#williamburke

It didn’t take long for Iann to hop into his van one afternoon when he had some time, intent on visiting Will Burke the tree nymph at his park ranger location.  Iann knew where it was, it wasn’t difficult to find since it was intended for people who visited the woods of Soapberry to be aware that Park Rangers were out and about, doing their stuff.

And Iann didn’t want to wait too long before showing up to pester Will about some of the things he’d confiscated in the forest.  Too quickly and he’d seem like a weirdo (or more of a weirdo).  Too long, and Will might’ve had time to change his mind.  It was like dating someone, only the goal was to get Will’s forest-finds, not his booty.

However, things took a turn as Iann drove into the Old Growth Forest, along the small roadway.  At first he figured it was just forest smell.  Then Iann wondered if maybe he needed to give his van a good cleaning, because suddenly it was smelling really musty and like a pile of old used gymsocks.

Then Iann actually glanced into his rearview mirror and what he saw growing in the back of his van made him screech to a halt.

“Holy shit.  Holy shit! You weren’t there when I got inside!” Iann yelled to the mirror, then turned to face the real deal: a giant mushroom sprouting from the middle of his van. And it looked like two or three more were sprouting around it.  

“What the f--gyuahhhh--” Iann startled when the mushroom seemed to heave towards him, and he tumbled out of his car, finding the first pine tree he could find.  He smacked repeatedly at is trunk, with the palm of his hand.  “Will! Will!!”

It was morning, and Iann had spent the night at the Inn, looking after a midnight vampire function that went well into the early morning.  Once it was over, there was clean-up and preparations for the guests - overall it was a good night’s work, in the way where it was tiring but a satisfying tiring. 

Iann strolled down the street headed home, slightly damp with fae blood and wine - the Ladies’ Auxiliary Association of Vampires Invoking Tombolas’ (or ‘LAAV IT’) sure knew how to party.   The street was mostly quiet, people either on their way to work, or headed to whatever fun early morning festival events were going on in town.

But one curious sight made Iann pause - a tall man, who seemed to be hovering near the closed coffee shop.  Iann vaguely recognized him too -  a Park Ranger? A werewolf?  Something like that, the human had seen him around the forests, but never really had much opportunity to talk to him.  

“Oye,” Iann hailed him, coming over to join the other fellow.  He curiously peered into the window of the coffee shop.  “Something going on in there?  Secret witch orgy or something?”