[SEASONAL EVENT] A Palmer for Long Night

Emmett Plow the land with the horn of a lamb. Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme Then sow some seeds from north of the dam. Then she'll be a true love of mine Phoebe sat up, and so Emmett did too, getting off the bed and going to gather some clothes. While he was up he found Phoebe's and tossed them to her as well. Despite what they had just done he turned around to change to give her some privacy, just old habits. With a stretch, he yawned and looked back to her. "I'll just go say hi. It'll prolly be dinner soon, anyhow." He turned and opened the door. As soon as he did his two youngest siblings spilled in, Christopher and Milly. They were both crying their eyes out, clearly upset; but he struggled to get any kind of clear answer from them about what was going on. Emmett sighed and looked back to the bed. "Okay. Stay here with nice Miss. Phoebe, and I'll go see the monsters, shall I?" He assumed it was just children playing up a shadow, nothing serious. It never had been on Longnight, after all. He kept assuming that right up until he saw a splatter of blood over the wall on the top of the stairs. That was when Emmett began to run. Later on, this memory would just be a collection of snapshots, frozen moments of horror. The sight of the kitchen table, usually where they sat to dinner, flipped and the bowls all over, the blood on the floor, the trail out of the door...his family. Emmett sank to his knees in the snow outside and screamed the loudest he ever had, not giving a single thought to the monsters outside for a moment. But he couldn't break. Not now, not yet. His mind fitting on a practical plan like a new jacket he forced himself up and to the bedroom where Phoebe was with the children, unawares of the blood on his clothes and face and tears on his cheeks. "We gotta go. Now."

Phoebe dressed quickly and pulled her hair into a messy bun ontop of her head. Much easier than brushing it. She was pleased to find that once she was standing her soreness was less noticable. Before she could respond to him though, two very upset children spilled into the room. Her brow furrowed in concern and she was quick to gather them up near her as Emmett left the room. Chris and Milly were obviously distraught over something and completely beside themselves, crying about monsters. What on earth had... That's when she heard Emmett's scream. She pulled the two children closer to her, eyes widened and her heart skipping a beat. Something was terribly terribly wrong. Was he hurt? Was he...was he...she wasn't able to finish the thought before she heard feet quickly approaching. Phoebe shoved the children behind her, terrified of the monster she certainly was about to face, knowing she couldn't defend anyone but was prepared to at least try. She had to! And then Emmett appeared in the door. Relief flooded over her, but only briefly. The blood. The tear stained cheeks. It didn't take a lot of intelligence to know what happened. "Pick up Chris. The infirmary isn't that far." she said, sending Chris to his brother as she picked up Milly. Her voice was steady and a little stern, pulling on her training to keep it together. Midwives didn't have the luxury of panicking after all. "And everyone pray to Safrin. We need her help." Frey wouldn't have cared about their situation, it wasn't relstingnto things they cared about. Ludo was under the god of death, so they likely wouldn't be interested in keeping them alive. Safrin, however, just might. She fell under Vi who this family had always worshipped. Hopefully she would share her grace with those who were left. In her ear she could hear little Milly murmurring a prayer to the goddess through her sniffles. Phoebe joined her, verbally and silently imploring Safrin to keep them safe so they could reach a new hideaway. What else could they do but hope for divine intervention? Phoebe rushed up the stairs with Emmett, muffling a gasp behind her hand at the scene. But she couldn't stop there. They had to keep going...outside. The infirmary, the Rathskaller, her clinic, somwhere safe. Outside the little fish Safrin sent followed her, as it had before. But...would that be enough? She looked towards the Luxere and softly began to sing, hoping they would follow as they headed towards the town. Phoebe Be gentle to all and stern with yourself

Emmett Plow the land with the horn of a lamb. Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme Then sow some seeds from north of the dam. Then she'll be a true love of mine Emmett obediently took Chris up into his arms and walked through the house, covering his little brothers eyes as they passed through the main room and by the bodies outside. He did not pray to Safrin; he said nothing at all. All he could think of was putting one foot in front of the other, or he would break. His eyes large and haunted, he was vaguely aware of Phoebe singing behind him and the fish casting light around them. Having never had to go outside during Longnight before, he had no idea if this was a help or not, but...it was something, at least. He found he didn't have the fight in him to object to any of it. "We...we should...go to the..uh..the uh..." Emmett's mind had gone completely blank and he struggled to come up with any words. "Somewhere...safe." He finished lamely. Whether or not the Luxere would follow, Emmett was determined to walk until they found safety.

