PMOCT round 2 guest entry P1

Will stared down at his reflection there was gray in his fir that hadn't been there yesterday. He might have convinced himself he was just getting old if he wasn't feeling the effects of the poison in other ways as well. He was acting more compulsively and in harsher ways. He knew what was happening. It was what he had feared ever since he had first been cursed. The wolf was taking over. He wished Hana was here with him. That was the problem though, he had made his excuse to leave because he was afraid of hurting her if he lost control. Not that he would have been much help with her research.
He turned away from the lake with it's orange fish and white lilies.  It was different from what he was used to but at the same time it was still comforting to be surrounded by plants again. The problem was that this wasn't a forest. It was a garden, and gardens didn't have wildlife you could hunt and gather. There were the fish but he doubted the owner of the garden would like him fishing in their pond. He would have to go back to the arena or to the domes if he wanted to get anything to eat. Hana said it had been easy to get money there. At the same time he didn't exactly want to go to where there were a lot of people crowds weren't a good thing when when you looked like a monster.  Still, there had to be something he could do to help.
He stood up swinging his pack over his shoulder and starting back in the direction of the domes. that path was at least clear since he could see them over the top of the small maple trees. As he reached the edge of the garden he paused again. There was an idea floating around in the back of his mind but he needed the right questions to bring it out. He sat down on a bench watching the crowds drift in and out of the domes. Some people passed him heading in the direction of the gardens, couples, holding hands or more.
"I'm telling you my sources are good, I'm sure. Wait there." a strange rod with a ball on the end was shoved into Wills face. He jerked back, blinking up at the woman who was now leaning over him.
"Are you Will the TWB contestant?" she was focused to a point. Will didn't know what to think. He nodded slowly.
"I knew it." the smile lit up her face like a summers day. "I'm Amy Vimes, Channel Three News. Do you have some time?" she sat down next to him, very close to him considering his size and current form. She was leaning foreword the strange wand she carried still pointing at him.
"Why." she seemed surprised at the growl, but then the yarn ball translated and her smile returned.
"an interview of course. Just give me a few hours, I'll pay you well. How about 200 an hour, say maybe three hours? Long I know but I want to make sure I get everything and it means more money for you."
"interview?"
"If you don't have time now we can schedule something. Maybe three hours is too long? Maybe just a few questions? You must at least give me half an hour." a thought seemed to dawn on her. "how about dinner I know a lovely place, nice and quiet, my treat."
"You want to buy me dinner and pay to ask me questions?"
"That's what I do dear."
will looked at Amy then at the man who had followed her and now stood a few steps away. He was holding a large case and had a, what did they call it, a camera, around his neck. They didn't smell frightened. Amy smelled exited. The man was wary but not in a bad way. She was the leader of this team, he would follow her direction.
"That's Bob my camera-man. You don't mind if he films the interview?" she had noticed where he was looking. He shook his head absently. "fabulous. Bob call ahead and make reservations at the Blue Room. I don't care if they're full tell Ted I'm calling in the favor he owes me. We'll be there in half an hour." the man, Bob, nodded and pulled out a small box that he talked into.
Will turned back to Amy. "I'll answer your questions but you have to answer some of mine."
She looked at him intensely again. "of course."

