Helen of Never

made, as best as possible, gender neutral, taken from ‘the dark pictures anthology: man of medan’ — an interactive survival-horror video game, set on a ship but i have altered it to be location-neutral as best i can.     others from the anthology found here.

“ you think i wanted to hurt anybody? i didn’t get a choice in this, did i? ”

“ you know it’s not polite to ask one about their money?”

“ not a sole survivor!  haha, you weren’t trying to do that, were you? ”

“ you didn’t fucking see that!? … right. no. of course you didn’t. ”

“ we can’t just sit around. we need a plan.”

“ have mercy… no… listen to me, no, don’t do this… ”

“ you’re all in this together! this is a trap and you set us up! ”

“ what the hell was wrong with you back there? ”

“ to descend into the unknown alone is extremely brave, or extremely foolish. perhaps there is more to you than meets the eye. ”

“ this whole place is a floating deathtrap. ”

“ i mean it’s - something is fucking with me. it’s fucking with me, man. it’s just - it’s just fucking with me. ”

“ anyway, look to the future, i say. ”

“ that! it-it w-was… didn’t you see it? okay, so i’m seeing things, but you’re not… ”

“ i’m the captain now! ”

“ stories of love and hate… greed and beauty… life… and death. stories such as this one. ”

“ alright! come out! show yourself! ”

“ this fuckin’ place is cursed.”

“ but you shouldn’t fear death. it is after all… inevitable. ”

“ there are always repercussions. ”

“ argh! no. no! i’m not hearing this. I’m not hearing this! ”

“ don’t fight it… it’ll only hurt more if you do. ”

“ you teeter on the edge of an abyss. ”

“ people drown in these waters and you have to respect their resting place. ”

“ i just keep going over it and over it… and it doesn’t make any sense, y'know? it just… and i know what i saw…  i just don’t believe in whatever it was i that i saw. ”

“ you’re responsible for what happens, you’re culpable. ”

“ i guess you could say i lived my greatest nightmare. ”

“ you can go fuck yourself, you piece of shit! ”

“ what the fuck is going on with this place? because i gotta be honest it feels like there’s some, like… like, evil, like literal evil going on down there. ”

“uh… you are not always going to be there to protect me, big guy. i can handle this, trust me. ”

“ i saw [NAME], and it wasn’t [NAME], it was… someone else. but they looked just like [NAME]. ”

“ let’s just stay calm, and relatively sane about this, okay? ”

“ you know what i like to hear? nothing. that’s right. nada. complete fucking silence. get it? ”

she who became the sun ( the radiant emperor #1 )  -   shelly parker-chan change tenses/pronouns as needed !!  some lines have been edited for clarity / length / ease of roleplaying  tw ;  death , war ,  violence , sexism

‘they say there’s luck in names, and you’ve certainly had luck enough.’

'in my experience, lucky people tend to be the laziest.’

‘where’s the fun in suffering by yourself?’

‘you think you’re that good-looking everyone wants to see you?’

‘desire is the cause of all suffering.’

‘I don’t appreciate being made a puppet for another man’s dirty work.’

‘when I ask myself if future pain is worth it for this life I have now, I always find that it is.’

‘I always knew you had a strong will. but what’s unusual about you is that most strong willed people never understand that will alone isn’t enough to guarantee their survival.’

‘more so than will, survival depends upon an understanding of people and power.’

‘it isn’t strength, but knowledge, that will be our best tool for surviving these difficult times ahead.’

'undoubtedly, chaos brings danger. but there will be opportunities, too.’

‘it’s due to chaos that we’re living through a moment in which even ordinary men can aspire to greatness.’

‘are you going to stab me?’

‘you can’t pray away your fate.’

‘I was merciful. I let you live.’

‘you cause me trouble as well as shame.’

‘you disappoint me.’

‘any power with such comprehensive reach should be understood.’

‘any power with such comprehensive reach should be understood. perhaps especially if they’re on our side.’

‘in my father’s eyes, I’ll always be the failure.’

‘(name) is an easy person to love. the world loves him, and he loves the world, because everything in it has always gone right for him.’

‘you and (name) are two unlike things. don’t fool yourself that he can ever understand you.’

‘I know what it’s like to be humiliated.’

‘any kind of fool can stumble into success once or twice.’

‘you two are such a bad match. can’t you have a single conversation without fighting?’

