Nightfall:Stealing from the Round Up

[Tuesday, August 4th 8:15 PM
Cold Springs]
Troy: They're a few minutes away from the gas station. Troy has just finished explaining a lot of what has happened in the passed month or so with Yuri and Nemo. So anyway, after that I guess they just wanted to get away from the city or something, and Nemo convinced his boyfriend to move up here. He leans back in his chair a little. He's been looking in the mirrors a lot, almost like he's making sure that they're not being followed or something. Personally, living up here is weird, and I don't mean in a supernatural way, I mean in a more general... I'm not quite used to it yet, way.

Trent: He's turns to look at Troy. So, why are you here then? It doesn't sound like you owe any of them a favor.(edited)

Troy: Nemo's the only friend I have... Sorta? Not really... I guess it would be more accurate to say he's my best friend... Or the most interesting one I know. He's always knee-deep in some terrible crisis, and helping him figure out how to solve it is half the fun really. He looks to a sign that says "Round Up Gas, 1 mi." I know some other people, but they're on the east coast, and unless there's an emergency, I'm not going back there for a while. Plus, it's not like he's going to get me killed or anything. He smirks a little.

Trent: He's look forward at the dark road ahead. I'm surprised he didn't call you up when Yuri's brother got possessed back in LA.(edited)

Troy: I'm not really sure what I could've done to help with that, so that might be why. The only reason he even called me in for this was because I had a pair of goggles he needed. He turns into the gas station, it's a small place with what looks like a single garage for a mechanic. He pulls up into a parking space, not next to the gas pump. As he turns off the car he looks over at Trent. One thing I don't understand. If the Hat Man is a god, why is he making deals like a demon? Can't he just take whatever he wants once you're in the Sunless? Why would have need to barter for anything?

Trent: He looks around the gas station as Troy is driving up to the gas pump. Just think back to Yuri whenever you wonder why he does anything weird. He's usuaully the reason why... He opens his door and steps outside. There's a woman in a small white car getting gasoline in front of them and two other cars parked nearby, probably inside shopping for something.(edited)

Troy: He gets out of the van and walks around it towards the entrance, looking at the others, he then looks out into the woods for a moment, hesistating before he looks to Trent. I've gotta call someone, but I'll spot you if you want something to eat, I guess. Just meet me at the front counter in a few minutes. He walks passed the entrance to a pair of payphones.

Trent: If you wanna hear something funny, I actually did have my wallet on me when I died. Just like these clothes. He holds up his wallet, it's empty except for his driver's license. Bad news is Yuri decided to kill me when I had nothing in here. He shrugs and steps inside the store.

Troy: He mumbles to himself as he walks up to the phone. Well at least I know who to blame... He puts a few quarters into the phone and then pulls out a paper with Ember and Jesse's number on it from his wallet. He dials it in and then waits for them to pick up, turning around to look out into the darkness of the woods just across the street, then to the woman with the small white car.(edited)

Cheryl: Hello? Troy can hear a guitar in the background. Just one moment.She lowers the phone and covers it up so whoever is on the line can't hear her speaking too loudly. Jeese, your music is wonderful but I can't hear a thing over it. The music in the background stops. Thanks sweetie. She raises the phone again. So sorry, who is this?

Troy: It's Troy, Jesse and Ember's friend, I just wanted to speak with them real quick. He pauses. ...If they're around. He looks up at the treeline, it's a cloudy night, and a misty rain is starting to fall.

Cheryl: Troy? Oh, what a wonderful surprise! How have you been, sweetie?

Troy: He get s strange look on his face, almost of discomfort, when she calls him "sweetie". As good as can be I guess. He looks to his van, wanting to get his jacket.

Cheryl: Her tone of voice suddenly changes. Oh really? That's interesting because I heard about your little trip to Draynor Manor. Mind explaining what happened that night because all I got out of Ember was that she "tripped and fell" that night.(edited)

Troy: He narrows his eyes. A few lumberjack types showed up and caused some trouble, they might've been drinking, but I can't say for certain. In either case they got violent before we were able to get them to leave. That's why I'm calling, I wanted to see how she's doing.