Amy led him to a strange vehicle that she called a train and after an even stranger voyage they arrived in what Amy called the Python Mall. The Blue Room was a restaurant. Tables were spaced in irregular patterns around a stage where two people were playing interments, one a piano the other a saxophone. The music was low and flowed like water around the patrons. Only the stage was well lit the rest of the building seemed to glow with soft blue light. Little green lamps on each table gave the impression that they were underwater. Will couldn't help looking around. He noticed that the hall was actually quite large even though it seemed like everyone was in their own world. A balcony circled the room with private booths looking out over the stage like opera boxes. Amy and himself were led up a set of polished wooden stairs to one of the booths Bob trailing silently behind.  
The waiter bowed them into the booth. "Some wine to start? we have a fine burgundy or the white is a '73 a fine year."
Will was a bit taken aback but Amy was looking at him and so was the waiter. "the wine must mach the food." he said finally. The waiter nodded as if this was a piece of eternal wisdom and asked if they would like to order now then.
"why not bring us a cheese try to start." Amy said taking the choice out of will's hands. The waiter nodded and left swinging a curtain closed behind him. "now," amy said drawing Will's attention back to her. "why don't we start with something simple. How old are you Will?"
he answered the question and all the ones that followed through the cheese tray and the salad that came after it. By the time they got around to ordering the main corse Will had relaxed. Amy was fascinated by everything he said and wouldn't let him get away with trailing off at the end of his sentences. She was treating him like a person and she was the second one to do so in only a few days. This place was strange but he was beginning to think that wasn't a bad thing. The first course arrived, a soup with a tomato bace, filled with tiny shrimp and seasoned with peppers. Amy paused her questions to eat and look over he notes. Will sipped at his soup idly wondering how to phrase his questions. The idea that had been sitting it the back of his mind earlier had ripened into something resembling a plan.
"Amy, the people here would they be frightened of me if I tried to act like one of them?"
"what? No I don't suppose so. Well once this interview goes out you'll be a relativity public figure, not that you aren't already.  It depends on what you did I suppose." Amy looked down at the stage as she answered. At some point the two men had been replaced by a young woman in a black dress, the song was low and rolling and had something to do with two lovers.
"I need money."
"everybody does honey, but I see what you mean. You could get a job if you have any noticeable talents. You said you liked cooking, though with all that fir it might be hard for people to give you a shot. You fraught in the arena. There are rewords if you win some of the fights."
"what about a place to stay?"
"the prison not to your liking? I don't blame you, but honestly finding a place to stay will be easy once you've got the money. Very few places are choosy about who rents a house."
"I see."
"since we're on the subject, what are your hobbies?" she asked and the questions continued.
The main course arrived. Lamb with garlic and rosemary in a wine saute over a bed of spicy greens with bread that had clearly only been bakes a few hours before on the side. It was a fine dish but someone, probably a younger less experienced cook, had let the sauce cook too long and compensated by adding extra garlic. It was still a fine meal but the balance was off. Amy seemed to sense his darkening mood.
"is something wrong?"
"no, not wrong exactly." he shook his head then glared down at his food. His solders wend back and there was an odd look in his eyes. "some idiot just wrecked the food. With this kind of dish everything has to compliment the meat."
Amy looked down at her half eaten food. "it seems fine to me."
"cooking is what I do. Trust me this is off, and any decent chef would have checked the food before sending it out so something like this doesn't happen." he blinked then shrank back in his chair. "sorry, it's fine. I shouldn't have said anything." Amy studied him for a moment before writing furiously in her notebook.
She looked up at him the smile back on her face. "dessert?"

Will wandered through the mall. After the meal he had taken the money a wandered off in no direction in particular. Amy had abandoned him at the door of the Blue room saying she had to get back to the office and type up her story. The night had been productive at least he now knew what he could do to help his friends. Will had never been a fighter, but he could plan ahead. Hana wanted to know what was going on. Will still wasn't sure exactly what L wanted but he knew it would be dangerous. There had to be others who were working towards the same goals. All of them would need to know what was going  on. All of them would need a place to gather, exchange information and relax. What they needed was a home base, and that was something he could do. He even had the money to start working on it. He headed for the domes, as a more central location.

It had taken him two days to find the right place and gather the right materials. He had ended up calling on Amy in the end to find where the best supplies could be found. She had given him her card at the end of the interview. She had agreed to help him in exchange for another interview when his project got off the ground.
The sign above the door read The Glen. It was a small place between the Domes and the Mall that had flopped under the previous owners. The first months rent had been more then Will wanted to spend but it was already fully equipped, and it had a walk in freezer. There were 12 small circular tables and nine seats at the bar where the guests could watch the cook at work. There was a back room for storage that had a door opening onto a small ally. Will had already filled it with several crates of caned goods sacks of flower and rice and a lumpy couch. The walk in fridge was filled with several kinds of meat, fresh vegetables and any fruits that were in season.  
Spider cams were constantly watching him but apparently they someone had decided he wasn't a threat and no on tried to stop him. That was one of the good things about being one of the supporting cast rather then one of the heroes. He called Hestia at one point and they had a nice cup of tea. She had liked his idea and assured him that if anyone tried to stop him that would answer to her.  
Any's article about him went out the day before he opened with a small note at the end about The Glen.  The next day The Glen was packed with people who wanted to see him. The free drinks and the challenge that he could make anything anyone cared to order didn't hurt business. He ended up staying open for three extra hours after his planed closing time because the place was still full of people. Will introduced his menu on the second day in an attempt to stop people from ordering things that he didn't have the ingredients for. Word traveled fast and in a matter of days The Glen had gained a reputation of  having Great food as well as a semi-famous cook and owner.
Will listened to the talk. He slowly spread the word, a sentence here a comment there. This was a safe place. Outcasts were welcome, contestants were welcome, he was a friend.