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angrylizardjacket · 5 years

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Run to Paradise {Nikki Sixx} Part 9

9. mutually assured destruction is a girl’s best friend

Chapter Summary: songs are written, loopholes are found, it’s the start of something.... yeah i don’t know what adjective to add. is it something good? bad? indescribable? only time will tell.

Warnings: drinking, posting at 6am so quality might be an issue lmao

Notes: a highkey vince/lola chapter but also soft nikki/lola moment

ragtag bunch of misfits: @starlalove @marvelismylifffe @lilytalebi@inthebackofmycarlaytheirbodies @dramatique-moi @missqueeniewrites@calspixie @aryssav @catsoo12 @sweetshutter @silvertonguedserpent@shamelessobsessions @lavenderbones22 @keepcalm-and-beyou@scarecrowmax

{masterlist}

Nikki's already got a setlist's worth of songs half-written before he'd even met Tommy, so in the weeks between the band's formation and their first proper gig, it's not hard to put their sound together. Lola moves in and out of the band's space with a practiced ease, becoming a fixture at rehearsals, that is, when she's not at work, or at the gym, or a gig. Sometimes if she's working the Whiskey, they'll join her after practice, or in a break if they're bored enough.

She knows their songs well enough to hum along in the shower, knows enough about music to form an opinion about the bands she hears at the Whiskey.

Lola's really come to enjoy the nights when the band visits her while she's roadie-ing for another band, if only because she revels in the vaguely jealous, side-eye glances girls in the bar will give her, and because she'll get her job done while the band talks amongst themselves around her; it's not technically gossip, but she quietly enjoys being privy to little band secrets.

And she enjoys spilling those secrets the moment the information becomes pertinent.

"Fuck, they're awful;" Tommy's lip is curled in disgust, watching in horror as the stiff and bright synthpop band end one middling song and start up another, barely interacting with the crowd, or even acknowledging them, focused more on their instruments than their stage presence. The music was nothing to write home about it, but the crowd seemed to like them well enough.

"Yeah but they're making bank," Lola's not even watching the band, instead gazing idly at the crowd with mild interest. Her gin and tonic is stronger than it probably should be, but that's just a perk of being friends with the bartender, "they're in talks with a label from Seattle, ain't that right?" She grins at the bartender behind the bar, who's drying a glass and looking a little uncomfortable being brought into the conversation. He confirms as much, though he doesn't know about the Seattle bit is true, says there's even a scout for the label there tonight. That gets their attention.

Bit by bit, the band, along with other folks who frequented bars around town, come to recognise Lola as a woman in the know around The Strip. She knows who's playing where, where after parties are being held, and who's going, but most importantly, at least to Nikki, who even now has his sights set high, who's getting deals.

He always grumbles after she tells him, because there's been such a push for synthpop on the radio and he's sick of it. Complains that it's not real music. Asks her why she even works with them when he knows she hates their music as much as he does. Fixing him with her sweetest, most harmless smile, Lola shrugs, and puts on her best valley girl accent, because she knows how much it annoys him.

"Well when I'm with the band I drink for free," she fake giggles a little, "and I'm also the only one in this house paying rent, so, like... I'll take whatever fucking jobs I can get." She fixes him with a pointed stare, smile turning a little poisonous. Nikki rolls his eyes. Honestly, Lola doesn't actually begrudge him that much; the place isn't that expensive, it's barely habitable as it is, and work keeps her busy; her day job sees her as the manager of the shitty hotel she'd started working at all those years ago, and moonlighting as a roadie has more benefits than detractors, easily.

But she likes the nights during the week where she doesn't have to work, doesn't have to go anywhere or do anything, but the band has practice. From the moment she met him, she knew Nikki was the sort of person to have good taste in music, and thankfully that extended to the stuff he wrote.

He seems to always be muttering lyrics to himself, hunched over his notebook, plucking out bass lines in the middle of the afternoon, always working on the next song. He doesn't talk about what they're about or who they're for, not a lot. Some are pretty self evident; Live Wire and Take Me To The Top weren't exactly too hard to decipher, but then she hears him tentatively singing the lyrics to Starry Eyes, to a melody he's trying out, and it hits her square in the chest.

"What's that one about?" She asks, sprawling out on the sofa after getting home from the gym, picking up the notebook from the table that he was frowning at as he picked out a riff on his bass.