‘can’t you have a single conversation without fighting?’

‘clever people know when to give in.’

‘if you join his side, you’ll regret it.’

‘how little lives are worth in this war. theirs and ours, both.’

‘you have a lot of feelings in you.’

‘to win a hundred victories, a hundred battles is not the pinnacle of skill. to subdue the enemy without fighting is the pinnacle of skill.’

‘what someone is means nothing about what kind of person they are. truth is in actions.’

‘I didn’t mean to kill. at first.’

‘I wanted to live, so I took a life.’

‘all that means is we have to make this life count.’

‘who did you become, when we were apart?’

‘I might not know you, but I know what you want.’

‘you’ve opened my eyes. there are so many more options than I thought.’

‘you saw something in me that I didn’t know myself.’

‘what kind of man bothers to see potential in a woman, and encourages her despite her own doubts?’

‘rest assured that the only reason I helped you is because it gets me closer to what I want.’

‘you know what’s worse than suffering? not suffering, because you’re not even alive to feel it.’

‘learn to want something for yourself. not what someone says you should want. not what you think you should want.’

‘don’t go through life thinking only of duty. when all we have are these brief spans between our nonexistences, why not make the most of the life you’re living now?’

‘why not make the most of the life you’re living now? the price is worth it.’

‘maybe your suffering is worth whatever it is you want to achieve. but mine wouldn’t be.’

‘that’s all past history. I never think of it.’

‘do you believe that? that one day we’ll be out of a job, because of peace?’

‘have the courage to take power for yourself! do you think it will come to you if you wait?’

‘do you actually believe the idiocy that comes out of your mouth?’

‘you never accepted me for who I am; you never even saw everything I did for you, all because I’m not like (name)!’

‘you always push everyone away. what do you find in it, the loneliness? I couldn’t bear it.’

‘you trust too much. I admire you for it. that you prefer to drawn people closer, rather than push them away. but it’ll get you hurt.’

‘the worst injury you can do to a man is shame him. he can never forget it.’

‘it must have been painful, learning that true wisdom lies in obedience.’

‘are you always thinking do little of me that my defeats seem inevitable?’

‘i’d have thought you’d be the last to cry about (name’s) fate. why can’t we just stand back and let it happen?’

‘so you’re going to save (name) from himself?’

‘and here I thought I was the only one who got manipulated by pretty girls.’

‘why are you lowering yourself by dirtying your hands like this? let someone else take care of this trash.’

‘you were only ever a pretender. you only sat on a pretend throne.’

‘why do we have to play these awful games? what for?’

‘what does anyone want but to be on top, untouchable?’

‘who do you think I am, to think I can make anything happen in my own life? i’m a woman.’

‘I know you don’t want that life. a different one isn’t impossible.’

‘you have something I don’t; you feel for others, even the ones you don’t like.’

‘you want me to believe you’re different. that you can give me something different. but how can I trust that? I can’t.’

‘are you fool enough to believe the future will match your dream of it, with no consideration of the reality of the situation?’

‘I don’t admit anything! I don’t need to! you’ve already made up your mind!’

‘you can’t reason with fools who refuse to see reason.’

‘he was right about you. you’re worthless. worse than that; a curse.’

‘there are people who say that grief will hurt as much as it’s worth.’

‘there are people who say that grief will hurt as much as it’s worth. and there is nothing worth more than a father.’

‘(name) would never put himself on the line for me, or anyone else. but you, you’d do anything for me, wouldn’t you?’

‘i’ve wanted and struggled and suffered for that fate my whole life. I’m not going to stop now.’

‘you are trouble. I’ve never met anyone more trouble than you,’

‘are you so certain of the possibility of change? it seems to me the outcome is inevitable.’

‘what I want has nothing to do with who wins.’

‘every time the world turns its face from you, know it was because of me.’

‘stop blaming yourself and let yourself want it.’

‘stop blaming yourself and let yourself want it. i’ll give it to you.’

‘I have everything I need. whereas you, — you still need me.’

‘nobody expected anything of me. nobody ever cherished me.’

‘I cherish you.’

‘you think you understand me. but don’t forget it goes both ways. like knows like; like is connected to like. I understand you, too.’

‘pure emotions are the luxury of children and animals.’

‘more fool I am, to hope against hope for a change in his nature, that he might actually try to be useful.’

‘I presume you’re not here to kill me.’

