Mac's Delirium

[Bluehorse]

Coming from here:
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Mac is unconscious. Oddly enough... he is aware of this. The mist had enveloped him in an oddly effervescent cold that had become all too warm and comfortable to resist. The rosy smell tinged with something akin to eucalyptus had for a moment filled his senses just before the darkness overtook him.

Now he lay in that darkness. It was nice. Nothing hurt. Scars from old bar fights and motorcycle wrecks seemed to have melted away. The stiff cartilage that had been getting harder to ignore seemed to give way and stop throbbing just as all his muscles relaxed and he was quite simply in Perfect Rest.

Perfect Darkness.

One could lay here content forever.


And just die.


But something disturbed the darkness. It was the smallest pinprick of light shining through the otherwise endless void. Like someone was putting a tiny hole in the heavy black velvet that surrounded him. It was getting bigger. Soon he couldn't ignore it.

There was a lantern being held by a woman in a long white gown with wild curly hair. She looked down on Mac and shined the light on him. He heard hints of a breathy voice more in his mind than with his ears. The woman's lips never moved.

..................don't let the sleep take you....... Get up............ you have to get up............ You cannot linger here...............

[Rex]

Mac

Mac, lost in his relaxing state, takes a bit to understand what is going on.

To himself. "I must get up, I must get up, I must get up!"

Do I need to make a roll here?

[Bluehorse]

Nah you can just get up I'll prompt you for anything you need to roll for, but always feel free to throw one out there if you want to try something, I will just need an explanation of what you are attempting.

[Rex]

Mac

As Mac psyches himself up he begins to drift back into his body, slowly being reminded of his misspent youth as his daily aches and pains seep back into his consciousness followed shortly by a beginning awareness of his surroundings. He starts pulling his arms and legs underneath himself as he tries to raise his heavy body up. "Grr." he groans as he begins to bring his surroundings into focus.

[Bluehorse]

Mac

As Mac psyches himself up he begins to drift back into his body, slowly being reminded of his misspent youth as his daily aches and pains seep back into his consciousness followed shortly by a beginning awareness of his surroundings. He starts pulling his arms and legs underneath himself as he tries to raise his heavy body up. "Grr." he groans as he begins to bring his surroundings into focus.

Mac, though well-intentioned, finds himself barred off. He only manages to stand up in his dream. He looks down at the woman with the lantern, still the only source of light he can make out in this void of forever. She gestures for him to follow her.

She begins moving away in the direction she had come.

Does Mac follow?

[Rex]

Mac

Mac follows along behind.

[Bluehorse]

As Mac follows the woman, at first it is hard to manage. He finds it is less locomotion and more concentration to keep up with her. Once that is worked out, he is able to match pace with her with relative ease.

As they move he begins to see familiar landscapes... They are dim and distant... like the sun has just set... the surroundings become more and more like twilight as he follows the woman.... He finally recognizes the Connecticut shoreline near his boyhood home!

In his mind he hears the voice again. .............don't wander off the path..... it is a narrow path...... don't be tempted...... there is only one chance.....

[Rex]

Mac

To himself, "Don't wander, don't wander..."

Mac continues to follow, trying his best to stay on the narrow path.

[Bluehorse]

They continue on... The landscape becomes more and more obvious. This is the shoreline where you and your family used to come on weekends and holidays to play, fish, bbq, and of course swim. Over there is the rock you used to fish from and "always got lucky" especially that one night after the date with Thema Hyatt.... It's like you can always see her there like she was that night so long ago... that last date before graduating high school when she went to college... Imagin being able to walk over there... find a fishing pole... casting one more time.... or... what if she was there... just waiting... just to see her smile one more time.... You can hear her laughter in the distance... like a hollow echo on the rocks where the waves a lapping on the sandy shore and roaring against those rocks... blue water.... like her eyes... in the starlight...

[Rex]

Mac

Mac starts to wander, for just a moment, then "Don't wander!" He stays true to the path.

[Bluehorse]

The woman's voice sounds in his mind again. ......the temptations will get stronger... they are shadows of your memories..... meant to comfort the dying in their passing.......... everyone sees something different..........

The way was growing a degree brighter. More details stood out. Mac could see his old school... the football field where he dominated as a lineman... the gym where they had their prom.... the parking lot where he rode into school on his first motorcycle... it was right over there where he had parked it that day it was stolen.... old, worn, but it ran like a top from all the blood, sweat, and tears he had put into it... it looked all polished up and begging for him to take it on a ride again... he could almost feel the rumble between his legs and in his hands.... the feel of the throttle.... the memory of how good it felt to kick start that old machine.... rev it up and streak down the road.... the feel of the suicide clutch and the distinct click it made when switching gears... the smell of gasoline and oil that was so intoxicating to a teenager.... he felt like a teenager again. Big, Strong, but lean... ready for anything. Ready for adventure... Freedom was just one pump of the kickstart away....

