, but it was not like Penny was in a rush to go anywhere, she could spare the moment. The back of her soft hand rubbing gently against the werewolf's cheek, appreciative, almost a sign of care "That's right..." She almost coos, the hand them slowly moving down to rest on her shoulder, squeezing it gently as if to offer some comfort.
Then, the gaze is adverted, the link between them broken, severed as the woman peers towards the entrance of the manor. That sensation of being absorbed slowly fading away, but leaving her just as calm as she was moments before, the pull might have stopped, but that didn't take away any of the feelings or comfort it might have drawn out. There is a small chuckle coming from the tall woman and a faint smile "Look at that, your friend finally got into the manor... Took him a while".
Were Penny to look behind her, towards the entrance of the manor, she would find that, just like she had just been told, Fergus was no longer there, whether he had entered the manor, or simply left the place, was unclear, but there was a bit of a spot with blood on the ground near the door, understandable if he truly was bleeding so much under his clothes, but no trail of him could be found
Penny finds her head tilting into that touch to her cheek, captivated though if one were to ask she couldn't precisely say why. But then it's over, with the woman looking away from her and she blinks in some mild confusion. "My friend?" That confusion lingering for half a second longer. Her friend! "Fergus?" She looks over her shoulder toward the now empty doorway with some uncertainty. She can feel a sense of unease starting to creep up and mingle with that calming feeling. She tries to take a single step back from the woman, actively avoiding looking directly at her again. "I-I should go. He's, uh, he made it inside. So I should get going."
A little nod comes from the woman, who seems mildly amused by the confusion that seems to take over Penny, it might seem just innocent, or maybe condescending, it is unclear. With a step to a side, closer to the forest, she moves herself off from the road, making sure that Penny can drive his bike out properly, not wanting to stand in the way of a vehicle obviously.
"Of course. Take care of yourself. It is a cold night. And the rain is relentless. Don't you catch a cold" The firm voice almost lilts out, rising one hand to flash her a little wave. And, within the blink of an eye, she doesn't seem to be there any longer. Leaving Penny completely alone with her thoughts, and with now two people that seemed to banish into nothingness