‘you think you have power over me because you know a secret. but you don’t.’

‘how can something like that stop me, destroy me, when nothing else has?’

‘look at me and see the person who will win. the person who will rule.’

‘I presume you realize how much I dislike you. wasn’t the last where I said I wanted to kill you clear enough?’

‘you betray you ignorance in less than a sentence.’

‘how willing you were to think the worst of me. why aren’t you happier? i’m just being who you’ve always though I was. i’m giving you the ending you believed in.’

‘the times and means of our deaths have always been fixed, and this is yours.’

‘even the most shining future, if desired, will have suffering at its heart.’

‘i’ll follow you, as far as you want to go.’

‘I wasn’t born with the promise of greatness either. but I have it now. because I wanted it. because I’m strong, because I’ve struggled and suffered to become the person I need to me, and because I do want needs to be done.’

‘you said you’d be different. you lied to me.’

‘when you did this, did you even stop to think about how it might make me feel to bear witness for what you think is justified?’

‘I want what I want, and sometimes I’m going to have to do certain things to get it.’

He had followed the shadow's taunting laughter deftly. The ease of the task should have tipped Peter off that it was up to something, but he was so committed to his righteous anger that he hadn't even considered the possibility until he was suddenly led into the direct path of another and had to swiftly stop short in order to keep from colliding with.....with who?

"Who the hell are you?!" Peter spat out in lieu of a greeting or apology for the near collision. His tone was accusatory and burning with indignation which compounded with his utterly plain confusion.

It was, of course, the laughter that she heard first. Helen had sat herself on an old log, partially decaying into the earth as she watched the moonlight pull itself through the branches and dapple a dance on the ground before her. The laughter brought her from her thoughts and she rose from her seat, a small half-smile already on her face in anticipation of seeing it again. Of course, that plan was immediately stopped by a near-collision with someone that could only be Pan.

He looked enough like her Shadow, only burdened with far too many details and a tragic lack of that diabolical spirit of the mind that made her Shadow so much fun and such a presence to be around. There was a hint of it curling at his mouth, but it was buried under waves of confusion. She wasn't one of his. Helen rejoiced in that and she knew, for just a moment, that she had the upper hand.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Pan," Helen started, not bothering with a handshake or curtsey for this boy across from her. If this was to work, they needed to be equals and she would not start her time with this boy by simpering at his feet. He was her one chance at safety, both her and back across the way she came, and Helen refused to make such a thing seem like a favor, or something he could earn from her.

"I wish I could say I'm surprised you don't recognize me," Helen continued, a put-upon air of disappointment. Of course, he didn't expect him and Shadow to speak, but it would have been a nice surprise and made her time here that much easier. "I am Helen. Your shadow brought me here. Haven't you been listening to it? Or was it so terribly quiet with you chasing after that bird that it had no choice but to find me?"

Open to: Anyone! Time: Night Location: Small cave on the side of some hill... Yeah

⊹˚₊‧───────────────‧₊˚⊹

As nightfall sweeps a blanket of stars over Neverland, most of the boys bundle up in their respective places in the tree. However, very rarely does Bones go to sleep with the others. Some of the boys joke about how Bones seems nocturnal, others must wonder if they sleep at all with how they seem absent at night and busy during the day. It's of no mind to them, though. If anything, they follow along with it all if it means getting a giggle out of someone.

A thin blanket made of patches of animal furs crudely stitched together drapes their shoulders as they walk in the soft breeze, silhouette barely lit the small torch they carry. The gentle sounds of the night soothe them - crickets chirping, lightly rustling leaves, the distant sound of waves crashing against the shoreline, and the dirt crunching beneath their feet.

They had followed this same path for quite a few nights now, it was becoming one of their favourite spots, though that title would always belong to the graveyard. Twin trees tilting right, a stack of rocks with one fallen to the north... All sorts of little things they remembered that lead to here, a small opening on the side of a hill. Pushing aside some vine, they crawl through a tight passage. It gradually opens up to reveal a small water hole. At night, the bioluminescent fauna light up the water, casting the patterns of the swaying water onto the rocky surroundings.

Bones lets out a long sigh as they seat themselves on the edge between stone and water, sliding off their boots to cast their toes into the water. It's cold, bites at their toes, but it makes them feel alive. As their movement creates ripples, the reflections become a show of mystical waves, almost hypnotic.

