genessia | (no subject)

(no subject)

WHO: Anyone who wanted to confront the old lady from plot + anyone else who might be curious by a shady old woman with a kid that isn't hers
WHEN: In the morning today
WHAT: Confrontation times!
Summary: Hey, Hey guys, remember that old lady who asked some ~~gullible~~ kind heroes for help? SHe's baaaaack~~! <3

Today in Genessia, some people may come across a familiar (or not familiar) old crone. To those familiar with her, it's the same suspicious old woman that requested they 'rescue some kidnapped children. Whether or not they were able to - well. That's no matter now, right?

In any case, she'd got a stick in one hand as she hobbles along back through the gate, holding something in her other hand as she goes. She doesn't stop for anything, but stealthily slips through the gate to Fayren and, if one were to follow her, will eventually pass through the forest into a heavily wooded and foggy section until the ground gives way to a hardened path of bones bleached white by the sun, leading up to a cottage. Mind where you step, it's rather hard to see here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"They'd have to be stupid to come after us here. There's a few others like me here. We'll keep you safe." Natsu said and finally pulled the last restraint away from her wrists.

"So how did you end up on that hag's menu anyways?"

"I see. I am fortunate that you came when you did. I fear that I would not have lasted another day in that place." Now that both wrists were free, she flexed her hands with relief, though she lowered her head. "...it shames me greatly to say, but...she is my mother. Though I suspected her of such evils, never did I think she was capable of committing the horrors she has done against others, let alone her own kin. "

"YOUR MOTHER?!" He couldn't keep his voice down when faced with that kind of bomb. Of all the possible stories this was one that he never expected.

The woman flinched slightly at that outburst, nodding slowly. "... I wish that it were not so, but such is the case, I fear. But please, do not think me to be like her. I have no intention to practice her trade, nor would I ever. I cannot forgive her for taking away my little ones, and my friends... but I cannot hate her either."

Natsu eyed Regina with a troubled frown. Her words were genuine and he couldn't find a reason to doubt her. However he knew it would come down to a fight in the end. He needed to know some things.

"We're gonna have to kick her ass you know." Natsu said bluntly.

She grimaced. "I am truly sorry. Had I been stronger, perhaps I could have swayed my mother from this path before it led to such. Although I am in agreement that she must have some form of penance, I wish that it would not come to violence."

Nah don't blame yourself. I doubt she turned up like this because of you. Some people just turn bad on their own. That's why you gotta knock some sense into em." Sorry but violence was his way of conversion. Just look at rust face and Gajeel and the two idiots from Sabertooth.

Trufax. "No, I imagine not. But I fear that others may not agree with such an enlightened opinion. The apple does not fall far from the tree, as they say. Such is my greatest fear." She is silent for a moment, and then, almost worriedly, she ventures up a new topic.

"Tell me if you would - do you know of a cottage beyond the farmlands of Fayren? It is my home - when the children began to go missing I could no longer wait for those I called upon to come back, and left my two dearest with trusted friends and went to seek them out. It is unforgiveable of me to do so, but I worry for them. Did you come across this place, and if so - do you know how they fare now?"

Natsu knew what she was implying. How people would judge her for what her mother had done. But then there was a simple solution already.

"Why don't you come and stay with us then? No one here's gonna hold it against you for what that lady did. Besides we've got plenty of room to go around." Natsu proposed with a cheeky grin before she mentioned something about a cottage. Moment when Natsu's eyes widened in surprise.

"Wait you mean Neveren and Justyne?" He asked before looking over to the guild building where Lucy must have been entertaining the children to keep them in the dark about what Natsu was doing.

"That is kind of you to say ..but..surely I could not impose upon you more than I already have...!" Aaand then it's her turn to look surprised, and maybe even a little hopeful. "How.. how do you know their names?"

Maybe.. Maybe all the kids came back while she was gone? "Do you mean..they are here? Are they well? And what of the rest - did they find their way back in my absence also?"

"No way. It'll be no problem at all. We could use an extra hand around the bar too so it'd be great." Natsu explained enthusiastically. Even before learning of the connection between Regina and the two kids.

"Wait you're their nanny they were talking about!" he cried out as the realization finally sunk in.

"Yeah yeah both of them and Herb are here. The others....I'm afraid they didn't make it. That snake lady got to them before I roasted her."

With such an answer, she couldn't help but smile, "If it ..truly is no trouble, I would be honored to accept. Thank you." She breathes out a sigh of relief hearing that Justyne and Neveren were fine, but it's short lived, considering the others were taken. "... I see. It must have been hard for them. Poor things..."

She's silent for a moment, thinking, and nods slowly. "We will ever be in your debt for what you have done." Although she's aware they're not quite safe yet- not until the situation with her mother is resolved. BUT! "...would it be possible..may I see them?"

"You're welcome!" Natsu said and quickly stood up straight.

"Of course. Follow me!" Natsu said and ran up to the main door to the pub and threw both halves wide open. "Look who I found! Neveren! Justyne!" he yelled before stepping to the side to allow Regina to make her more subtle entrance.

Always so rambunctious, that Natsu! But he'll see Lucy teaching Neveren some trick or other, with Justyne watching very intently until he barges into the room. Even Herb, feeling much more energetic of late, was trotting around the room for some exercise.

