[CLOSED]

[baetiful]

WHO: Jayden Revell, Jorah Mormont, and Petyr Baelish.
WHERE: The long and elaborate sewer system of Philadelphia
WHEN: Sometime in December
WHAT: Baelish is determined to get his hands on one of the Alterams. This search leads this merry band of misfits into the sewer system. Wacky adventures ensue.
WARNINGS: Mild violence and sewer grossness.

[ Although Petyr absolutely hates getting his hands dirty, there are certain situations where it's a necessity. The imPorts can't help him on this matter, so he has to help himself. Which is why the three of them (and rodents) stand before a manhole. For once, Baelish is not in a fancy tunic. He's dressed in a pair of throw away jeans, work boots, a T-shirt and a sweat jacket. It's the epitome of garbage clothing in his eyes. ]

Jorah, do you mind lifting the cover?

[ Baelish asks, managing to swallow his bile in anticipation of the smell. God, he is not looking forward to this. But there is someone among them who is looking forward to it. He spares a glance at Mouse. ]

There should be a ladder leading down, correct? [ Several mockingbirds hover in the air, holding onto a backpack that contains flashlights, water bottles, knives, rope, bandages and a few other first aid items as well as a couple of snacks and blankets just in case things got bad and they get stuck down there for longer than they anticipate.

But these things never go bad, really! Should be all smooth sailing from here, of course. Of course. ]

Comments

[khaleesipls]

[ Reluctance sets hard in Jorah’s nose at mention of Chilton’s hospital, but he nods, swallowing resistance with pride. Like a good sellsword.

He sizes their sewer hobo up like a filthy, flea-ridden, fire-breathing dog Baelish wants to take along for the ride, but offers no argument there, either. They’ll make it work. ]

We’re here for the monster, [ he tells the hobo, and maybe Mouse, if he’s thinking of turning tail. And then in quieter aside to Petyr: ]

We can try to take him with us, or leave a bird and collect him on our way back. If I bind him he might burn through the rope.

[baetiful]

[ Mr. Williams approaches with caution, but a definite hunger. He seems suspicious of the packaging, and this close you can really smell how rank he is. But as the vibrations from the alterram shake the ground beneath them, there's a sharper expression that crosses his face. And for a moment, just a moment, the man seems of the utmost coherence. "They want to replace us. All of us. They can control these ones, not like us, and they'll do whatever they want. Where will we be then?"

Baelish regards the man curiously and after a moment, he's about to respond to Jorah until the monster suddenly makes itself noticeable. It's only half of a torso, dragging itself by its monstrous arms. But it's still fairly intimidating in its own right. For just a fleeting moment, Baelish gets second thoughts. Maybe they should turn tail and get out of there.

But. But. ]

It's already damaged. We should be able to do this.

[princeofrats]

[ Mouse instantly grabs Mr. Williams by the shoulders (as someone who is averse to showers himself, he doesn't even notice the smell!), whirls the man around, and shoves him towards Jorah and Baelish. Fire powers or not, Mr. Williams didn't sign up to fight a giant monster. ]

You said to suffocate it, right? Rats! Swarm!

[ The rats surge up the walls and start pouring down on top of the monster's body like rainwater. For every rat that's shaken loose, another scrambles up to take its place, and with a noise that's practically a roar, Mouse lunges at one of the creature's arms. ]

[khaleesipls]

[ What Mr. Williams has to say next sees Jorah looking in more direct aside to Baelish, lines furrowed in deep around the hood of his brow, jaw edged out into an underbite. What?

They don’t have a chance to hash it out.

He drops his hook with an echoing clang, glare cut from Baelish to the hobo Mouse has shoved at them in warning to keep his fire hands to himself. His coveralls are already tight on his shoulders before he’s unzipped to skiv out of them, more bear than man in a matter of seconds -- great, huffing jaws, meathook claws and a mountain of muscle rolling down the sewer line to drive his weight onto the monster with all the grace of a derailed train.

He does, at least, make a last second course adjustment to come at it from the side opposite Mouse, rather than directly over him. ]

[baetiful]

[ Well. Aren't they a regular old zoo? With a sharp and shrill whistle, the few mockingbirds that followed come flying in to join the rodent army -- offering their support by helping to carry some of the rodents up higher or pecking at the creature's eyes to render it blind. The tremors around them are sloshing up the most putrid smelling of sewer goo, but it's only enough to make the ground a bit unstable -- not enough to bring the walls down around them.

It's weak. They can do this. With Jorah muscling the creature into the corner and Mouse's rodents suffocating it, everything appears to be working out in their favor. That is, until the flashlight Baelish had been helpfully shining on the scene gets knocked from his hands when he looses his balance after a particularly large tremor.