"I - it just came to me," he sounds focused, a little far away, but he won't meet her eyes. She puts the book back down, doesn't push the subject and mostly believes him, and lays back to take a nap, listening as Nikki figures out how he wants the song to go.

But when she closes her eyes, she sees the stars out the window that night that felt like years ago, when it's really only months, she sees the way smoke hung in the air as Nikki passed her a the cigarette he'd lit a few moments before.

"Where do you even wanna go, Lo?" He asks, an arm around her, taking the cigarette back from her as she considers his words, holds the smoke in her lungs, frowning.

"Whaddya mean?" She asks in a rush, breathing the smoke out and shifting against him, moving so she could rest her chin on his chest, resting her arm over his stomach.

"Like- what do you want to do? You don't wanna be a roadie forever, you gonna join a band? Be a dancer or something? Get a shitty little desk job? Do you think about the future or any shit like that?" When he looks at her, sure his eyes are a little glassy, they're both sort of out of it, but no more than any other night, but he's tapping out a rhythm on her hip and Lola presses a smile against his chest at the question, dropping her gaze.

"'course I do," she half laughs, "dude, I'm having the time of my life, shit can only go up from here; just gotta pick the right band at the right time and I could go anywhere I wanted." And then she's looking at him again, something soft in her eyes that Nikki doesn't want to think about too hard. She gives him a squeeze, a cheeky smile. "That's why I picked you."

"London's fucking falling apart," Nikki dismisses, leaning his head back against the headboard, grimacing before taking another drag.

"I didn't say I picked London," Lola rests her cheek against his chest, following the statement with a yawn, "I mean, at least until something better comes along," and it's mostly a joke, but Nikki can't help but scoff.

"Yeah right," he mutters, "nice to know you're just using me for a free ride when I make it big." His heart's not in it, and she can hear the amused smile in his voice despite his words.

"I'm also using you for your body," shooting for nonchalant in order to really sell the bit, there's only a beat before they both start laughing, loud and bright and unselfconcious. Lola's giggling through half-hearted apologies, propping herself up on her elbow, but Nikki likes having her close, likes her skin against his, and pulls her on top of him, kissing her to quiet her unneeded apologies. When he pulls back, she's still laughing a little, and he presses the cigarette gently to her lips, holding it as she breathes in. It's surprisingly intimate, and he stubs out the cigarette on the ash tray by the bedside table.

Tipping her head back, she watches the smoke hang in the air, threading her fingers through Nikki's hair as he presses his lips to her collar, and the memory fades to darkness.

And when she wakes up later that night, she wonders if he thinks of that night, or if he can remember it.

Then she wonders when Tommy arrived, since he's sitting in the armchair holding a steady conversation with Nikki, who's in the kitchen, the both of them drinking beers.

"How long have you been here?" She grumbles, rubbing sleep from her eyes to partially hide her grin at the way Tommy jumped in the chair.

"Fuck, dude, when did you wake up?" He asks, eyes wide. Lola yawns.

"Now; seriously, why didn't anyone wake me?"

"I dunno man, you live here I figured you can sleep wherever you want and it's not really any of my business." Tommy shrugs helplessly, and takes a swig from his beer. Lola lets out a low hum and looks around the room, propping herself up a little, frowning. The notebook on the table is sitting open to a set of chords for Too Fast For Love. Huh.

After she starts making conversation with Tommy, she doesn't even remember what she'd been thinking about before her nap. He never outright says he wrote anything for her, but she has her suspicions. Though half the time Nikki's insistent that he didn't write about anything or anyone specific, but Lola still smirks like she doesn't believe him, press a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth as he frowns and doubles down on his argument despite the fact she hadn't said anything.

She likes getting him riled up, flustered, though she still hasn't been able to tell him that she's slept with Vince. It's not that she's worried about what he'll do; he can't kick her out since he doesn't pay rent, and it's probably not the catalyst for a fight that would ruin their entire friendship. No, her fear lies in the fact that he's so damn excited about this band and she doesn't want to potentially ruin it before it even gets out of the starting gate.

Except that it's also sort of none of his business?

He's not the dictator of who she can and cannot sleep with, and technically - technically, she reasons - she only promised not to sleep with Tommy. Which she hasn't. Actually, she's started forming fast friendships with the band; Tommy's the easiest, much to her surprise he's bringing out mannerisms in her that she thought had died when she left home the first time; mentions of life behind a white picket fence that have her nostalgic and a little bit aching in equal measures. It's easy to be open around him, it's easy to be honest, and to smile like nothing bad had ever happened to her.