The luxere could smell the blood. As the monsters dragged the bodies of Emmett's loved ones out into the cold night, their eyes rolled back into their skulls. They came to protect knowing that their light helped stave off the darkness, but this was too much for their fragile and kindly hearts to bear. Indeed as they saw the 4 leave the house, they bellowed plaintively, apologies clear in the ringing of their bugles. They heard Phoebe's song and their hearts lurched. They wanted to stay, but they could not. Instead, they slipped into the darkness, trying not to stampede into the night, but the blood was in the air. It was everywhere and panic had taken them. So they ran, and the sound of their hooves covered the arrival of something else. Or perhaps it had been there all along. It followed. Slowly. Deliberately. Black in the darkness. LONGNIGHT

Phoebe saw the near vacant, haunted expression in Emmett's eyes. She heard the uncertainty in his voice. That in and of itself frightened her. She was so accustomed to his certainty, that he was thrown was... no surprise given the situation but still. But that meant she had no choice but to take charge, to lead on...and perhaps give a little tough love. The Luxere weren't following. Emmett was consumed with grief and shock. Chris and Milly were 4 and 3 respectively. All there was was her. "Emmett. Stay close and alert." she said, almost sternly, picking up her pace to take the lead. Though only figuretively. She walked in step with him, holding his hand with her free one to keep him as close to the light that the fish from Safrin could offer. Milly's little fingers curled into the top of her dress as she hid her face in the crook of Phoebe's neck. The young midwife had them on a straight and quick course, walking as fast as she could without breaking into a run. She did a quick mental assessment of distance. Emmett came to town often enough so she knew it wasn't that far, and was frankly their best bet. Farms weren't known for having neighbors after all. Would Natural farmers even open their doors to them? No. A place with Outlanders was their best bet. Her clinic was closer to the domiciles and too far. The Rathskellar though she knew would have people there, and she remembered from dropping Melita there that it was the closest safe place she knew of to them. Closer than the clinic. Closer than the infirmary. "We are going to the Rathskellar unless you know a closer place." she said quietly to Emmett. It really wasn't a long walk. But everything felt longer in the dark. "Safrin please see us through this." she said quietly, praying with all her might that her fish would be enough, and hoping the goddess's grace would extend to the remaining Palmer's. She had lost everyone once. She didn't want to see more lost and would do all she could to keep it from happening. Phoebe Be gentle to all and stern with yourself

Emmett Plow the land with the horn of a lamb. Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme Then sow some seeds from north of the dam. Then she'll be a true love of mine The darkness was enough that Emmett could almost forget what he was doing. All that pulled him back to reality was the feeling of Chris shifting on his hip and then finally, Phoebe's voice. He turned back to her, the boy she'd been with only minutes ago completely transformed in the night into an empty man. "...No. Not alla that way. I know somewhere." He had not been to Rory's home often, but he knew the way and assumed it would be barricaded. His fingers alternated between holding hers and laying limp depending on how alert he was in any given minute, his level of involvement in the world dipping up and down constantly. With a look about to try and orientate himself in the dark, he began to head in roughly the direction of Rory's house. "...Safrin...ain't gonna help." Emmett muttered darkly, shaking his head. His family had prayed to Vi for years, and look at how much help that had been.

Phoebe glanced back at him with a slight frown. Somewhere else? Well, he did arguably know the landscape better than her, and if there was somewhere closer that they could be that was safe, all the better. ”Alright. You need to focus and lead then.” she said, voice still stern, squeezing his hand to try and keep his attention. He couldn’t fall to pieces now. Not yet. Not until they were somewhere safe. Phoebe would follow the direction he was walking though, only setting the very fast pace they moved at. At his words about the goddess she actually glared at him, tugging on his hand to force him to pay attention. ”Don’t talk that sort of nonsense.” she chided. Safrin already helped some, sending the fish to her after all. ”You must keep your faith, Emmett. Without it, things will only get worse. You and Chris and Milly were kept safe for a reason. Don’t waste it on bitterness. ” she said, remembering what Safrin had told her. Spread word of her and the other two, denounce the lies spread by the Voice. If Emmett let himself wallow in his misery, the Voice’s words might ultimately sound like music. And Safrin had approved of the Palmers, she had thought it a safe place to be. Something had gone wrong, something the Goddess could not stop for one reason or another – Phoebe wasn’t sure what the rules were on interfering in the lives of mortals. "She might help if you pray for it. If you don't she definitely won't." Wasn't the possibility that she might help worth it? To have hope? That was all any of them had in that moment. Phoebe Be gentle to all and stern with yourself

