video;

[momchester]

[Counter to her last post, Mary is calm, composed, put-together, an iron look of determination in her eyes.]

If you've called someone and gotten their voicemail in the past three days, you need to comment here and tell me who it was.

I don't care if you think they got sent home, if they have an alibi, if they're supposed to be on a week-long vision quest, I don't care. If there's someone, anyone who you can't get ahold of and isn't absolutely definitely accounted for-

[Mary stops, folds, unfolds her hands. When her sleeve pulls back slightly, you can see a pair of handcuffs around one wrist.]

There might be another Hunt going on. We have to figure out now how many people are missing. Rationalizing where they might be, telling yourself it's not a big deal- forget that. We don't have time to second-guess.

I'm starting the list with Yosuke, Bigby Wolf, and Jesse Turner.

[Her hands are shaking a little. She grits her teeth slightly.]

Michael, everyone from last time- if you know where the grounds are, please. We need to stop this.

Comments

[servingfather]

Much easier if we don't have to be worried about being tagged and Voided while in their territory. This has the high possibility of turning on us and biting us in the ass.

[momchester]

From what I heard, they got the collars off around nightfall and most of the hunters vamoosed.

[servingfather]

Let's hope they do it again this time as well, then.

[momchester]

[She runs a hand through her hair.]

I think they will.

[Time to cross the kitchen almost nervously, to twitchily fidget with the coffee maker.]

Spencer- he's comfortable. The police are protecting him. So are the media. I bet he's settling into a pattern.

[servingfather]

[He's almost tempted to put decaf coffee grounds in the machine because she obviously doesn't need the caffeine.]

Then let's unsettle him, shall we?

[momchester]

[It would probably be a good thing if he did. As it is, she's mostly just moving things around- until she turns a little to half-face him. There's no trace of a smile, no enjoying this hell-train of insanity- just grim acceptance.]

Everything I've asked you- and you always come through, you've done it all, no matter how stupid or- you could get killed. Or caught and hunted like them.

[Mary shakes her head half-uncomprehendingly. Why he cares, why he keeps coming through for her- why he hasn't told her no yet or told her to stop asking. What she, someone so small, could possibly do to even the scales. She doesn't know.]

[servingfather]

[No more caffeine for you tonight, Mar. He does it as he watches her move things around before looking back up to her face.]

There is one thing I'm not, Mary, and that is prey. No matter how stupid or dangerous I will not run away like a scared being who fears for my life. I've spent too many millenia as a warrior - as a leader - to just lay down my sword and walk away from it.

[It's hard to turn his back being so close to the horrors of man. In Heaven it was easy to turn his back, to be blind to people calling out as they suffer. It had helped harden his heart but now that he'd pushed away his old ways and embraced emotion...it was difficult to do those things.]