[Rex]

Mac

Mac struggles but continues on the path.

[Bluehorse]

The woman speaks again. You're doing fine.......................... but it will get harder............... you have to get back or you will be either trapped here or move on............ You have to get back to your friends............ you have to clean the house...............

The scene around him was growing brighter.... It felt like dawn had just broken over the landscape. Mac could see his home. Not like it was when he left it, but how he remembered it from his childhood. He felt small, energetic again.... youthful. When he looked at his hands and arms, he was a child again. His tattoos and muscle mass were gone and he was wearing the shorts and t-shirt that he remembered. His home, his bicycle out front where he always left it... the sun was rising now and illuminated his yard in stark contrast to the darkness he left behind him. It was Saturday morning.... it had to be... he felt it... he was a boy on Saturday morning again... Ghostbusters would be coming on soon. He could smell breakfast.... Mom.... Mom had to be inside... His childhood was just inside that door.... waiting on him...

Roll a Mod Cool. Failure means you go off the path because you cannot resist.

[Rex]

Mac

Cool +4BP [6d6]=23 ghost die [1d6]=1

Using free re-roll without ghost die.

Cool +4BP [6d6]=15

"Have to clean the house, have to clean the house..."

[Bluehorse]

It was hard.... and for a minute Mac stumbled and almost strayed. It was at the last minute that he paused... caught himself... and pulled himself away with a hard effort. When he turned back the lantern woman... somehow still lighting the path ahead despite the sunlight in the scene before him... when he looked back, there was darkness and only the vague outlines of his previous temptations. As he left the house of his childhood behind him, he could hear his mother calling for him.

Mom Davy...! No one... called him Davy but Mom. No one. Davy? he heard behind himself and the world about him faded away and reappeared around him once more.

He was walking directly into the kitchen now. The sunshine was radiating in through the windows. When he looked up there was his mom smiling and young, looking down at him. There you are, my little man! You sleepy head, you must be hungry. You want some eggs and toast or some cheerios this morning? We can go watch Big Bird on the couch! Don't tell your daddy, okay? she grinned and winked. Come give Mama a big hug and kiss! she squatted down and held her arms out to you. You could feel the smile on your face. The unsteady but sure steps of immature legs. The carefree innocence of youth.

Behind your mother... in the hallway leading to the outside door... was the lady with the lantern. .............Don't stray... I know it is hard..... you must resist....

His mother was there... waiting. It was how he remembered her.... before.... before that time he couldn't help her. Before.... before everything went wrong. Before he learned he had to be tough to defend those that couldn't defend themselves.... this was that last good day of innocence... before he couldn't save her.

I'm very sorry to do this King. I need a Hard Cool Roll. 20+ to resist.

[Rex]

Mac

Cool +6BP [8d6]=27 ghost die [1d6]=4

"Must resist, must resist, clean the house, clean the house..."

[Bluehorse]

You are making good rolls! Very happy for you! Keep in mind that with all the BP you are spending, even though you have more than enough to absorb it in your pool, this is draining and will definitely need to be reflected after you gain consciousness later. This is somewhat of a mental/emotional/spiritual exhaustion... but you are making it work.

It is hard... but Davy manages to turn away from the image of his mother. He hears her call after him as he follows the woman with the lantern and leaves the sunshine behind him. She looks down and takes his hand, her lantern leading him down the dark hallway and back out into the void. He feels like he might be right back where he started. They walk and walk and nothing seems to change. When he looks back, there is nothing there. Now there is only the lady and her lantern light.

....................We are almost there.... Just a little further..... Time enough for questions..... but not long.........

Mac... will at some point realize that with every step he is subtly returning to himself. He is no longer a toddler.... he is growing a little at a time... his body morphing back to something more familiar... Soon the woman has let go of his hand and he is standing over her again as she leads him through the void along a path only her lantern light seems to shine upon.

[Rex]

Mac

He continues to follow along, "Why, how do we clean the house?"

Unfortunately my low Cool and crappy rolling means I need to dump BP. I will take the risk for now. I need to up my Cool soon.

[Bluehorse]

Yeah, but you are using your BP for exactly what they are intended for When you push yourself and cause stress, it is reflected in your exhersion.
It is one of the reasons I like this system so much and also why I have been generous in awarding them. Gives you all a chance advance and be big damn heroes

The woman keeps walking, but her voice echos in your mind. ............the magic placed there long ago has grown weak... and has begun to sour because of the energies moving in and out............ it is no longer treated as a home............ it emulates its own stories now.......... stories have power........... they make beliefs............. people with beliefs create echos in the world around them............. and now what was holding the negative energies in thrall has been disturbed............... It can never be fully restored.......... so the house must be cleaned of the negative energies............

[Rex]

Mac

"Clean the house, yes. How do we remove so much negative energy? It seems so difficult to accomplish."