Wrapping the blanket around themselves a little tighter, Bones watches the stone ceiling, a light musical hum rising out of them. They're not sure where this melody came from... Leading them to believe it must be from their time in the other place. What does it mean that it has stuck with them? They don't remember any lyrics, just the tune. Their soft voice echoes through the cave, into the stone itself, reciting it back to them almost in a harmony. Their brows crease as their voice picks up a little, driven by emotion - forlorn, yearning.

The song always ends the same. It fades out, unfinished. They've never been able to remember how it ends, and they're quite sure they never will.

In their crooning, they failed to detect their audience...

Water, though. Water was always water and she, a Londoner by birth if not always by choice, knew better than to disregard its influence. There was food by the water, and if worst came to worst, an option to track backwards a source of clean water. Helen knew the Shadow had her back. She simply doubted its intentions. Of course, she had no doubt that it doubted hers. Perhaps it all balanced in the end. If it didn't, that wasn't exactly going to be her problem, now would it?

The song that greeted her as she approached the water... That was a surprise. Music didn't suit her, but it suited this voice and she found herself listening, eyes partially closed and head tilted to the side, as if by exposing that right side, she could somehow hear the sound better. It was very nice. Even Helen could admit that and she usually admitted to so little being beautiful.

She couldn't stop herself from taking a few steps forward and a branch cracked under her foot. Helen didn't have the natural grace of step that came so naturally to those that had been on this island for a while, but for once this didn't bother her. "Unless the denizens of the sea can grow legs now," she commented, "you have a singular talent. Why do you waste it on the water?"

who designs a place that takes this many keys to get inside?

look at all the shit that's happened to you.

this shit is ruining my boots.

you've got to be kidding me.

i really am in the ass-end of nowhere now.

i'll take your word for it.

have we reached the stage where we gossip about each other's love lives?

we'll talk later.

nothing's stopping us from going back up.

one of those things would be impossible. all of them together? that's a miracle.

there was nothing simple about it.

you think we could take a couple of these books back with us?

my guess is another earthquake... that hits when we're halfway across the bridge.

i've had to write some letters.

no tantalizing secrets to divulge?

considering the company, i'm surprised it didn't feel longer.

does anybody else smell that? seriously? just me?

we're done here, right?

just take care of yourself.

i tried to warn you.

so it was just you, alone in the vast wilderness?

so we're getting the band back together? that's exciting.

let's try not to poke around someone else's grave, all right?

that had to hurt!

are you blushing?

let's not talk about it.

something about this place gives me the creeps.

i have no idea why places like this exist.

are we sure this is a good idea?

just because two people dislike each other doesn't mean they're about to kiss.

let's talk about your dark and troubled past.

i can almost promise you trouble when you arrive.

great place to get crapped on by a bird.

sounds like you two would have made a happy couple.

well, that screams "up to no good."

that's the seventh root i've tripped over in the last ten minutes.

i'm providing a service.

back me up!

how about dalliances? liaisons? illicit affairs?

you don't want to talk about yourself. i can respect that. so what do we talk about, then?

i'd also like to avoid falling.

i could help, you know.

i make up for it elsewhere.

are you going to blame me for that, too?

well, no one would peg you as a spy.

what? no! why would you even ask that?

let's try not to get eaten, shall we?

good spot for it. i wouldn't look here for anything.

my money's on this being a trap.

i'll keep that in mind.

maybe the locals will lend us a boat.

some things never change.

too attached to hitting things with your fists?

well, you've got to give me something.

personally i think it's some kind of compensation thing.

anybody else vote that we never come here again?

all this fresh air is making me lightheaded.

you remind me of someone.

are you all right?

i got to ask, does any of this shit make sense to you?

i'm not sure what that even means.

of course i'm concerned! i don't need you prodding me with a stick to prove it.

i hate caves.

thank you for not torturing me. i'm so much happier now.

we'll have to find another way.

how do you like being described?

poor bastards.

be still my heart. i've grown on you.

whatever it does, it's probably ancient and invaluable.

so what do we expect to find here?

you're asking me?

i'm hoping if i ignore it, it'll go away.

there's a lot of work to do.

just what we needed.

i didn't specify whose ass, did i?

you want to get shit done, right?

have you been reading the inscriptions?

it's just... all that niceness.

the only thing they seem to have in common is a tendency to burn things.

