Wilford gave a big grin at the question. POTUS is the nickname of my nations leader, and a red shirt is from a show, play if you will, where the writers wanted there to be danger but not to the main characters so men wearing red shirts always died instead.

He was glad at the question, it got his mind off of what just happened. He wasn't sure if anyone else noticed, but that tree looked at him. maybe not at him, but definitely through him. He was right when he thought he saw a face in the bark, and he had never regretted being right so much in his life.

Wilford kept where he was, waiting for someone willing to take the lead. One creepy occurrence was all it took to put him on guard. Even so, he wasn't too disturbed to turn on his digital recorder and keep his video camera ready in case something happened.

Try as he might though, he could not resist himself and took a few steps back in an attempt to catch the face in his camera. With his luck, it wouldn't be there any more. Then again, given his luck it would and would try to devour him.

Gallus Roamed in front of the group, moving like a lumbering giant. He made no attempt to cover his movements and followed towards the tree of interest. Taking his bolter at the ready, he walked near Wilford. "It is not too late for you to turn back. We are almost out of throwing distance for me."

I'll be willing to take point. Ah've taken a shotgun blast to the face and survived, so I'm fairly tough. Boone takes his place at the fore, his superhuman senses alive in this place. His boast of experience as a woodsman was no mere sham - he's been an explorer through unknown territories for decades, and it's time to put that experience to the test. He registers the scent of each and every one of his companions, should he need to track down their locations upon being seperated.

Scott made no attempt to reach for an ear bud or move to the front.  Neither he thought were a good idea.  Though he had snickered at the red shirt comment.  That one, he understood perfectly.

Well, that explains a lot. He commented after Boone spoke, though if in reference to Boone's words or the lot of them, it wasn't clear and he didn't elaborate.  Instead, he walked on into the darkened wood and toward the tree.  The tree, at least, did look interesting.

While his primary focus remained upon the environment, concentrating most of his efforts upon detecting potentially Bad Things^TM, Rafi couldn't help but smile at the badinage between the group. The marine had a sense of humor! At least, he hoped that Gallus was joking as the thought of Wilford flying back to the inn under Gallus-power would otherwise be too much. Letting the military men move ahead or not as they liked - they could look after themselves after all - he instead kept within range of  Wilford and Scott.

"What'ya seeing there?" He asked, touching the wood of the tree. "Looking for a dryad?"

Three members of the group are standing there looking at... a tree.  The woods about are unnaturally quiet.

Skimming his hands over the bark of the tree, Rafi just shook his head, "No dryads, I'm afraid." He stood to one side, waiting for Wilford to move on so that he could remain in the rear, still scanning for strangeness. To break the silence, he began to whistle a few notes but the forest seemed to swallow up the sound and he stopped, frowning.

Dave levels his rifle and looks in the direction of the movement alert for anything out of the ordinary

"Easy.  No need to go off half-cocked."

Not knowing who could hear and who couldn't sub vocalizing over the link and to those close by, "Something metalic."  He grasps the hilt of his sword but leaves it at his side.  Carefully he takes a step forward left hand in front in a calming fashion in the hopes that he appears less threatening.

Who knows maybe It'll work?  Was the only thought as he pushes through the brush to investigate not waiting for anyone else or concerned about lines of fire.  Almost inaudibly, "Could be just a helmet or something..."  He didn't believe it would be particularly mundane or even benign but he tried to keep the tension out of his face and his voice.

Scott shook his head at Rafi. I see a tree. He said to the man and came to stand next to him, frowning as Drake started to take off. If this was how military operations worked, he was thinking of rethinking his career plans.

"Yep, sometimes a tree is just a tree." Rafi shrugged, wondering what Wilford had seen. He was still distracted somewhat and didn't notice Drake taking off until Scott glanced in that direction, noting those who took the front. He leaned into the young man, whispering something briefly before standing upright again.

"So Wilford's from NYC, how about you?" He asked airily, glancing at Wilford, "I've always liked New York... though not the sewers, necessarily."

Well, there's something out there Boone remarks. I just saw something moving fast. Couldn't make out what it was. Boone has one hand on his lasso as he walks, preferring a non-lethal solution to any surprises. Besides, if gunplay is needed, he has a fastdraw better than Paladin^tm.

Wilford frowned that he could not find the face again, but he didn't say a word of it. He looked up and was glad someone had taken the lead so he kicked up his pace to follow.

Upon the announcement of movement Wilford wildly swung his camera around trying to see what everyone was talking about. Again, he saw nothing so he turned off the camera to save the battery, but turned on his digital sound recorder.

He gave a quick look to everyone that had came along, feeling at ease given the amount of warm bodies with him. He crunched and snapped twigs as he walked, not knowing the best idea would have been to avoid such things.

I haven't seen anything too bizarre yet, but this place is starting to give me the creeps. Its almost like we are walking around in a room where the walls, ceiling and floor are closing in on us. Or maybe I'm a still buzzed from before.

He had gone back to lightly humming the theme to Have Gun, Will Travel.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:29, Wed 08 Apr 2009.

