71 - [text]

[blackshadow]

If you feel like you're being followed today, go inside as soon as possible.

Don't let your guard slip. Stay armed.

Avoid the woods.

Those things have been here before and they're not as harmless as they look.

[ And Tyr will be hiding out in the beach house with his staff. It doesn't exactly feel like paranoia after what happened last time he saw slenderman. ]

Comments

[pratful]

[ he's starting to get a headache ]

This really couldn't have come at a worse time

[ not now that Merlin's gone ]

[blackshadow]

Are you OK?

[ An honest question. If something happened, he'd still feel some pull to help. ]

[pratful]

[ he debated answering. He really did. After all, it probably didn't matter either way if Tyr knew or not, but for Arthur, it was personal. ]

It's just a bad day. Merlin went home. [ and his wife is in the hospital ]

[blackshadow]

[ The guy that just got married? Tyr's starting to think marriage makes the City decide it's time to send you back home... ]

Sorry.

[ Tyr still hasn't learned the fine art of making people feel better. ]

Is he a friend from home?

[pratful]

Servant, actually. And not a very good one. [ because he made Arthur care about friendship and what some lowly servant thought of him. It wasn't supposed to be like that at all. ]

[blackshadow]

[ Why do all the lords Tyr meet in the City talk about how bad their servants are? ]

You can hire another one.

[pratful]

[ alas, the text cannot convey his very real affection for the servant. Perhaps the issue. ]

I could, but I'm afraid Merlin's become more then just a servant.No matter. He's no longer here and I've learned well enough to fend for myself. What's important is that no one else gets hurt.

I thank-you for your warning.

[blackshadow]

[ That might be it. Now Tyr thinks maybe Merlin was like his servants in that they were also Tyr's bodyguards. ]

It's not a problem.

At least you can know that Merlin is safe from these things back in his world now. Now you need to take care of yourself too.

[pratful]

It's less me I'm worried about and more his wife.

[ another message follows a few moments after the first ]

What do you know about Karl?

[ Tyr has always been willing to share information in the past. Arthur has yet to doubt the validity of any of it thus far. ]

[blackshadow]

[ Tyr was trying not to think about the fact he left his wife behind... ]

Then watch over her for him, too.

[ As that's what he'd want someone to do if he left Rita behind...

Thankfully, he doesn't need to think about that after the next message comes through, confusing as it is. ]

I don't know him. What do you know about him?

[pratful]

I will, now that I know he's gone

[ but he should've known it might have been stretching things to hope Tyr knew who Karl was. ]

Not much. He seems to be making trouble for a girl Charlie picked up. And he hurt Charlie.

[ which makes it all the more unsettling that Merlin was gone. ]

[blackshadow]

[ Tyr doesn't know, but he wants to. He's begun to see just minding his own business isn't always the best idea here. ]

So you're worried he might be even more dangerous than you saw?

If you need any backup dealing with him, contact me.

[pratful]

Thanks, but I'm sure I can handle it. [ false bravado, sure, but it's the only way he knows how to act. ]

[blackshadow]

[ Tyr knows your type, Arthur... ]

It'd be foolish to turn down help just because you think so. You don't know much about this Karl. You won't really know how strong he is until the two of you fight.

[pratful]

[ ... he hates typcasating unless he's the one doing it ]

Don't worry. I've gone up against my fair share of impossible creatures. What research can be done, will be done. [ the issue at hand is simply, will it be enough. ]

[blackshadow]

[ At least it's a common type Tyr was like this once... ]

Is this really about research to you?

[pratful]

It's about knowing my enemy.

[ and he's just going to leave it at that. Until Charlie's safe and out of the hospital. He can't do more then that. He had responsibilities. ]

[blackshadow]

You should know that before you rush in.

[ Reckless, reckless, reckless. ]