A Devil's Deal Report
General Summary
It is a few days after Halloween, and the small motley resumes classes as normal. As they do, however, a change has overtaken Samantha : she has become fascinated with the world of the changelings, and has spent all her free time outside in nature, exploring and meeting as many of the chimera in the forests as she can. Her look, once for fashion more than comfort, is now much more utilitarian. Oh, it’s still definitely expensive brands like Patagonia, but she dresses much more outdoors-y nowadays. Frank notices and comments on her new look, approving of it, but Hilda doesn’t approve. She thinks it’s dangerous to allow Samantha to run around without supervision and interact with creatures that can be hostile, neutral, or friendly – and it’s impossible to tell which they may be before it’s too late.
While they are at lunch, Hilda casually mentions the arrival of the supermarket chain Herrick’s into town. Knowing that chain stores and large corporations are banality factories, she suggests that they try to delay the permits that Herrick’s will need to build in Roseland. The motley decides to speak with the baron to see what can be done to assist.
As they step into the manor, Frank quietly invites Hilda to spend the holidays with him. She is standoffish, but secretly warmed by the invitation.
The manor does not hold the baron, unfortunately. But his wife Hannah is there, and she is glad to speak with them. The motley discusses the best ways to delay the permits. Frank suggests invading the Herrick’s executives’ dreams and scaring them off with nightmares of Roseland’s economy. His second option is only slightly more drastic, and involves cutting their brake lines and filling the gas tanks of their cars with prune juice.
Charles suggests a protest – a suggestion that Hannah highly approves of. Skulde, for her part, suggests the most direct route: have Charles scare the councilmembers of Roseland into doing what she wants, and she can take care of ordering them to deny the build permits. Charles is highly uncomfortable with this decision, and Hannah intervenes to promise she’ll organize what she needs to in order to stage the proposed protest in the upcoming days.
The motley departs. The street back towards Hilda’s home is dotted with shaded trees, and she notices as she walks with the others that she is being watched: Sebastian Vasquez waits underneath one of the most overgrown trees, and as she approaches he asks if she has made her decision about becoming his apprentice yet. Skulde knows an opportunity when she sees it, and she offers him a challenge: if Sebastian can turn Frank Unseelie, Skulde will take up his offer for apprenticeship. Sebastian is confident of his skills, and agrees to the deal. He tells her to bring Frank to the old mill in a few weeks’ time, and there the challenge will commence.
Skulde promises she will hold up her end of the challenge, and then departs. She rejoins the others and immediately tells Frank about the bet. Frank scoffs at the idea of him ever turning Unseelie, but Skulde still makes him promise that he will not switch courts.
As he rolls his eyes and agrees, Skulde spots Samantha in hiking boots and carrying a long hiking stick leaving the paved sidewalk, to go up into the woods and spot more chimera. She regretfully tells the others that she’ll need to disenchant Samantha for her own good, but Frank puts a hand on her shoulder. There are more options at their disposal than just disenchantment – and Frank points out that they could just educate Samantha on how to protect herself against hostile chimera.
Skulde hesitates, but then commands that Frank follow Samantha through the woods while she and Charles go to town hall and meet with the councilmembers. He agrees, running to catch up with the human girl. They meet a chimera by the name of Martin – one that they’ve met before – and his reports of the goings-on in the woods worry Frank, who decides to go back to the baron and warn him. He takes Samantha’s hand, and they run off towards the manor together.
Meanwhile, Hilda and Frank have reached Town Hall . They enter, and are soon face-to-face with Councilman Sproul. They try to tell him how they are worried that the new supermarket will kill the businesses in the area, but Sproul reassures them that that isn’t a possibility – that competition is good for the economy and any businesses faced with such hardship wasn’t very good at the game anyway. He seems to genuinely believe that Herrick’s plans will be fruitful, but Hilda doesn’t believe that his intentions are as pure as he pretends. Still, she smiles politely and thanks him for the reassurances before leaving, dragging Charles along behind her.
Character(s) interacted with
- Hannah Veneer
- Sebastian Vasquez
- Samantha Wise
- Martin
- Councilman Sproul