Cheryl: Lumberjacks? She covers the phone again. Is this true? Troy can hear someone talking in the background but can't make out what they're saying exactly. No? A big spider? She raises the phone again. I don't appreciate lies, Troy. You may be the best darn pancake consumer in all of Cold Springs but I won't tolerate a liar. She hangs up suddenly.(edited)

Troy: He looks to the side as he hears his change clatter down into the slow. But that was technically true? He rolls his eyes and hangs up. They guys who kidnapped us looked like lumberjacks. He shakes his head, deciding that he'll call back later. He mumbles to himself as he walks to the front entrance. And there's a possibility that they had been drinking... I'm not omniscient, how would I know what their occupation and liquor habits were... He realizes he's talking to himself and goes quiet as he walks into the gas station and looks around for Trent.(edited)

Trent: He's walking down one of the aisles, he grabs a bag of Funyuns and Lays and puts them into his shopping basket. Inside there's already a wrapped up hot dog and sandwich, an icecream bar, a few water bottles and a little bag of cookies.

Troy: He walks up to him, seeing his basket full of food. Wait, wait. Are you getting all of that?(edited)

Trent: Is this too much? He picks up the little basket, looking down at it.

Troy: Are you that hungry? ...I guess technically you've never eaten before... He pulls out his wallet and opens it, looking inside. I only have like forty bucks on me. He looks up at Trent. And I was hoping to get some light bulbs and other parts.

Trent: He thinks for a second before looking to the front of the store, where the shopkeeper is reading a magazine and not paying attention. Then don't pay for it. He moves Troy in front of him so that the camera on the wall is blocking the area in front of him. Ravask suddenly appears in between them.

Troy: He looks at the small demon for a moment, then grabs a few more bags of chips off of the shelf and puts them into the basket, then grabs a large bag of pork rinds and throws it in there.

Ravask: He looks up at Trent then to the basket, then back up to Trent, then around. He seems slightly confused at how he got here.(edited)

Trent: He hands Ravask the basket, whispering as he checks to see if the clerk is looking in their direction. Take this back to the motel.(edited)

Ravask: He looks down into the basket. Stealing is below me.

Troy: You're not even a day old, nothing is below you.

Ravask: He looks to Troy. Remind me to break your neck later. He grabs the basket and suddenly vanishes.

Trent: He walks with Troy to the other side of the store where they sell the light bulbs, whispering. Your friend Nemo is fucked up. Some of the rituals he knows about...

Troy: He looks down at the lightbulbs, grabbing two large ones and then an extension cord. Nemo isn't very familiar with the moral high ground. He puts the extension cord around his shoulder and grabs a large pack of batteries. He does whatever it takes to take care of the people he cares about. Sometimes that means he has to be a bad guy. He looks at Trent. I don't think there's any such thing as a morally virtuous warlock. He looks back at the shelf.

Trent: They like to be called mages. He smiles a bit.

Troy: Just don't bring them up in front of Nemo. He'll never shut up about how much he despises mages and their "Entry level garbage". He grabs a box of rubberbands from the shelf and looks to Trent.

Trent: He motions to the flashlights on the shelf beside him.(edited)

Troy: He looks at the flashlights. Get the flashlight right there. He walks towards the front.(edited)

Trent: He grabs the white one and follows Troy to the counter.

The man at the counter has brown hair and a backwards hat, he laughs a little while looking through the magazine in front of him.

Troy: He puts all the stuff on the counter and looks at the clerk.

Dante: He moves the nudie magazine to the side before scanning the flashlight and then one of the lightbulbs. What's with all the lightbulbs?

Troy: Uncle Fester likes to use them after he gets out of his electric chair. He pulls out his wallet.

Dante: He laughs when he hears his voice. Heey, it's the bottomless pit. You're like a celebrity around here. He smiles and bags all of his stuff. Twenty seven twenty five. Who's your friend?

Troy: He looks back at Trent. He's just arrived from out of town. He looks back at the clerk.