Where Nikki thinks life is a war, to be actively fought, Tommy seems to think life is a rollercoaster, and that he's just along for the ride. Part of Lola wishes she could be that blase about the world.

But then there's Mick, world weary and also just plain weary; he's known 'girls like Lola' and seems to want very little to do with her when he first meets her.

"The fuck does that mean?" She's already defensive, sitting on the arm of the sofa beside Tommy where they'd been figuring out the name of the band. Mick takes a long sip of his beer, casting his glowering gaze around the others. Nikki's the only one who's really paying attention, smirking and amused, while Tommy's drawing something in his notebook and Vince seems to have zoned out.

"You know exactly what I mean, girlie." Is all he says. Nikki stifles a laugh.

"Oh piss off, geezer," she snaps, and storms off to the bedroom, throwing - "and fuck you too, Sixx," over her shoulder as Nikki can't hold in his laughter anymore.

Mick asks if she's always going to be around, and Nikki's smile edges from amused to fond as he says that she's going to be their roadie. Mick sighs very deeply. He does, however, form a grudging respect for her once the band stops by early to see her at work, for everyone's benefit but Nikki, who'd seen her at work many times. She's ruthlessly efficient and follows directions well; Mick has much less of a problem with her after that, and at Nikki and Tommy's behest, Lola's kind to him in return.

And, well, things with Vince start innocent. Sort of. He's so easy to befriend, loud and bright, such a natural performer, entertainer, a social butterfly. But it's like he's trying to get her to like him, gives her offhanded compliments, something about her earrings, or her jacket, maybe her boots, perfectly fine and innocent, but Lola knows. It's there in his grin after she does a goofy pose to show off whatever he's drawn attention to, there in his pleased little smile after she pays him a compliment of her own. They trade teasing remarks until the teasing becomes flirting, well, flirting with an edge; Lola doesn't seem to do things without an edge much anymore.

And that suited Vince just fine.

It only takes a week and a half for him to realise that there was nothing formal, nothing relationship-esque between Lola and Nikki, and she's a damn breath of fresh air compared to Beth. And so when the band goes to scout out the competition, the bands that Lola roadies for, he knows a few things are guaranteed. Mick claims to have no interest and finds the darkest corner to haunt, Nikki is almost always glowering at the band, seeing as how they're almost universally not his style, and therefore terrible in his eyes, and Tommy's watching the girls in the mosh, and drinks until he's pretty sure he won't feel it if he gets slapped, before ditching the band for whatever pretty girl will agree to fuck him in the bathroom. Vince would probably join him on any other night, or be with Beth, but he likes this game of whatever it is they're playing.

He's still not quite sure of the nature of her relationship with Nikki, judging by how discrete she keeps things, but it seems to be something she's good at, and honestly, Vince won't complain. So he's got his hand on her thigh, and she's playing devil's advocate for the band that Nikki's glaring at, though the bassist is too revolted to argue back, so it falls on Vince to try and defend his bandmate's stance. Nikki joins Mick after about fifteen minutes, only staying to humour Tommy.

"You only hate them because you know you'd look better than they do in the same clothes," Lola's smile is all teeth, sharp and amused, and Vince scoffs, though he's smiling at the slight compliment, his thumb rubbing soft circles against her thigh; it's the third time they've come by, and Vince is pretty sure it's just an excuse to drink at somewhere that's not the grubby little flat. Usually she'd be in jeans, but it was close to the middle of summer, and she'd forgone the jeans for a skirt, and it felt like there was something different about tonight even beyond that.

"No shit, I absolutely would, but there's no way I'd be caught dead in that-"

"That's rich," she turns sharply on the barstool to face him, and he was close enough that now he's standing practically between her legs, "given some of the costumes you lot have come up with," and there's no malice, nothing but a teasing edge to her words, leaning one elbow on the bartop.

"We look like rockstars, like real rockstars;" he's got both his hands on her thighs now, and Lola looks like she's biting back a laugh at his rather genuine indignance, "they look like Jackson Pollock's neon nightmare." He watches her for a reaction, but the reference passes right over her head, brow furrowing a little in confusion, "they look awful." He clarified, leaning in a little, "and babe, they sound it too." His voice is low, obviously feeling bold as his nails graze higher until he's brushing at the hem of her skirt and that's enough to bring Lola back into the conversation, in a manner of speaking.

