You wake up feeling wobbly.  You remember being slammed into by the Blue Guy, then a feeling of weightlessness, then a feeling of a great pressing weight.  You can kind figure out what all that meant.  What you can't figure out is why the sky looks that odd shade of green-ish purple, why you are tied up next to a tree, or why Betty White is looking at you like she could strip the skin from your bones with little more than her gaze.

What the...

Ok, think this through...

Weird sky, why a weird sky...

Think, Think, Think...

Magicland! Rivkah said something about a Neverwhere or a Neverland or something. The place where magic things come from.

Ok, got that. So why am I here?

Think, Think, Think...

Blue Guy!  I was run over by...Whatever the heck he is...

Must have been thrown through some kind of portal thing...

Ok, what's next....Betty White...

Uhhh....I got nothing.  There is no good reason Betty White should be threatening me.  Nor tying me to a tree.

Yutz.

Yutz, Yutz, Yutz.

Ah, Well. Here goes nothing.

"Hello Ms. White, How are you today?"

In reply to Israel Levy (msg # 2):

Polite, aren't you mortal?  That's good, that's good. Don't worry, I'm not going to harm you, but I can't run the risk of you getting in my way.  Instead, I think I know a way you can help me.  Who knows, you might survive, you might even experience pleasure, or have a good time.  I don't know, don't care, I've got to get rid of you, and I know just the place.

Betty White begins laughing to herself, all the while checking her equipment, making sure everything is in order.  Every once in a while she stops, looks around as though expecting someone,then continuing about her business.

After several minutes, you notice a small bearded man looking at you.  He reminds you of the old cartoon character David the Gnome. Before you can speak he lifts a finger to his lips and tells you Shh! He winks, and fades into the woods.

A figure approaches the camp. Betty speaks with the figure a while, motions to you, then the small figure disappears.

Okaaayyyy, this is just getting wierder.

She said 'mortal' so she's obviously not. We're dealing with something supernatural.

And what was with Nick Jr. over there?

Curiouser and Curiouser...

I should probably see if I can get myself free of these bonds at least - preferably without anyone knowing.

In reply to Israel Levy (msg # 4):

You feel weight on your shoulder, apparently the little man has returned. <Unfortunately the primary phase of your future is inevitable.  It is taking you further into the NeverNever, and it behooves you to cooperate at this juncture.  Whatever you do, don't fight it, not here.  You might engage it in conversation, if you are wise and cunning, you might be able to get information. That creature's type, although equipped for speaking, does not contain oration or verbal jousting in its skill set.  Well, not verbal jousting such as employed by philosophers, per se, or the other type, such as, oh, spies for Mossad would use.>

The little man chuckles as you start a little upon realizing he speaks your language as well as you do, only with less movie quotes, and a larger vocabulary.

<My brother, I am a Gnome. I and my people were once allied with the Summer Court of the fae, but are no longer. Solzhenitsyn wrote about man giving in on principles, even important ones, being it is the easier path.  We are striving to walk the high path.  Well, normally, I'm afraid I may have to travel the low path right now.  I can help you human, but I require help in return.

I will free you at the proper time, it will be in the next area, where that thing is taking you.  I'll free you and assist you as I can, and in exchange, you agree to help me and mine. Deal?>

OOC - Hey now, he only speaks in quotes when using English, not Hebrew. I'm sure his Hebrew vocabulary is exceptionally verbose, thank you very much!  :)


Hearing someone speak in his own tongue fills Israel with relief, even if it comes from a non-human.

Thank goodness, Hebrew! English is such a strange language.

In Hebrew <Well, it seem I have little choice, my friend.  Free me and I will assist your people to the best of my ability. You don't happen to be able to inform me what 'It' is, do you? Or why it's chosen the shape of a ninety year old actress? I'm feeling a little out of my depth here.>

I wonder what the obsession with quoting Russian writers is recently. Everybody seems to be dragging out that Solzhenitsyn quote, Israel thinks.

In reply to Israel Levy (msg # 6):

<We do not like to speak of such things.  It is undeniably evil, it is also under the control of someone else.  I do not know who would deal with such as this, but I am certain:  It is not acting of its own volition. Neither is the thief it was conferring with.  Here it comes!>

Betty White steps into the shadow of a tree, and...melts...sorta.  It's more like the outside of its body becomes more fluid and pliable, and flows into a new shape.

Out of the shadows, taller now, with a stronger frame, you brace yourself as the creature appears, now in the image of Jimmy Stewart.

Come on son, you've got somewhere to be and don't want to be late. For what it's worth, you haven't been a bad hostage and bait.  But understand I've a reputation, so if I see you again after this, I'm going to gut you and take home your internal organs as trophies.

It takes an hour, or what you think is an hour here in the NeverNever.

At last Stewart drops you inside some bushes.  Wait a couple of minutes, then thrash around a little bit.  That'll bring 'em running.  Doesn't matter, of course, they'll detect you eventually, whatever you do.  Good luck kid. And with that Jimmy Stewart exits.

Your gnomish friend appears again, and promptly sets about untying you.That's the first of my duty done. Now we need to discover where we are exactly, and why. 

Nearby you hear the sound of water moving to shore.  You also can hear voices in the distance if you listen carefully.

"bring 'em running?" Bring WHAT running? Apparently Supernatural creatures aren't much for explain what the frell is going on...

Israel thanks "David" for untying him, and replies, <Yes, 'Why' would be nice. I haven't heard a satisfactory 'Why' since I've been in this confounded place. White/Stewart said something about "bait."  Why the heck would I be useful as bait for anything? Not really sure I'm remarkable enough to be useful to anyone yet.>

Running water...that's supposed to be bad for magic right? I think either Rivkah, or the papers said that...  Not sure if that's necessarily a bad thing though, It's not as if I'm that powerful of a practitioner.

He begins to study his surroundings, as well as the sounds in the distance.
(Investigation 2 + Roll -1 = 1)

In reply to Israel Levy (msg # 8):

You find your self on an island.  You were brought to one edge of the island.  As you look out of the bushes you were hidden in, you discover a dazzling beach, and water the color of emeralds.  Green, but pure green, caused by algae, or seaweed, or magic, you don't know, but as the waves crash upon the shore, the sight is extraordinary.  Even more magnificent are the women taking advantage of the beach, women of near breathtaking beauty.  Even from here you can tell they are not fully human.

Up the beach you see a path leading up a hill. The hill is covered with clover, trees at the base, and the path winds up the hills to where they become a cliff-face, and a castle atop the cliff.

You see robed figures moving both directions on the path.

As you gather all of this in, a being rises out of the ocean like flame born from the water.  Red-headed, and from your vantage point you imagine you feel the temperature rising.  The stunning figure almost looks to be wearing fire as she rises from the waves, finds a spot suitable to her desires, and stands expectantly, waiting for something to happen.