Drake and Boone are moving up in front of everyone else both with hands on one type of weapon or another.  Wilford has started going up towards Drake and Boone.  Hamilton has brought his rifle up and is aiming off to the left flank.  There doesn't seem to be anything odd about this tree that so unerringly caught Wilford's attention just moments before.

Clearly it wasn't a mistake.  Something was up ahead.  With a thought a gems silently detaches from the hilt of his sword and floats away into the undergrowth a few feet off the ground.  With an additional focal point he closes his eyes and pauses to allay the confusion that the added point of view created.

The small gem slipped through the air in the shadowy undergrowth toward the movement.  As he surveyed the depression ahead he replied to the ongoing conversations dividing his attention between the locations with some effort.

"Sewers?..Wizard Corwin??"

"Mr Boone, You may be the most qualified woodsman among us, What sort of animals could we expect in a place like this?"  The palm of his hand rested lightly on the top of the hilt of his blade.

Dave lowers his rifle and cautiously takes up the rear, alert for anything out of the ordinary.

Rafael continued through the woods keeping close to Wilford and Scott and not making any attempt to remain quiet. He reckoned that while Boone, Dave or Drake alone might be able to sneak up on things, with the whole group there wasn't much hope of them remaining quiet... especially given the quiet of the forest. While he was no woodsman, he knew that the normal animals of a forest would make some noise.

"I don't think we'll find the usual sort of animals. Not here." He took a few strides forward and with a frown, crouched down on his haunches, touching the ground, letting his fingers twine around the undergrowth. He closed his eyes in concentration, saying almost to himself.

"I think there is something bigger. Someone bigger." He knew that he was somewhere far different from the places he ordinarily wandered but that did not stop him wanting to understand, to try and put it within a context he could deal with. And he was beginning to have an inkling ... He smiled to himself as he murmured to himself... or perhaps to the forest itself...

Nodding in response to Rafael's statement.  "I was hoping otherwise but that is the same conclusion I had.  The next question is what intent or is it reacting to our appearances and psychic emanations?"

"Do you perhaps have a way of lightening the mood?  With any luck that will reflect outward into the forest and reduce the perception of threat."  He calls back the gem and opens his eyes.

With a sigh he lets go of Pathfinder stretches and makes a conscious effort to relax his mind.

Ah agree. Whatever we find out here won't be whut you'd normally find in the woods. F'r instance, I just saw something about the size of a child runnin' around up ahead. Who's wants to bet it ain't a kid? Boone hunkers into his cloak and starts to fade from view while he sneaks forward. Anyone with thermographic vision can still see him, but otherwise his skill at stealth allows him to press forward unseen. He moves about 15 meters in front of the group, his senses straining. Hearing, sight, and scent all painting a picture of his surroundings.

Boone's last statement shook Wilford to the core. He was back in the sewers, back running down the darkest alley ways, and back creeping up the stairs of an abandoned hospital. These little hallucinations, the flitting os spirits spoke of his own experiences with the strange and horrible.

I saw something on a tree, you see a bizarre child. Back home these things would happen, they want us to become afraid. Good thoughts or not, this place wants to play. Its fascinating, and one of the scariest damn things I have had to deal with.

He looked over the Raf. Kind of like those crappy Japanese horror flicks they fail to adapt to American audiences. Next thing you know some woman with long hair is going to start screaming.

Scott scowled at Rafi's whisper.  Watching the others as if they were all nuts.  Me? He'd asked in response to the where you from question.  He wasn't sure, but since no one else was seeming interested in the question, he answered.  Nowhere Massachussettes.  'bout 50 miles south of Boston.

He looked in the direction the others had, and saw nothing. He rolled his eyes at the lasso.  This guy seemed to have everything, but at least it wasn't lethal.

He looked out again. Nothing. He smirked at Wilford.

Are you guys sure you're not just seeing what you expect to see. 'Cause I gotta tell ya.  I see nothing but forest.  He looked to Wilford, No offense, but... maybe you're just bored.

He smiled at Scott. I could also be criminally insane buddy. As far as you know I decorate my Christmas tree with the entrails of hookers and skulls of rats. He gave the man a wink before going on. But you would be a fool to realize that not a single one of us know a single damned thing, about anything. Reality in any world is false, because their are billions of lives each seeing reality through their own lenses. Then again, I have had experience with this sort of thing. So, maybe I am just bored and hoping to see some unsettling stuff.

As Boone walks out into the forest, the unnatural silence continues.  There doesn't seem to be anything here... no birds, no insects, no small animals.

I definately want to come to your house for christmas. Scott answered sarcastically.  He glanced back to where Boone was wandering.  His hand shot to Wilford, the closest person to him, holding him steady so he didn't move and he leaned in to whisper.

As he finished his response to Scott he looked forward once more. Wilford intended to stop in his tracks at what he saw, but instead tumbled forward and onto the leaf strewn earth. He rolled onto his back and simply pointed up. A mixture of pain, surprise and fear showed on his face. I must be really f***ing bored.

With that, he struggled to turn his camera on once more and wiggled around the ground trying to get a good shot of the child in the trees.

((OOC: This is the last definite post I can make until I return. If Possible I will make one sooner. Either NPC him, or assume his reactions follow the pattern I have set forward.))