Both children and dog, looking up at the sight are more than a little stunned. Justyne is the first to move, rushing towards Regina, with Neveren hot on her heels. There soon is a three person collision consisting of the two kids and their nanny, the two children in tears and clinging to the nanny who isn't much better off then them.

Lucy, curious, sidled over to Natsu to tug him away a little. "Natsu, is that.." Well she can guess, but it's good for confirmation.

No need to ruin the mood and besides he needed to tell the others about that had happened. But before he could get the chance to step away first, Lucy showed up next to him and he followed her a short distance away.

"Yep. It's their nanny. Who is also the daughter of that witch. Damn hag was gonna eat her." He growled angrily.

"She was... her own daughter? ...that's horrendous..!" Somehow. SOMEhow, she was able to keep her voice low, shooting an anxious glance towards the reunited group.

"What happened back there? Those people are probably going to come after her. We'll have to let Erza know, and Gajeel."

"I torched their house after I grabbed her. But I couldn't fight them while protecting her at the same time." Besides she was tied up. Still seeing that reunion unfold just a short distance away was all the confirmation he needed to know that he made the right choice.

"Yeah. She made a few more of those earth people and even one that was more stone than earth. Bastard took one of my roars head on and kept talking. But the funny thing is he didn't sound like a bad guy really. Just really bored and not too happy about following the witch's orders."

That could have been really dangerous if there were a lot of the enemy - especially whent he witch could just make more of them. But then again, the others weren't at the guild, and leaving the kids alone - when their nanny had done the very same thing even if it was for a good reason - didn't sit well with her.

"You're kidding..!" Surviving one of those roars? Well, if the guy was mostly stone that might be why, but still.. ".. if that's the case, then we should hope he doesn't show up here too." But if he did, they'd deal with it then. "I'll let Erza know - for now I think we should make sure those three stay here where it's safest." Of course, Natsu already made that plan SO. She glanced over towards the trio + dog, smiling absently. "It's nice to see them looking so happy isn't it?"

"Yea. I burned his skin layer off and got him down to the stone under it but other than that he wasn't really damaged." Natsu said with a shake of his head.

"Of course. She's staying with us!" No it wasn't a debate and he would likely still go up against the others if they tried to say otherwise. Though part of the reason might have been the fact that he really didn't want to see the kids go away.

"She was worried about the kind of things people would think of her knowing she was the daughter of the witch that's been terrorizing the region. So what better place for her to stay than with us?"

Lucy stared at Natsu in surprise at his statement that the kids and their Nanny would stay. Well. She certainly didn't want to see Justyne or Neveren leave either, so she would definitely back him up on that decision. Gajeel probably wouldn't care, and Erza - well surely Erza would agree with it too, as long as they followed the principles of the guild as guests or members, and she doubted they would have problems with that.

She smiles at the decision made in any case, nodding agreement, "You're absolutely right, of course. To be honest, I'd have offered the same. Even if she stayed somewhere nearby, I've..kind of gotten used to Justyne, Herb and Neveren staying with us. It was like --" ... Yeah not gonna say what it was like. But she looks pretty happy that the kids won't be leaving anytime soon.

They needed a hand around the pub anyway so there was also that argument to use if they had to. Hopefully though Erza's decision would be in their favor before it came to reasoning.

"Yeah. I know what you mean. They're fun to be around." Of course that was no the full truth but he was in just as much of a hurry to say the obvious as Lucy. Which was not at all. "Now we just have to deal with that witch in a way that we can be sure she won't do this again. She had to have been at it for a while though. She had a path of bleached bones leading up to her hut and everything."

It only made sense, and this way if Erza was concerned about someone loafing, they would be able to pull their own weight around the guild. "They really are..!" Lucy grinned, inwardly relieved for the change in subject, grim as it is.

"Does she know? It is her mother we're going to have to fight." Lucy glanced over to Regina, where Neveren was animatedly describing the fight against the snake lady to the other woman, with Justyne filling in the blanks here and there. "Bleached bones... god..." And that woman had been really, really old too. "How could she have been at it for so long and no one ever noticed.." A shake of her head. "Nevermind. We'll have to turn her in to the authorities -" too bad they don't have anti magic handcuffs or something.

"yeah she knows." That was one of the first thing he told her after all.

"There's something off though. That old hag didn't sound so old after I blasted her place. In fact it sounded like she was getting younger with each order she was giving to the lazy guy." Natsu didn't know what that meant precisely but either way things were far from over.

"I don't think they'll be able to do anything against her. She'll bust out without problem and maybe find another place to prey on. If only Gramps or Laxus were here." An odd thing so say but actually a clever one too.

"Getting ... younger? Wait a second... you don't think that that's why she's kidnapping children...?" Not just to eat them because food, but... getting younger by feeding off of them? She went a little green at the thought. ..they could probably ask Regina, but... she didn't want to bring up such unpleasantness unless they absolutely had to. It was hard enough knowing your mother was responsible for things like that.

"Hnnn... you might be right." She wished Laxus and Makarov were here too - "What about that wizard Ruby told me about, when I first arrived. Harry something or other? He might know of a way to hold her." Or maybe even someone in Everglade did.

"Yeah. I definitely heard it. The voice was getting younger." Natsu nodded grimly. He wasn't going to ask Regina about that though. Old or young it didn't matter. They were still gonna beat her and her dolls into the ground.

"We can try giving him a call after we win." Not when. After. Because there was nothing in his mind that would stop him from defeating that faking hag.