video; ~5 pm

[momchester]

[Mary looks... well, alive, which is a bonus, but also frazzled and exhausted, with pale skin, dark circles under her eyes, lips chapped, hair falling out of her ponytail.

But more than that, she looks haunted.]

I'm back. I'm alive. [Her lips press together in a thin line. She bows her head and talks to her knees.] No thanks to those monsters.

I don't know if anyone else made it out... there were no- [sniffing hard to avoid tearing up.] -shelters. Nothing Darkness proofed. [Head still bowed tightly.] I don't know if any of those people I fought with made it out alive, but if they didn't, I'm going to tell you all right now.

[She finally looks up, eyes welling now with tears she refuses to cry.]

They hunted us. They bound us, put collars on us, they put us in cages. They chased us and hunted us down like we were fucking dogs and we couldn't-

[she claps a hand over her mouth, breathing hard to rein in her emotions. When she opens her eyes again, there's something chilling and deadened in her eyes.]

When I died at home- the first time, before I came here... it was a demon. A demon pinned me to the ceiling and burned me alive in my baby's nursery, and I didn't feel as violated as I did those two days. In that cage. [She shakes her head intently, looking away.] Those monsters kidnapped children. They wanted to see every one of us die like dumb fucking animals.

I wonder what would happen if I prayed for them. [There's a weird look in her eyes. Something you wouldn't leave your children alone with.] It's the Christian thing to do.

Would I get their souls into Heaven, or their heads on a plate?

[With a last ugly look at the NV, she turns the public feed off.]

[Private to Jinx]

I found a plus one.

[Private to the angels]

Did you hear my prayer? [The one she whispered as she lay dying.] Please, tell me none of you- tell me you didn't go there. Please.

Comments

[Video]

[returnsmagic]

Yes.

One of the hunters was considerate enough to give me our host's name.

[Video]

[momchester]

Someone I know told me these hunts used to happen before.

Thanks, Eurig.

[Video]

[returnsmagic]

And they will continue.

[ He coughed. ]

I'm afraid to tell you that name is no longer mine to have.

[Video]

[momchester]

What do you mean?

[On both counts.]

[Video]

[returnsmagic]

He let the survivors from the night's Darkness to be freed, if they survived both the monsters and the hunters. I do honestly believe the hunts will continue from this alone. A prepared prey is a more challenging one, and more satisfying to kill.

[ He hunted the meanest of deer and other prey from home, so he has some idea. ]

I called myself Eurig when I thought it might be best to separate my life in the city as a life as a human, not as a dragon. I learned from our episode that I was a fool, thinking that no bothering will come to Eurig, only to Aurican.

[Video]

[momchester]

[And out of all of that, she heard:]

...Dragon.

[Video]

[returnsmagic]

Yes.

[Video]

[momchester]

Oh.

Okay.

So you're a dragon. Your name is- Aurican?

[Video]

[returnsmagic]

Yes, I am. We talked over the network before. I am the gold dragon.

[Video]

[momchester]

-Oh! You're- oh.

[Well then. The nice old man and the cool gold dragon are the same person. Weird, but she can live with it.

Back to business.]

Well, um... you really think he'll keep hunting? He can't if-

[She grits her teeth. Some things shouldn't be said on public feeds.]