On a night with no moon and no stars, there is little that Safrin can do. The fish was the extent of her ability to protect during this hellish time, and while it protects Phoebe... Well. It protected Phoebe. The beast charged from the hollow dark. It wore the face of a bull that Phoebe would recognize well, if she had time to turn and look anyways. However its body was grotesque and mutated, the hump on its back horrifically large as if it was actually some sort of tumor. Poisonous saliva that glowed green in the dark drippled down its chin as it roared once its presence could no longer be hid by the retreating luxere herd. Eyes, mad and showing signs of some sort of infection, rolled in horrifically red sockets. There was a ring through its nose, as if once upon a time it had been under someone's control, though clearly now it wasn't (it wasn't, was it?). Galloping forwards on stocky and sturdy limbs, it shied away from the light of Phoebe's fish, malicious and cataract-covered eyes focusing intently on Emmett. He smelled of blood, of sadness, of sex. Charging, it lowered its horns as it struck the farm boy. Easily one gored against his ribs, breaking 2 and creating a nearly surgical incision that might have healed quite cleanly had the best not immediately shook its head. With a bellow of rage, it snapped its head around with a speed that the bulk of its body should not have allowed. Teeth, blunt and powerful latched against Emmett's arm, biting down hard and breaking the bone in two places. Its saliva coated the newly broken skin, poison immediately settling into Emmett's system. With a sway of its head, it sliced through Emmett's stomach. Somehow it didn't hit any organs, but the loss of blood would become deadly within the hour. The extent of Emmett's injuries was determined entirely by DICE ROLL. Emmett has 2 broken ribs on his left side, several internal/external bleeding, a broken arm, and is now POISONED. The poison will make him go mad in a day if he is not healed. If Emmett does not receive medical treatment (some of which must be magical) within 2 threads, he will die. LONGNIGHT

Emmett Plow the land with the horn of a lamb. Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme Then sow some seeds from north of the dam. Then she'll be a true love of mine "Bee, I don' wanna talk about Gods right no--" Emmett's first ever annoyed words directed at Phoebe were cut off as he saw a monster appear in the darkness, the face of the bull both familiar from the farm and alien for the mutation upon it. He barely had much time to consider it though before he was dropping Chris and being knocked back. The pain was overwhelming, felt life-ending. His chest and arm exploded, shreds of pain flooding him and his vision going as black as the night around them. It built and built then he felt he came over the edge of it to a great peace; death. Or...something close to it. Regardless he was lost from the living world, completely unconscious as he knocked out on the floor. Emmett was not able to hear anything past the rushing in his ears or see the world beyond the red in his own eyelids.

Phoebe saw the beast approach and her eyes widened, immediately welling with tears. Brahm. She couldn’t forget his shift form if she tried, enforced by the unique look of a Miura Bull. But the rest of him…it was all wrong. And the ring in its nose was not something he would have had. No. Not Brahm. The tears still rolled down her face as she shook her head, doing her best to focus on reality. This was not her brother. It never was her brother. And the fact that it charged only reinforced that truth. ”EMMETT!!” she screamed in terror, watching the bull run almost through him it seemed. Chris was curled on the ground crying. Milly had looked up and was also shrieking in alarm. She rushed to his side, her irritation with him dissipated immediately. The fish gave her enough light to assess his injuries, and her decision to act was immediate, ingrained in her years of training. Phoebe ripped the skirt of her dress, not caring that she would be in naught but her little shorts from the waist down after. Modesty was nothing in a life or death situation. As she tore them into strips she directed the younger children to hold him up in a sitting position, both whimpering and crying but doing as they were told. Phoebe used the strips of fabric to wrap the worst of his open wounds with deft hands. It was all she could do until she got somewhere with real medical supplies. And that had to be quick. Phoebe would drag Emmett to the only place she knew how to get to – the Rathskellar – the younger children staying close to her legs in the light. She had no other choice. Phoebe Be gentle to all and stern with yourself