so there's a rational explanation after all.

well... that's gruesome.

where's the sneaking? the plotting? the subtle machinations?

most people are like cats. they either puff up to look dangerous or they crouch down and hope you don't see them.

it generally helps to respect local traditions now and then.

i've heard some people actually enjoy walking in the wilderness.

anyone know the name of this river?

someone remembered to bring water, right?

it's... hard to explain.

if they're busy staring at your hat, they're ignoring all your other flaws.

beg your pardon? i didn't catch that.

hm... i don't want to bore people.

how could you possibly be a spy?

ooh, that's a tough one.

look, i have to complain, or you'll forget i'm even here and trip over me!

how are you holding up? you've been quiet for a while.

i don't know what you're complaining about. you're taller than i am.

if you love a character, you give them pain, ruin their lives, make them suffer. maybe even throw in a heroic death.

you doing all right? i heard you breathing a little hard after the last fight.

no, no... that was good.

i will try my best not to do the impossible.

no argument there.

you seem the type.

you think i get any fun hanging out with them?

well, what you do doesn't make sense.

it seems like you're not having the effect you could.

Obviously, Rufio needs to keep himself sharp, ready. Running around with the boys is all well and good but he needs to do more, or else how is he ever going to expect to be in charge second in charge?

So whenever he can, he ducks away. A chance to do some hunting, of course; that's always a good way to get exercise and on Peter's good side. Some running, cardio is never a bad option. Hanging from a tree and pulling himself up.

He's not exactly ever been taught when to stop, where to work on himself. But this is something everyone knows, right? You exert yourself, you get stronger. And everyone is napping or playing, or mysteriously vanished in the case of Peter (he's never around lately), so he figured no one would question it if he ducked out. He does it all the time, after all.

But he can tell someone's around. He's not stupid. He doesn't run into wildlife; he's too loud, it scares them all away. So hearing something nearby, it has to be a someone. Rufio drops from the tree he's been hanging from to his feet, grunting dramtically — make them scared of him.

"Whoever that is, you'd better not have any ideas," he stretches, several joints cracking. "I could kick your ass in a second."

That was a good thing too, because when the shirtless man dropped in front of her, completely assured in his own superiority and ability to instill fear, there was no sudden exhale of breath but only a quiet sigh as she crossed her arms, fixing the man across from her with the look she gave men that walked into her apothecary looking for love potions for girls that couldn't remember his name.

"You think very highly of yourself," Helen noted with a lightness she didn't feel. "It's a shame you made so much noise as you approached, however. Perhaps that little display may have been more effective if you hadn't." She took a moment, raising one eyebrow slowly as she looked at him. "You look like one of Peter's boys. Have you seen the shadow? I'm looking for it and have some questions. Besides, there's nothing impressive about kicking the ass of a girl, is there?"

❝ Do you want to see something strange? ❞

❝ Do you want to play a game? ❞

❝ I see dead people. ❞

❝ You’re gonna need a bigger boat! ❞

❝ Do you like scary movies? ❞

❝ Congratulations. You are still alive. Most people are so ungrateful to be alive. But not you. Not anymore. ❞

❝ Yes, ooo, ahh, it always starts out that way, and then comes all the running and screaming. ❞

❝ What an excellent day for an exorcism. ❞

❝ They look like psychos? Is that what they looked like? They were vampires. Psychos do not explode when sunlight hits ‘em. I don’t give a fuck how crazy they are! ❞

❝ Wouldst thou like to live deliciously? ❞

❝ I’m scared to close my eyes. I’m scared to open them. ❞

❝ Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep. ❞

❝ They’re all gonna laugh at you. ❞

❝ Be afraid… Be very afraid. ❞

❝ No one trusts anybody now, and we’re all very tired. ❞

❝ Where we’re going, we won’t need eyes to see. ❞

❝ Just leave me to do my dark bidding on the internet! ❞

❝ Get away from her you bitch! ❞

❝ When there is no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth. ❞

❝ Yeah some of our clothes are from victims. You might bite someone, and then you think ‘Ooh, those are some nice pants!’ ❞

❝ Have the lambs stopped screaming? ❞

❝ Come play with us, forever, and ever, and ever. ❞

❝ You know that part in scary movies when somebody does something really stupid and everyone hates them for it? This is it. ❞