Looking over her shoulder, Lola's eyes are quick to spot Nikki heading from the bar, tailed by a weary looking Mick, and when she looks back, her smile is dangerous.

"We've probably got about ten minutes before he stops ranting to Mick and realises he's left you and Tommy behind, and that he can't finish practice without you," she says, with the air of someone who's been through this far too often. Vince's brow creases, and he leans back a little.

"Are you guys together?" He asks, not necessarily antsy, just curious. Lola rolls her eyes, and already that's answer enough.

"We fuck but there's nothing romantic about it," she snorts, though she avoids his gaze; it's the first time she's admitted it out loud to anyone, really, "I just promised not to fuck around with his band again." She chuckles, before her eyes meet his, like she's challenging him, like she's daring him to call out her history. Instead, he steps into her space, smirking, a hand holding her jaw.

"He's gonna have to deal with it, because the band's gonna be great; and this?" He's surprisingly gentle when he kisses her, tasting like beer and smelling like hairspray and she's got her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, "this isn't any of his damn business."

Ten minutes isn't a lot of time for anything, but it's enough time for Lola to locate the side door of the pub and to get on her knees in the breezy summer air with Vince's hands fisted in her hair. She makes herself scarce once he's come and Nikki's looking for the two member of the group he'd left behind; she's too giddy to not look guilty.

When she comes home at the end of the night, well past midnight, Mick's gone home and the other three are laying about, drinking and deciding on whether or not to see if someone better was playing further along The Strip.

"No afterparty tonight?" Nikki asks, and Lola gives him a little, subdued smile, leaning against the back of the armchair where Vince was slouched, though she's pointedly not looking at him.

"Nope, I'm calling it early; they had four quad boxes and no damn upper body strength between them."

Both Nikki and Tommy booed as a show of support, and Vince joins in with them as they're calling the band a string of probably unwarranted insults, and Lola laughs, soft and actually a little endeared, heading to the bathroom to wipe of her makeup.

"Fuck, alright whatever, I'm gonna call it a night too, see you guys at practice," Nikki stands and stretches, nodding to the other two. Vince hums something about calling Beth from the payphone to pick him up, and Tommy asks for a ride home, and they're vacating not long after, calling out goodbyes to both Nikki and Lola.

Things don't feel much different the next day. She and Vince share an amused little smile as she shuffles about the apartment half-asleep when the guys arrive for rehearsal. She's wearing one of Nikki's shirts that shows off a dark hickey on her collar that hadn't been there yesterday, and Nikki's got a matching one on his hip that Vince only spots when he reaches for a beer in the cabinet over the sink - the kitchen layout continues to baffle everyone but Nikki and Lola - and his shirt comes up enough to expose it.

Vince thinks he's coming to realise what Mick means when he says 'girls like Lola', but, honestly, he can't for the life of him figure out why that's a bad thing.

#nikki sixx #vince neil #the dirt #the dirt imagine #nikki sixx imagine #nikki sixx x oc #nikki x lola #vince neil imagine #vince neil x oc #tommy lee #mick mars #motley crue #motley crue imagine #the angry lizard writes

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everyonesomething · 6 years

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Session 22

Capridi: "Does this place have a makeout point?"

Edith Runekill: "It seems like these kids didn't disappear in twos." Pepper snorts. "The moment any place has more than two teens, a make-out point is established." Edith Runekill: "True, true." Grim: "Hell's a make-it point?" Capridi: "It's where horny teens have sex" Grim looks perplexed Capridi: "Usually on the outskirts of town, on a hill" Malkas: "A place you'd drive or walk to for ... yeah." Grim: "They got a place for that?" Capridi: "They'll do it in their cars" Edith Runekill: "It's... well. Yeah. You could describe it like that if you wanted to." Capridi: "They find places and call them make out points" Pepper is just laughing. Capridi is indifferent to teen horniness Edith Runekill , a hardened veteran of her town's makeout point. Grim: "Shit, we just fucked in the woods."

In this session, two heads are worse than one.

The set-up: The group has temporarily left the cornfields for an inland sea.

The Game: A few days of driving finds the group at the Sea of Fallen Stars and, desperate for something to do that isn’t driving miles in a car, Sydney pulls over to a roadside town. It’s time for ice cream.

