Halloween 2024 IF,  Interactive Fiction

Halloween I.F. – “Something Rich and Strange” – Day 3

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Something’s wrong

Once Star had the thought, it was impossible to shake it. It didn’t mean it was real, he reminded himself with the weight of some months of therapy. It meant that he was functionally a horse and once he got it in his head that something was wrong it was like the world was ending, right up until he’d managed to thoroughly distract himself. Someone had once described horses as couches with anxiety. It turned out that being able to become bipedal didn’t solve the problem, it just turned you into a bar stool with anxiety instead.

Deep breaths. He took a glance out the window to try to keep an eye out for Dom and immediately startled and jumped as an invisible shape wreathed in fire went past.

A djinn, he attempted to convince himself. Not a portent or an omen. Invisible, wrapped in flame and smoke—that was just a normal djinn. Probably no big deal. 

“Do you need to stand on the bench?” the barista called. “People normally sit on that.”

“I’m letting my feet enjoy the seat too,” Star shot back, but he forced himself to sit back down, closing his eyes and counting to ten, forward and backward.

What if he’s dead?

Star sounded, even to his own head, like a pet whose owner was a half hour late in feeding them. He knew it, but couldn’t stop worrying. He was the one who had told Dom to meet him downtown in the Valley, and even though the track was also in the Valley, things happened to people all the time. Although technically still part of the city, regular policing didn’t really happen down in the Valley all that much. Easy to turn a blind eye and let the monsters take care of each other. And downtown was, if not the worst part, pretty dangerous.

It was too early for vampires. Lycanthropes could turn at any time they wanted, they only had to do it on the full moon, but it was unlikely that they’d grab some random jockey. But even on a pleasant and sunny fall afternoon, there were all kinds of dangers down here that someone could walk into, especially if Dom was in a hurry and not watching where he was going…

“CBT, the not fun kind,” he reminded himself in a mutter, drawing an amused glance from the incubus barista. He should think through the worst outcome, the best outcome, and the most likely outcome. 

Worst outcome: Dom was dead, his body dragged away, Star would never see him again and Star would be forced on a journey of vengeance and discovery which revealed a whole conspiracy in the seedy underbelly of Branwin, Ontario’s Uncanny Valley.

Best outcome: Dom walked through the door right now. Star looked hopefully at the door, then scowled when the only person walking through was a human college student looking excited and nervous to be in the Valley at all.

Most likely outcome: Dom was held up by something, possibly something problematic that they’d have to deal with, but was otherwise fine and would be here soon.

It didn’t exactly make him feel better, but he at least felt a little less on the verge of panicking. Ok. Well. If Dom was held up, or missing, or whatever, he could at least try to find out.

Another attempt to contact Dom went to voicemail, so he called the racetrack instead and asked to speak to Halle. Halle was a gargoyle who came with the old station the track was built around. She had awakened back when Valefication had dragged the building down with it—the newly-formed Valley had altered the geography around it, with the gate between worlds at the nadir. The track had originally tried to hire her on as security, assuming she was watching over the place, but she was—as she put it—constantly distracted by the cute horsies, so she ended up instead working in the stables while horses (or similar mounts permitted to race in the magical leagues) were there. She never left the site, so he could reasonably assume she’d know if Dom had.

“Halle here,” her gravelly voice came over the line. “What?”

“Hi Halle, it’s Star.” A long pause. He added, “Son, That Ain’t Right.” Every racehorse had a registered name that had to be completely unique from every other racehorse in the world, and Star, when he made the offer to Dom to race together, had picked that one. However, in practice, all the horses had people nicknames that people used instead. Star was one of about seventeen Stars who had come through the track in the last year alone, but the only Son, That Ain’t Right. Also, he thought, the only Star who could introduce himself on the phone, which probably should have given Halle a clue right there.

A noise of dawning understanding. “Ohhh. Star. What’s up?”

“I’m trying to get in touch with Dominic. He’s late to meet up with me,” Star said. “He was at the track last I talked to him. Said someone had asked to see him?”

“Yeah, it’s the weirdest thing,” Halle said. “I thought you were already here, talkin’ to him.”

His blood, which already resembled ice water, chilled further. “…A copy of me?”

“Turned out not to be an exact copy. Probably just another kelpie.”

“I’m a nix.”

“Yeah,” she said. “A kelpie.”

Most brook horses were just slight regional variants of each other anyway, so Star let it go. “He was meeting another kelpie?”

“Naw, the kelpie was there with someone else. I can’t…” pause. “I can’t remember what they looked like. There was a nightmare being brought in at the same time and she was so fucking gorgeous.”

“Cool,” Star said, strained. “So Dom was meeting with another kelpie and a stranger you cannot recall the details of. Is he still there?”