❝ Smile, you son of a bitch! ❞

❝ At the start I was like 'Oh no, I’m dead’. It’s kinda affected my friendship with normal people and my family and stuff. But the way I see it I have a whole new family who accept me for who I am, and I accept them for who they are…even though one of them killed me. ❞

❝ No tears please, it’s a waste of good suffering. ❞

❝ Sometimes dead is better. ❞

❝ People say you should always do the right thing, but sometimes there is no right thing. And then, you just have to pick the sin you can live with. ❞

❝ Meat’s meat, and man’s gotta eat. ❞

❝ It’s alive! ❞

❝ Take her, not me. ❞

❝ In space, no one can hear you scream. ❞

❝ This is not your grave but you are welcome in it. ❞

❝ The moment you die will feel exactly the same as this one. ❞

❝ There is more to the darkness than the inability to see. ❞

❝ Nobody gets what they deserve, not in this place, they just get whatever hurts the most. ❞

❝ Don’t you want to be fully consumed by what loves you? ❞

Her wings fluttered with a hint of annoyance, the sound of hollow bells jingling with them. How does she know about the grief of her people? And maimed pirates? Surely she wasn’t referring to Thicket’s new soul holder, was she? Perhaps she should check on him tonight, just in case. But for now…

She crossed her arms, waiting for the new girl to slow to a half in her speech before finally trying to speak herself. “So you’re part of the reason why Peter’s sun-reflection has been flying around on its own.” Frankly, she’d only seen the Shadow a handful of times, and made a point to ignore it. Save for having to play savior, begrudgingly, for Tink, but that was neither here nor there.

“I haven’t seen it in a week. It’s been cloudy. Oh, and,” she squinted, pulling a wolfsbane-soaked dart from a holder on her leg. “I’ll provide you this favor since you’re clearly new. Do not speak about us Small Folk when you don’t know shit. Not unless you want to be poisoned in your sleep. Is that understood, Giant of No Name?”

@shadowedbyrd

The world was built on respect. Both her former home and this new one she had found herself in assumed certain rights, not unalienable ones, but wordly ones, where monsters recognized like and knew where wolf claws would fail before vampire fangs. And when not accustomed to the things in the shadows, care should be taken. It was how Helen had lived. She had expected this island to be much the same.

It did not appear to be. That was an affront she was not interested in ignoring.

"I am more than part of it," Helen sniffed, drawing herself up to her full height which, while not substantial, was enough to truly dwarf Bramble. "I am a greater part of it than you have the privilege to know, little one." The last two words were spat out, as if they were as unpleasant as Helen had found Bramble in the small amount of time they had been acquainted.

Gaze drifting heavenwards, Helen blinked at the clouds. "It will be back though," she confirmed as much to herself as she did to Bramble. The Shadow always came back, because dusk was always followed by night. The world and those in it were most beautiful in shadows. The faery's next words were enough to snap Helen's gaze back to Bramble. "You audacious little brat," Helen hissed from between her teeth before taking a deep breath, replacing the mask that slipped for one precious, telling second.

"I will speak freely," she declared with a larynx of ice, "and I will grace you with honesty and fairness when you see fit to give me none of the latter and may not have heard of the former. You cannot poison me with anything I have not already given myself, for the sake of knowing and to protect against things like you. I will speak on the subjects I see as I see them and damn the one who silences me. I am Helen of London and you will treat me as an equal or not address me at all."

Another question that Lucy could ask no one directly.

"Lucy," Helen repeated. Normally, she would greet the other with a handshake but she was quite sure any motion would send this wisp of a girl fleeing into the trees and if Helen couldn't swing an ally from her, she at least hoped she could perhaps squeeze some information from her in a small quid pro quo. It would be fair and orderly and there had been so little of that here so far.

She shrugged one shoulder, head tilting to the opposite side to offset the motion. "I haven't seen a boy with it, no." She didn't mention how glad she was of it, how she had heard enough of this Pan prior to any formal introduction to decide he had found himself a paper crown and thought it gold. It could have been gold, if not for the people he had surrounded himself with. But if this girl was one of them, perhaps it was best to proceed carefully.

"I haven't met the Shadow's boy yet, I don't think," she continued. "Though I've heard enough to have a rather good picture of him, I imagine." She smiled, and while it was fake and phoned in, it had a real tinge of excitement in it born from the possibility of progress. "Have you met the boy? His name is... Pan, yes? Did he bring you here?"