[center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/217175409903534080/310907722625318914/cooltext243099446643387.png[/img][/center] [sub]banner credit to [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/users/nitemare-shape]Nitemare Shape[/url][/sub] [center]---[/center] [b]Time: Midnight Location: Lost Haven, Maine[/b] Charlene stared at her phone skimming through the mountain of messages from her friend, Carrie Ludwig. Carrie’s text messages ranged from all caps to strings of typos, different time stamps. The last message she received before the phone calls, was the most sensible one. [b]Char call me, this is driving me nuts!![/b] Charlie and Yvonne had walked back hauling their scrap. Yvonne shrugged at her when Charlie read the message out loud then decided to give Carrie a chat. It rang a couple times finally Carrie picking up with a hello, “[color=honeydew]Everything alright?[/color]” “Oh yeah! Glad you called, Charlie. I need your help with something, where are you?” Carrie replied cheerfully. Charlie looked around then noted the street, “[color=honeydew]With Evie, your messages made me think something was wrong.[/color]” Carrie paused a little then with all her might shouted into the phone, “HI EVIE! TELL HER I SAID HI!” Charlie flinched away from the phone in time for Evie to hear every word. The woman just squinted at the phone then shook her head. Carrie continued as breezily as before, “I guess so but can you come by and help me out with something? ASAP.” Charlene looked to Yvonne who shrugged, “I ain’t got anywhere else to go. Triads are enough excitement for one night.” “[color=honeydew]Alright, I’m just going to drop off my shit at home then step on over to your place. See you in 30.[/color]” [center]---[/center] Hood down, a much lighter backpack, Charlie’s hand was on the old styled doorknob of her best friend’s duplex. Carrie opened the door wide as Charlie was reaching for it, stepping out into her immediate personal space. Carrie was never one to really acknowledge her immediate invasion of space. Behind her were sounds of various animals, the smell of them as well. “Charlie! C’mon we’ve got a lot of searching ahead of us tonight, so I hope you wore running shoes. We’ve got some mysterious -- [i]thing[/i] to find. It’s been bugging me, now it’s on the move.” She shuffled past Charlie her voice cheerful, energetic. Her massive amount of light brown hair tied into a messy bun on top of her head, dressed in a sundress and large hoodie to keep the evening chill off her shoulders. In her hands she held dowsing needles, ones Charlie recognized from previous midnight escapades. “[color=honeydew]First of all, you have to let me in on what exactly we’re looking for. Two, those needles don’t do [i]shit[/i]. Thirdly, it’s not exactly safe out tonight to go wandering around the city.[/color]” Charlie pointed out gesturing with her staff, “[color=honeydew]Maybe we should try in a week or something.[/color]” Carrie gave her a strange look, Charlie typically being the first to take the lead on these searches. “What’s gotcha spooked? Didn’t think I’d ever see the day Charlie said no to a night out.” Charlie shrugged, lowering her voice, “[color=honeydew]A witch and alchemist following some phoney dowsing needles isn’t going to look good alright? Who the fuck knows where the Hounds of Humanity are. They attacked clubs, magic folk, metas.[/color]” Her friend looked at her thoughtfully then quickly gave her tall friend a tight hug, “That’s why I asked you to come with me. We can watch each other’s back. Here’s the skinny.” [i][color=honeydew]The skinny? Oh my god.[/color][/i] She thought, giving Carrie a brief one armed hug. Then listened. “So, you might not feel it cause you’re the literal magical equivalent to a stick in the mud.” Carrie commented, Charlie huffed. “The past little bit there’s been this really weird, disturbance in the leyline crossing over Lost Haven. I don’t personally tap into it but it’s kind of a big deal for my neighbour downstairs. Been raving about not being able to sleep at night, then I heard him complaining how it was closer now than ever.” She held up her needles, “Hence why we’re going to use these.” Carrie paused dramatically, grinning as they made their way down the street, “And that’s why we’re going out tonight. If it’s out here here on the East side then we might have a chance at finding it.” “If it’s a someone then I want to help them before something else finds them.” Carrie finished sincerely. “Bleeding heart on my sleeve.” Charlie’s slight frown turned into a smile, “[color=honeydew]Fair. Let’s find it. Lead the way.[/color]” With that Carrie led the way, following the previously unreliable needles. Carrie was channeling her magic through a spell, focusing on the incredibly strange disturbance in the leyline. Neither of them were really familiar with the forces of energy that lay within the leylines. The Arcane Stream. Both Carrie and Charlie held magic within their blood and families. Carrie had an uncanny knack for understanding animals while Charlie understood alchemy. While the needles themselves looked to be like simple thick knitting needles, along the stems were archaic symbols. They proved once again to be unreliable. They trespassed onto Gene Co property only to be chase out by approaching security guards, they wandered into the tennis ball courts at Lost Haven University to find nothing. They even walked as far past Sherman Square to find nothing but the nightlife turning down. They circled their way back to the east side, Carrie complaining she was getting cold well into the wee hours of the morning and Charlie’s feet hurting from walking all night. With their last stop at the airport proving to be a complete waste of time they made their way back home, both tired and ready to call it as the sun was starting to come up. They cut through the local park and Carrie tugged Charlie down to sit on a bench with a grunt. She squinted at the needles and then chucked them clear into the creek. Staring at the spot for a second of consideration then she ran to retrieve them before they sunk too far out of her reach. Charlie watched rubbing the heel of her hand into her eye, stifling a yawn. Her thumb rubbed an alchemic symbol on her staff idly thinking what could be causing so much trouble with the leylines. Obviously outside of Charlie’s expertise. She felt something strange, watching Carrie fish her needles out. It felt as if they were being watched. She sat up in the bench taking a look around, her imagination running wild now with her fears of Hounds of Humanity on the mind and extreme lack of sleep. Scanning the park she stopped on a tree, the vaguely humanoid shape sitting up in the branches caught her eye. Standing up and not taking her eyes off the figure in the branches she walked over to Carrie, hand dipping into the water and pulling the needles free. “[color=honeydew]Look, someone is watching us. In that tree.[/color]” Charlie whispered gesturing with her staff. “Huh?” Carrie replied then squinted against the morning sun. Charlie hauled her to her feet, “[color=honeydew]I say we go confront them. See if it’s just some homeless person hanging out in a tree... or the something we’ve been looking for all night.[/color]” Carrie nodded, holding her friend’s arm. They approached the tree together, now getting a closer look. Charlie’s mouth popped open with shock at what she saw and Carrie quietly squeed with delight. “Oh my god! This is better than I thought!” Carrie said. “[color=honeydew][i]What the fuck?[/i][/color]” It was all Charlie could manage. [hider=Mentions] [@Indy Cooper] : Charlie and Carrie found Berenice. [/hider]