Would-Be Gods

Calling Dodger is a little awkward; he picks up on the third ring like he's not sure how to use the thing. "Dodger here."

"It's Rhi. From the cafe. You wanted to meet tonight? How about Mt. Hope Cemetery, by the main gate." You throw it out just to hear what he says.

"I, ah, perhaps-"

"I thought so." You can't help sounding a little smug. You've already started walking. "Okay, Cobb's Hill. I'll be there in about half an hour. I don't have long to meet before my friend and her mom are expecting me," you warn him. You're already hurrying towards the bus stop. "Up by the monument on the reservoir."

You remember as one of the homeless guys looks at you and crosses himself to put your Mask up and catch the bus by sheer force of will and a last-minute sprint. The bus driver knows you and puts his hand over the till with a gentle smile. "Where you headed this late at night, kid?"

"Cobbs Hill?" As if the bus doesn't go that way. "Thank you."

"Have a seat, have a seat. You doing okay lately? Haven't seen you in a bit."

You chat with him -- there aren't that many people on the bus right now -- until you get to the Cobb's Hill stop. He's a nice older guy, retiree, you think, and this isn't the first time he's refused to take your cash.

In a little over twenty minutes, you're at the park. You wave at him and thank him again, disembark and head for the reservoir and the monument there.

There's at least ten people there; Dodger arrives a minute after you do. "Miss." He smiles, and it makes him look somehow less creepy. "Oh, good you've learned," he gestures really vaguely, looking around at the stoners chilling at the monument. "Is there somewhere private we could talk?"

You look down at the steep hill - kids sled there in the winter - and gesture about halfway down, where nobody is sitting watching the city. You're still in clear sight of everyone. But not earshot.

He sighs and follows you down there. "So you picked up Masking." He sits down, looks around, and drops his own Mask.

You do not giggle at him. He has long bloodhound ears and a slightly protruding nose, and matched with the upturned collar of his trench coat, he looks more than a bit like McGruff the Crime Dog.

He Masks again. "Who taught you? More importantly, what else are they teaching you? There's a lot about the world, about being Fae, that you need to know, and you're going to need to know it fast, with the way the world is going right now." He narrows his eyes. "If you can Mask, why are you still looking like --" His gesture is slightly disparaging. "--at the cafe."

That one you can answer quickly. "Tips. Duh. And it brings in business for Bethel. She owns the cafe," you explain.

"Tips." His eyeroll says I despair of the youth of today. "Of course. All right, what else do you know? And how are you using that for tips?"

Do you:
[ ] Share what you know
[ ] Ask him to tell you more things and you'll tell him what you know.
[ ] Tell him you didn't come all this way just to get insulted, and leave.
[ ] Tell him if he's trying to be helpful he ought to do his research, but don't leave yet.
[ ] Write-in


I have been waiting to write Dodger since I started this quest and... I forgot exactly how irritating he could be! This will be funnnnnn.
McGruff the Crime Dog, Wikipedia.

"Hooow about," you offer, "you tell me some of these things I need to know, and I'll tell you what I know in turn."
He eyes you with frustration. "You're not very trusting, are you?"

"Nope," you agree. You have no shame in that. And the fact that it's frustrating him - that's a mark against him, not you.

"All right." He sighs, long and hard, like he's getting himself used to this. "So. With there being fae all over the place, you dropping your Mask for tips is not as awful as it woulda been maybe six months ago, but I wouldn't make a habit of shit like that. The Council gets antsy about too much of it, and this invasion probably will be handled soon enough and they'll be back to being in our faces."

He waves the whole problem away with his hand, like the giants and elves are nothing.

"So, three major things. The Words of Power, the Law, and your innate power."

"Innate--?"

"The thing you can do without using magic words. You probably did it by accident right around your Change. When you grew those wings."

"Oh!" You stretch out your invisible wings. "I can fly!"

People are starting to figure out you're bulletproof, but there's no reason to tell anyone.

"Stronger than usual, more endurance than normal? If you're actually a Mara cub, I am giving up and calling in the cavalry," he mutters.

Oh, hey! Something you actually don't know.

How much will you tell him?
[ ] Fudge the truth: Yeah, I think so?
[ ] I haven't been at the gym. Tips, remember?
[ ] I can wait tables all day without getting tired.
[ ] Give in: well, it's harder to hurt me.
[ ] Write-in

And while you've got him there, you might as well ask a question. That's what he's here for, right?

What do you ask first?
[ ] What's a Mara?
[ ] What's the Law?
[ ] What's the Council?
[ ] What's up with the funny Words?
[ ] Write-in