Pepper is already examining the menu board. "'Try our FRIED ice cream?' I'd be a fool not to." Edith Runekill: "If you fry ice cream wouldn't it just melt?" Sydney Gaydos: "How does one even fry an ice cream?" Capridi follows the rest, "I'm just gunna get a tub of vanilla" Capridi: "A gallon tub" Pepper: "Well. Obviously. You ask them for it and they do it." She has no idea. Malkas: "Melted ice cream is just a milkshake." Edith Runekill: "I could go for a milkshake, actually." Sydney Gaydos: "Gaydos is certain they'll provide both milkshakes and an answer on how to fry ice cream." Sydney goes inside after looking over the menu a bit more. Malkas: "They'll probably have 'em." Sydney Gaydos notices the name of the store is called Frosty Hots. Capridi looks up at the sign. "I think I knew a dude who had a case of the frosty hots one time. A shot of penicillin cleared that right up" Malkas: "Ew." Pepper: "If you're trying to kill my appetite to take my ice cream you'll have to do better than that." Grim has been here the whole time but has no input to offer on any of this Capridi: "What? He was cured, so it's fine."

While the group is eating, a police officer enters and hangs four posters on the shop’s bulletin board before leaving again. They’re all posters for missing teenagers.

Edith Runekill takes a closer look at the poster. Sydney Gaydos looks curiously towards the posters. She quickly finishes her ice cream and gets up to follow Edith over to them. Sydney Gaydos: "... Missing?" Grim watches Edith Grim: "There a reward?" Pepper picks at any left over sprinkles on the dishes at the table. Edith Runekill: "Those poor kids..." Sydney Gaydos: "Yes it notes a reward." Pepper: "Maybe they just went camping," she says, licking her fingertips. Grim gives a non committal grunt Capridi: "Damn horny teens got lost in the woods or something" Sydney Gaydos reaches over Edith to pull off the posters from the board. "We'll need these to begin a search." Pepper: "Nah a place like this probably has like. Horny teen islands, or caves or atolls. Not woods." Malkas: "Horny cave teens."

The group heads to the boardwalk to gather information, though Grim would rather get back on the road. The only clue they have is the teens were last seen going towards the east, but the only thing that direction is a swamp. While the group debates, Cap decides to spend her free time buying a swimsuit to take in the waterfront.

Malkas: "Maybe they just went for a hike." Sydney Gaydos is putting the finishing touches on her drawings. "Of course, " she answers, looking towards Edith. "There's not much east but a swamp of sorts." Malkas: "But ... Four kids." "And one of them was three weeks ago." Edith Runekill: "Yeah. It's obviously not just one runaway or something; it's a pattern." Grim: "Prob'ly something's living out there, eating folks that wander out too far." Malkas: "Did anyone get their names? Maybe we should ask their families?" Edith Runekill frowns, worried. Grim: "The city'll deal with it sooner or later." Capridi walks out of the swimsuit place yelling "YEAH? WELL SAME TO YOU, BUDDY!" she flips the vendor the bird. Malkas slumps a little, "Ugh, yeah, probably... Lots of nasty stuff can get in-land a bit in these places." Malkas: "Sahuagin, maybe?" Capridi walks up to the rest of the group like nothing happened "So. Whats's goin on?" Malkas: "Missing teenagers." Grim: "Nothin'. We're getting back to the car and on the road." Capridi: "Ugh, still?" Malkas: "What, you don't want the reward, Grim?" Malkas knows better than to appeal to her sense of mystery-solving. Grim: "We got a job, an' I'm more interested in how that one pays off." Sydney Gaydos pulls the posters from her coat to show the rest of the group, face stern. "Gaydos is going to be solving and finding these missing teenagers or what happened to them. What everyone else does is up to them." Grim: "Syd, we ain't got time for this." Capridi: "I kind of agree, also this place sucks. Let's go." Pepper grins at Cap. "What, they run out of suits with tail holes?" Edith Runekill: "They're just kids... we should do something, if we can. It happened right by here; it wouldn't tie us up for too long, would it?" Capridi shoots Pepper a defensive look "No, the vendor is a jerk. Shut up." Sydney Gaydos: "We can double up on getting information by also asking about the Lich or any possible sightings." Pepper shrugs and turns back to watch the group round table. Grim grumbles a little but shrugs a shoulder Grim: "Alright, but if it ain't somethin' we can solve quick, we move on."

Mostly in agreement, the group asks around the boardwalk for more information. Syd at least tries to figure out why teens would wander off into a swamp in the first place.