The flashlight drops and breaks, leaving them in complete darkness. It renders the birds blind since they don't really have night vision at all and they flutter around in a panic. And whatever else happens in the dark, let it be known that the monster they're fighting doesn't necessarily have to see anything to do its damage. And it's attempting to plow Jorah over while struggling to shake the rodents out of its air pores. ]

[princeofrats]

[ Rats can't quite see in the dark, but they have a much easier time navigating it than humans or birds do, and while a number of rats are thrown from the monster's back, just as many come skittering up its forearms as reinforcements. Mouse isn't nearly as good at handling the darkness as his subjects are, though, and the deep tremors shaking the ground make him lose his footing and splash backwards into the muck. ]

Mr... Sewer-hobo, whatever your name was! We need light! Just don't set any of us on fire, please!

[ Mr. Williams is nice enough to oblige, and the flames in his hands dimly light up the tunnel like a pair of torches. Under his breath, he mutters something about evil cheese crackers. Mouse chooses that moment to lunge at the monster's forearm again, shouting "Rat trap! Rat trap!" like a battlecry.]

[khaleesipls]

[ Ser Jorah rolls in the sewage like something out of the world’s gnarliest car wash, bristles slinging filthy water, clawing for purchase on old brick. His grunting bellow quakes through the sludge in echo of Mouse’s war cry, rippling outward as he lunges half-blind back into the fray.

Rats not quick enough to slither out of his way are in danger of being crushed as he champs his jaws for purchase against the monster’s armor.

There’s nothing especially calculated or strategic about it, all slobber and gruff, garbled blustering in the firelight. ]

[baetiful]

[ When the light illuminates the tunnel once again, the birds regain themselves and swoop in to pluck a few rodents by their tails, lifting them in the air just in time before Jorah squashes them under his bear bulk. The land and air alliance is just as strong as it was the first time in Philadelphia.

Petyr scrambles to pick up one of the other flashlights, turning it on to give them a bit more light. And it seems their hard work pays off when the monster weakens, arms flying about sluggishly -- its struggle becomes less and less as its deprived of its precious air.

And then, it succumbs -- collapsing before them with one final, dying tremor. Only when it does, does Petyr let out the breath he had pretty much been holding the entire time. ]

Is everyone all right?

[princeofrats]

[ Mouse shoots Baelish a huge, beaming grin that's only slightly dimmed by the all the sewer muck streaked across his face, and the tangle of wet hair in his eyes. He's a little bruised and banged up from the fight (he'd refocused his attention on the monster's other arm, because nope, getting in the way of Jorah the angry rampaging werebear was not a good idea), but otherwise he seems to be in pretty good shape! ]

We're ok! Mr. Jorah's still a bear, but I think he's ok too! Thank you for saving the rats, can you tell your birds I said thanks?

[khaleesipls]

[ Sprawled wide over the beast’s corpse, Jorah is slow to slough off to the side, slick with black sludge. Streaks of red rope down into the sewage around him, but he’s solid on all fours, eyes flashing ghostly green in Baelish’s light when he swings his great, flat head round to the sound of his voice. He’s breathing hard, sides sweeping in and out.

Flecks of foam drip from his jaws, and he stretches his neck long to snuff after Mouse nearby, like a thousand pound labrador nosing for table scraps. ]

[baetiful]

[ The birds make a trilling chirp in response to Mouse. They understand. They've been around Baelish long enough to understand human speak. But they can't talk back in ways Mouse would understand. So Petyr interprets for them. ]

They said you're welcome. But also that the ones they rescued could stand to eat a little less cheese.

[ What. Birds tell it like it is. Petyr spares a glance toward Jorah bear. Now, Jorah had told him he turns into a bear -- but Baelish neglected to learn whether or not Jorah can control himself in bear form or not. So hopefully he doesn't try to eat them. ]

Do you need tending to, Ser Jorah?

[ And in the concern he's doling out for the knight, Baelish neglects to realize that their sewer hobo had run off. ]

[princeofrats]

[ Mouse is trying to edge away from Jorah the Werebear as subtly as he can, but there's no way to do it without noisily sloshing through the sewer muck. Jorah is intimidating enough as a human, but as a giant, snuffling bear, he's enough to make anyone pretty nervous! ]

He's, uh... he's not rabid, is he? Are you, Mr. Jorah? It's just, you're kinda foaming, and... can you hear us?

What about you, Mr. Sewer-Hobo? How are... oh.

[ They are officially -1 sewer hobo! ]