Ravask: Apparently he's going to be a daring space captain one day. He's just suddenly there, without the clerk seeing him walk up. Or the heir to a long bloodline of witches. He slowly looks over at Trent. I guess it all depends on what level of reality you're operating on. He smiles and suddenly lifts the ice cream bar Trent put into the basket earlier and takes a bite out of it.(edited)

Dante: He takes Troy's money and laughs a bit as he hands him the receipt, looking over at the boy with the icecream. Reality is just a crutch for people who can't handle drugs.

Ravask: That's my kind of circular logic. He smirks.

Troy: He looks at the demon boy with annoyance as he grabs the stuff and heads towards the exit.(edited)

Trent: He grabs Ravask's icecream as they head out of the double doors. Why didn't I see you around before?

Ravask: I was basking in the afterglow of the make-out session I had with Yuri's other ex.

Troy: He just shakes his head as he pulls out his keys.

Trent: He looks back at the demon boy, confused as he gets back into the van. Other ex?

Meanwhile...
Lucas, Yuri and Nemo are outside of Lucas's apartment, all the way down in L.A.

Lucas: He has a suitcase full of clothes and a sketch pad on the kitchen table.

Nemo: Bring your tattoo... Ing... Thing.

Lucas: What? He looks over at Nemo.

Nemo: I don't remember what it's called.

Lucas: My tattoo machine? He looks at Yuri.

Nemo: Is that really what it's called? He seems surprised.

Lucas: Are you telling me you had your whole back and arms covered in Tattoos and you didn't know it was called a tattoo machine?

Nemo: He waves his hand a little. That's different, the Prince didn't use a machine, he just wrote on my skin with a sharp pen and the ink cut itself down into place...(edited)

Yuri: He has one of Nemo's bandanas on. Like in prison?

Nemo: I'd like to think it was a bit more elegant than that.

Lucas: He walks out of the front area and back into his room. After a moment he walks out carrying a box, Yuri and Nemo can see tattoo ink and equipment in it through and openning in the top. Is there any way we could take my motorcycle back? He looks at Nemo.

Nemo: I can only teleport stuff we can carry.

Lucas: Didn't Troy and Coty bring back an entire wheelbarrow of clay?

Nemo: I guess Coty could carry it. He shrugs.

Lucas: He looks at Yuri. Well I can't think of anything else to bring.

Yuri: He looks back to Lucas's bedroom. What about Ricky's clothes?

Lucas: He pauses and looks back to the door to their room. But when he comes back, I'm not sure I want him to be dressed...

Yuri: He makes a "Why did I even try" face.

Nemo: That was lewd humor, especially for you. He crosses his arms over his chest.

Lucas: He raises an eyebrow at Nemo. Let's get out of here before the land lady makes me pay for something. He gets closer to Nemo. Grab my suitcase for me Yuri?

Yuri: He grabs the suitcase and walks back up to his brothers. Don't let Coty catch you making those jokes...

Lucas: He rolls his eyes.

Nemo: Yeah, Yuri doesn't want an competition for his future nightlife. He smiles at Yuri, and the three of them are suddenly standing in the motel parking lot.(edited)

Yuri: He narrows his eyes at Nemo with the bandana still on. My ex girlfriend was just here thirty minutes ago... I will never be gay, no matter how much both of you want me to.(edited)

Lucas: He starts walking towards the motel room. Why would I want you to be gay?(edited)

Yuri: He starts walking back to the motel room. Why would I want you to be straight? So I can talk about hot girls around you again.

Lucas: You can talk about hot girls around me.

Nemo: Yeah, we used to have a huge crush on Mandy Lane, remember? He smirks.

Lucas: I don't know if I'd call it a "huge" crush.

Nemo: Seriously?

Yuri: He takes off his bandana and looks back at Lucas. Which room you want?(edited)

Lucas: He looks down the line at the rooms. Whichever of them is the least gay.

Yuri: You'll have to sleep outside then.

Lucas: He turns and looks out at the parking lot. Do we have any tents?

Ravask: Coty pitches a pretty big tent. He's standing in the middle of the parking lot. There's lights from way down the road. They can see it's Troy's van.

Lucas: He snears at the demon.

Yuri: He drops Lucas's suitcase. I'm taking a walk... He points at Nemo. Get your other half to bring down his gayness. He turns invisible.