Grim looks around at the storefronts and then at Syd Grim: "Why the hell wouldn't they. You see this place?" Sydney Gaydos: "Teenage curiosity and boredom is good to assume."

Pepper: "Yeah, even a place like this gets boring after awhile. Or your mom finds where you've been smoking and you gotta go somewhere else." She finishes off her hot dog. Edith Runekill: "You'll do some pretty dang stupid things at that age when you're bored. Trust me." Malkas: "Yeah, like... we loved going to places we shouldn't go if we couldn't get a ride into the city proper." Edith Runekill: "Having done some pretty dang stupid things myself at that age." Capridi: "Does this place have a makeout point?" Grim: "Went after a hydra on my own once. Got my ass beat but good for that." Grim relates, she's just like all of you

Syd finds out the first one who went missing was the youngest and an orphan with the last missing teen being the oldest. Edith looks concerned, but Cap waves her off saying orphans are hardier than other kids. Edith is horrified by that attitude, but Cap doesn’t back down—in her opinion, orphans are hardened by life, not innocent waifs like in stories.

Sydney Gaydos: "The rest of information is just as terrible, " she grimaces. Oh Capridi, you get the most lost, hurt of looks before its gone and she clears her throat. "They were all junior adventurers of sorts. Curious little buggers." Capridi looks to Edith "I'm just being realistic here." Grim: "Monster." "In the swamp." "Bet you" Pepper wrinkles her nose. "What like a Scout troop? Gettin the old. Uh. Swampy merit badge?" Capridi: "These kids are forced to survive on the streets often times, they grow up faster than they're meant to and can't trust most people. If they did, they'd probably be dead." Edith Runekill: "Or just kids who were bored outta their minds and dreaming of something bigger than a nowhere town." Pepper is talking to Syd here, but shrugs at Edith. Capridi shrugs "But that's not always the case, so who knows?" Grim: "When y'all are finished readin' your own stories onto these kids, an we go find 'em?" Malkas: "Let's find some teens." "Swamp teens." Edith Runekill nods. Sydney Gaydos is DOING HER BEST TO IGNORE ALL OF THIS HARDENED ORPHAN TALK. "It might be, Pepper. Gaydos saved the worst for last. At the start of the summer, one of the members of this group washed up on shore." She grimaces. "Drowned. The group did not believe it was an accident." Edith Runekill: "Oh no..."

The group just heads out to the swamp—though Grim maintains if it’s too big of a problem, they should leave it to the local authorities and leave. In short order, they find one of the missing teens huddled in a shelter and holding a spear.

She asks if they were sent to deal with the monster.

Point for Grim!

They say nobody sent them, but they figured something bad was happening. The teen tells them Beedy—the first one who went missing—didn’t drown, he was torn apart by something. The two others, Morrow and Fitch, hitchhiked to a nearby town to find adventurers to help. Grim asks if she saw the monster or has any idea what it might be.

Helia (GM): | The kid is shaking a little. "Loads of heads." Sydney Gaydos pauses for a moment and pulls out the missing posters to double check those names. Helia (GM): "Teeth like knives." "I've seen it swim out into the ocean when it gets dark. I'm... I was waiting. Gonna try and get the drop on it when it comes out tonight." Grim: "Ain't a half bad plan, 'cept it's a hell of a big risk for one with a sharp stick."

Pepper squints. "Something with a bunch of heads?" Grim gives the slightest smile Grim: "Hydra." Edith Runekill: [Infernal] "Shit." Pepper mentally adds ANOTHER point in the "Grim" column. Sydney Gaydos: "Do not worry child! We will kill the Hydra easily!" she triumphantly announces to the teenager. Malkas: "Do we know how to kill a Hydra?" Grim: "Hit it real hard." Sydney Gaydos: "Something Gaydos can do every well." Grim: "In the heart's best, heads are tricky." Grim thinks it over for a moment, taking a drag on her cigarette. She almost looks nostalgic. Grim: "Fire's the real killer on a hydra. Cut off the heads, burn it up good before they grow back." "That was where I fucked up. Didn't have the stomach for it." Malkas: "Well... Time for ... revenge? Another shot? I don't know." Edith Runekill: "Well... I can help with the burning." Helia (GM): | The kid stands up. "Hey, wait, if you're gonna go kill it, I wanna come." Grim: "Time to kill a monster." Grim sizes up the teen, then nods

We’re responsible adults.

Syd objects to bringing a child along but is outnumbered so she relents, giving the teen—Neiva—her pistol to use.

