The First Age

Hood nodded vaguely as he eyed Tehya and the Rougarou, which was grumbling incoherently as consciousness began to return to the creature. Instead of leaving at her polite dismissal, he crossed over to the Rougarou to check it's bindings one last time, and gave her the same in-briefing he had Rune and Aria, about the sound, the generator and lights, the intent to install signal boosters for their Wallets and such.

It's bindings seemed to be secure, and he gave the chair a good heave-ho to make sure it was equally secure to the floor, then he grabbed a spare folding chair from against the wall. "I'll be in the hallway. Door is thick, sound doesn't carry far."


He tossed on his ballistic vest, then left the room and set the chair in the tunnel outside a little ways from the door. He had no intention of eavesdropping, and honestly had little interest what she had in mind. It was never a good idea to do something like this alone, or without some sort of backup nearby.

He set the chair, then kicked some debris aside and readjusted it before it was level. A moment later, he was seated, arms folded over his chest and chin to his chest, in a light sleep.

Tehya said nothing as White crossed to check the rougarou’s bindings, and she listened patiently to his brief. Her expression was attentive, but beyond that lay nothing but a stone wall insofar as hint of her thoughts was concerned. His professionalism was appreciated, and he would find no argument against his intention to wait outside. Potentially, it was… inconvenient, but only from a stance of self-preservation. She was not the naïve, wilful child to rail against aid she might need if things did not go well. Ultimately, containing this creature was worth more than her secret. If it came to it. And what would you do, Mister White, if you knew what I was? “Understood.”

It was only once the door heaved shut that she allowed a breath to leave her lips. The steel set of her shoulders relaxed a little, though not much; self-discipline was too precious to relinquish entirely. Her gaze diligently ignored the stirring rougarou as she organised the contents of her rucksack and laid them out on the table. Conventional means lit the tip of the incense, and subconsciously Tey breathed deep as the smoke began to curl. The scent calmed her soul, wreathing her in memory that fortified her determination. It was not necessary, but it did help.

Only then did her gaze shift to the bound creature, sombre and unsmiling. Were you born evil? It was disorientated. Afraid. Bunched muscles tested the strength of its bonds, and though its lips twitched as though to snarl it held its tongue. Like any creature that drew breath, it was afraid to die. No pity softened Tehya’s expression, though she was not the hardest of her brethren - was in fact probably among the most likely to find empathy for the tragedy sitting bloodied in front of her. Such a blurred line between human and not.

A folding chair leaned against one wall, but she chose to sit on the floor, legs crossed. The back of her neck ached a dull distraction, and she rubbed at it once before resting her hands in her lap. After a moment to prepare, she welcomed in the spirits. Detail sprang from the gloom. She could hear the faint wheeze in the rougarou’s every breath, could see the dilation of its pupils. Regrettably, it had very good reason to fear her. Invisible to its gaze, filaments of light spun webs above its head, then sank down into its skull.

Such a blurred line between human and not. But there was a line. She would not practice these evils on a being she considered human.