Nemo: Yeah, that was a bit much. He shrugs.

Lucas: He's obvious dismayed that Yuri is leaving, he doesn't like being around all these people he barely knows without his brother.

Troy: He gets out, grabbing some of the lights and the extension cords. Alright, I got some bulbs and an extension cord.

Trent: He closes the door behind him and walks across the parking lot with Troy. What's going on with your demon boy? He says a lot of weird things.(edited)

Nemo: I don't have all the kinks worked out with him yet... He looks at Trent. I was actually going to kill him and make another one, but I didn't finish the job.

Ravask: You need a good foil to temper your wavering sanity anyway...

Trent: He looks back at Troy for a second. I talked to Troy about the the Hat Man... how long did you guys think he was a demon?

Nemo: I actually thought he was a fallen angel for a long time. He looks at Troy.

Ravask: I've always known what he was.

Nemo: Go away. Ravask vanishes suddenly.

Lucas: He sets down his tattoo machine and pulls out a cigarette, lighting it by blowing a small plume of fire from his mouth. He just listens to them talk.

Trent: He's a god... or he was one at some point. He looks at Nemo.

Nemo: ...Huh... He seems to think for a moment. Well that fucking sucks...

Lucas: There's only one God. Nemo looks back at him for a moment, then back to Trent.

Nemo: The only godkiller I know of is Natalya... And I'm pretty sure she's already been dealt with... Not that she'd help us anyway... He seems to go back to thinking.

Trent: That black world you've heard of or even seen used to be his home. Until one day the sun disappeared and the world became the darkest black... slowly the inhabitants of his world turned into monsters and those same monsters turned on humanity. The survivors made special shelters to protect themselves from the darkness but it only delayed the inevitable. Even the god of that world fell to the shadows...

Nemo: I don't understand... Where is this world? Even my grandmother's book didn't have information on the Sunless... It had to be called something else before it was called the Sunless right?

Trent: I only saw glimpses into his past... I don't even know his real name.

Troy: Then the goal is to find his name so we can figure out who he is?

Nemo: I don't think names hold the same power over gods as they do over demons. We need something that can stop a god, or at least imprison him or bind his power.

Yuri: He reappears sitting on Troy's van. He is imprisoned... when he comes to earth only a small part of him can get through. Just a shadow... He looks down at Nemo. You've read the stories of people waking up and seeing him walk into their bedroom. They feel a terrifying presence, nothing like they've ever felt before until he's gone.

Nemo: So he is connect to the actual legend of the shadow people then? I wasn't sure if it was just a tenuous link or a coincidence or something. He goes back to thinking again.

Troy: So he's connected to our world through sleep then? Is that how it works? He turns and looks at Yuri.

Yuri: People only say they were dreaming because no one wants to believe he's real...

Nemo: Well he isn't an idiot, so tricking him is going to be difficult... But at least we know his motivation now... He seeks out those who are suffering and uses that as a conduit to gain power here... He looks to Trent. Right?

Trent: He nods slowly and looks at Yuri. And it all revolves around him. He's the biggest link he has to this world...
Yuri: ...

Troy: So we set up a trap with Yuri as the bait. Sounds simple enough.

Nemo: Yeah, well the trap can't involve Yuri getting hurt.

Trent: Why not? If he dies this would solve all our problems...

Nemo: I have it on good authority that if Yuri dies things will get far worse. He looks at Trent with obvious anger.

Trent: He looks back at Nemo for a long moment before looking at Troy. What kind of trap were you thinking of?

Troy: I'm not sure yet. We know they can sense radio signals, He looks at Yuri. Maybe because of that experiment we did last week that tuned Yuri's brain to a specific frequency. I'd like to run a few more tests with that, maybe we can use it against them somehow, or even communicate with Ricky. He looks at Lucas, who seems to suddenly be interrested.(edited)

Trent: Ricky?

Lucas: The spider killed him a few days ago, now he's trapped in the Sunless. If we can get to him, Nemo can ressurect him, like he did with you.

Trent: If the Hat Man has your friend's soul it's only a matter of time before he devours him... just like the others.

Lucas: So we do the experiment right now then. He stands up.