The group then makes its way to the cave where the hydra’s been seen and works out a plan to take it out.

Grim: "Said you had most've a plan. You know where it heads to the water, come nightfall?" Helia (GM): "Uh, from the cave. When the tide comes in, it swims out." "It gets about three feet deep?" Grim nods Edith Runekill listens intently, although she has nothing to contribute; her expertise here is lighting things on fire, not hydra ecology. Grim: "So we got two options. Head on into the cave, hope to surprise it sleepin'. Or wait on it to swim out, set up an ambush." Edith Runekill: "Could get nasty, fighting a hydra in close quarters." Malkas: "Could get nasty in three feet of water, too." Grim: "Second gives us time to prepare the land, but water's gonna be a problem for Edith roasting the damn thing." Pepper: "Might be dark in there, but I guess it'd be dark out here at night, too." She rubs her chin and shrugs. Edith Runekill: "Mn, yeah. Although setting off fireballs in close quarters could get real bad too." Malkas: "Maybe we can lure it back up on to drier land?" Grim looks at Cap Capridi: "No, dammit." Malkas: "I was thinking we get a big bloody dead fish and drag it through the water..." Capridi: "Let's do that." Grim: "We lure it out, we got a chance to lay a couple traps. Relies a whole lot on the hydra takin' the bait" Edith Runekill: "Dry land but still in the open would be ideal for me, anyway." Capridi: "The smell of dead fish will lure it out more than I ever would." Edith Runekill: "If we can make it happen..." Grim looks at the teen Grim: "You been watchin' this thing, what d'you reckon?" Helia (GM): | Neiva shrugs, "I dunno, when the tide came in I always went up on top of the cave. I don't think it'd be hard to get it up there..." "It'll eat anything, I bet." Grim nods and looks at the others Grim: "Seems a good enough plan to me."

Mal, Cap, and Syd go off to get the bait while Grim, Edith, and Pepper stay behind with Neiva to lay down some traps. Grim buries some landmine-style traps at the mouth of the cave and pours out some flammable oil at the top of a hill—the hydra should set off the traps which will weaken it, then they’ll lure it over the oil and burn it.

The fish is put into place and they wait for the hydra. As planned, it comes out and sets off the traps. Then, howling in pain, it retreats back into the cave.

Good!

After a moment, it comes back out and this time it’s followed by a second hydra. The group tries to hide in their surroundings, but Syd stumbles and gives them away.

Great!

Let’s fight some monsters.

One hydra takes a few swipes at Syd and Grim before Mal attacks the second, managing to cut the head off. Which then grows two new heads as a replacement.

So that’s why you have to burn them. Huh.

Syd gets in some good hits to one before Edith fireballs it and Cap heals up Grim. Pepper burns up the other hydra and Grim gets in a few shots. It’s not enough, though, and the hydra hits Grim hard enough to knock her down and out for a bit.

The group focuses on one hydra, attacking and burning as they go before Cap temporarily Banishes the second one to another plane. With fewer heads to focus on, they take down the remaining hydra as Neiva and Syd revive Grim with a healing potion and some paladin magic.

Grim looks a LOT better and also REALLY pissed Sydney Gaydos: "Grim...? Do you feel better?" Grim spits blood

She’s fine, it’s fine.

Grim and Pepper finish off the one hydra and the group waits for the second to reappear. When it does, they take it down like the first one, with Edith dealing the finishing blow to light it on fire.

It screams terribly!

What a good side trip! The group should stop for ice cream more often!

They take some time to decompress and sweep the area for remaining oil and traps.

Edith Runekill speaks softly to Nieva again. "Let me know if you need anything, okay?" Helia (GM): | Nieva nods, "Yeah... I just... I just wanna show everyone..." Grim fastens the trap to her pack and then glances over at Nieva Grim heads over to the non-incinerated hydra and sets about hacking off its one intact head Edith Runekill: "Do you have a way to get in touch with your friends who went off to find adventurers?" Grim tosses the bloody head across to Nieva Helia (GM): | Nieva screams. "WHAT!" Grim: "Kid, hush. Take that into town, tell 'em what you told us." Pepper cringes. Grim: "They been lookin' for you, they set up a reward. Reckon you'll pick up on it no trouble with all this to show."

With that, the group decides to spend the night in town before hitting the road again the next day. Another mystery solved thanks to Sydney’s Gumshoes!

#previously on #summary #neverwinter 1933

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