“Naw, he left like twenty minutes ago. Have you tried phoning him?”

“That’s great, Halle,” Star said forcefully, “talk later.” He hung up just as the door jingled again, and Dom walked in, waving to him and coming over.

Relief rushed in, but was tempered a moment later with suspicion. Dom looked sleepy, maybe even a bit drunk, as he flung himself down across from Star. “Hi,” Dom said. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Something came up.”

He smelled wrong. Off. Like magic, Star decided, as he tried to sniff Dom without being too overt about it. Like he’d been spritzing a magical cologne all over himself. Not glamour, which would be normal if a fairy was manipulating him instead—unless the fairy were a spellcaster—but actual magic. 

“So who was the meeting with, anyway?” Star asked casually. “You turned your phone off and didn’t keep me updated.”

“What meeting?” Dom asked. “Hey, let’s get coffee. Then you were going to introduce me to Dandelion, right? Like you offered?”

 

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8 Comments

    • matrixagentssjb

      Another fun chapter.

      To me it’s very clear what is happening here: Dom is being Manchurian candidate’ded by the Don of Branwin, who has been hired by the leading real estate developer of Branwin.

      The developer hired the Mafia to prevent the success of the benefit concert (which Dandelion has not yet told Star they’re headlining), which is attempting to raise funds to preserve the combo community center/home for under privileged youths/women’s shelter/food kitchen that unbeknownst to anyone but the developer is the most valuable real estate in Branwin (there are multiple veins of rare earth elements, minerals, and metals underneath just waiting to be exploited). The plan is to have Dom join the band, and during the benefit concert, go berserk, and assassinate the entertainment, thwarting the efforts of the side of good and justice.

      Why the overly elaborate plan? It’s more entertaining story-wise, and it insulates our villains from bad PR/optics. The developer also plans to use the fallout of the incident, with help from his contacts in the media, to stoke the flames of tension between humans and non-humans. Why? Profit…somehow?

      Star needs to tread carefully. He is unknowingly well on his way to uncovering a elaborate conspiracy that exposes the grimey beating heart of the seedy underbelly and amoral corporate overlords of Branwin. This is something he needs to do, for his friends, for the community center, and most of all, for everyone in Branwin, so they can live better lives.

      I wish him the best of luck! 🙂

      (Ty again for everything, hope you and your have a wonderful day tomorrow, it’s almost the weekend! 🙂 Talk to you tomorrow! 🙂 )

      • matrixagentssjb

        P.s. The Don may or may not double ross the real estate developer, and vice versa (this is a Neo-Noir afterall….;) 🙂 ).

      • MeredithKatz

        Glad you’re enjoying! Just as a head’s up, as noted in the instructions, you can reply with a suggestion for the protagonist, but not for the world/story outside of that, I do have a plot in mind and worldbuilding, and it’s more about how the character will or won’t intersect with it. If you’d like, you can take a look at some of the other commentors to see what sort of thing will generally get included!

        • matrixagentssjb

          My sincere apologies for not properly reading the instructions, and for the overreach, it was improper and rude and won’t happen again. I appreciate you letting me know.

          I am sure this reply is too late, but I concur with my fellow commenters that Star should “interrogate” Dom, but should be as subtle about it as his personality and nature will allow. Something is very wrong with Dom, and it seems clear a light touch is required to ease out any information.

          Further investigation of these two mysterious figures is also required, especially if one is impersonating Star. But that can come later. Maybe Dandelion could assist Star with that? Maybe Dandelion might also have some suggestions about what happened to Dom.

  • C

    You thought about discussing your relationship with him, right? Here’s something to wonder: If he really doesn’t remember, and you’re honest about your worries and explain what just happened with your call record as proof, do you think he’ll believe you?

    And if he doesn’t, would that be something you’d expect from him, or a sign that something is even more wrong than you thought?

    If you’re going to bring him to Dandelion, best warn the boss he might be compromised, whatever conclusions you reach. Maybe Dandelion could help if Dom is really in trouble after all.

  • Vikarmic

    Well, this certainly seems like trouble, doesn’t it? If you combine Dom’s current state with Halle’s inability to remember who he was meeting with, it seems to add up to someone with mental magic. So, why him? And what did the presumptive mind witch actually end up doing to him? Those are the big questions of the moment, after which doubtless many more will follow, but you should focus on those first.

    The fact that he’s now interested in meeting Dandelion, where he was dubious before, is suspicious under the circumstances. Dandelion might be able to help, but if you decide to go that route, you should definitely warn him first. As an alternative, do you know any witches who’d have the skills to work out what’s going on, and be free to come over to Beanheadings and help? Or who’d know someone who might?

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