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Time and a Word “We’ll have to walk for a while before we find a cab. They don’t come 'round this neighborhood anymore.” Ada said as she and Rupert walked away from the ruined tenement. They’d left the Charger behind for Skinner to use. He couldn’t afford to move slowly with Evans on his tail. “Ever spent some time in the slums? Wizards don’t come here often. Nobody important does.” "The Council often uses disused warehouses to conduct the... trials of suspected lawbreakers," said Rupert, quietly, "They are deeply unpleasant affairs." “Why am I not surprised...” Ada sighed. “What do you think Bellworth is going to do when she gets here? Think I should start drafting up a will in case she and I don’t get along?” "I have heard she is at least fair, if nothing else," Rupert replied, "Why, do you believe she will execute you, simply for using Blood Magic?" “After I started apprenticing with Cole, we talked about the future. He thought maybe I could go straight and pass a trial from the Council, but then he changed his mind. Said we’d have to keep me off the grid. And now we’re calling his boss into town and I have no idea what she’s going to do when she gets here. ” Ada shook her head. When she spoke again, her voice was tense and low. “I don’t want to die. Not yet. There’s too much left to do.” Rupert walked silently for a moment before finally asking softly, "What did you do, Ada duSang, that you believe would earn your death? What did Cole learn to make him fear that fate?" “What did you do that left you so ashamed you didn’t dare to approach your daughter until I came in?” Ada asked in return. Rupert shook his head, sighing, "I did what I thought was right, even though it damned me, and then I fled to where I thought I could retire in peace. But then Cole had to get me involved and you all - Tumnus, as well - had to give me a bloody purpose again." “Same thing happened to me. Maybe I could’ve found a better way, but I was too young and too clueless. Couldn’t think of anything else. I’ve been trying to make up for it since.” A rueful little smile appeared on Ada’s face. “Never know if I’ve done enough yet. Sure doesn’t feel like it, at least.” Rupert chuckled and shook his head, "What a fine pair of malcontents we are." Pausing for a moment, he added, "You'll be fine, Ada - a youthful mistake, combined with a good word from Cole and Elbridge - they'll probably just give you probation." Ada chuckled lightly. “Let’s hope the word of a rookie warden and an old codger is good enough.” A few steps later, she gave Rupert a sideways glance. “Speaking of wardens, though...where did you get the idea Hugues was a fey child?” Rupert shrugged, "A changeling. And it seemed as good a theory as any to explain some of the mysteries. It matters little beyond my own curiosity, though." Ada shook her head. Her smile widened. “Nah, he isn’t anything of the sort. He’s as human as you and me, just not as magically talented...yet.” The city’s sounds had returned as they’d walked down the street, and they could see cars moving around now. Stopping a passing cab, Ada stepped in. “Can’t blame you for getting ideas. He’s not even the weirdest among us.” Rupert climbed into the cab after Ada, replying as he settled into the car's worn seats, "I know Elbridge's fashion sense is a bit odd, but he's a decent bloke." “With that sense of humor, you must’ve been a hell of a charmer when you were younger, old man.” Ada grinned. Rupert laughed, "You're not the only one to fall for your mentor, Miss duSang." “What was she like? You never talk about the past.” Ada leaned back on her seat and waited expectantly. "I don't talk about the past because it hurts too much. I lived through wars, I lived through both of my brothers growing old while I watched, and yes, I lost Elia." He sighed, "She was wonderful. It was like... everything was brighter when she was around. She taught me so much - not just magic, but how to be a good person. Even now, I still miss her." Gently, Ada put a hand on Rupert’s shoulder. “How did you lose her? I know she never would have left you.” "She died trying to save innocent people during the opening salvos of the Spanish Civil War," replied Rupert with a note of sadness, "And I was left distraught and alone with a baby to care for." “Didn’t you have anyone to help you raise her? Nobody’s ever truly alone.” “I left her with my brother and his wife. Looking back, it was probably my worst idea, but I was in no state to look after a child then. Nobody has ever called me a good father, and for good reason.” “And you never thought to come back? That was almost seventy years ago. Hell of a long time to spend away from family.” Ada’s tone wasn’t exactly disapproving, but the look on her face said worlds about what she thought about that course. Rupert shook his head, "You have it wrong, Ada. I went back as much as I could. I was absent, yes, perhaps too often, even, but I was still there as much as I could be, given my new duties as a wizard and my grief over Elia." “I knew you were a better man than that.” Ada said, lowering her head in a gesture of apology for a moment. “You must have taken her loss hard, if so many years couldn’t help dull the pain.” "To forget the pain would be to forget her, and I could never do that," said Rupert, shaking his head, "What did you really mean when you said Hugues wasn't the weirdest amongst us?" “You wouldn’t believe the things Jenny and JR have lying in their cupboards. It’s enough to make an old wizard with family problems and a blood mage with a martyr complex look downright normal.” She shook her head. “They’re good people, but you can’t tell me they aren’t more than a little strange.” "And I just thought JR was just a minor talent who was just a bit too obsessed with cowboy films," Rupert said, raising an eyebrow, "Jenny, though? Really?" Ada nodded, emphatically. “Nobody who’s that keen on causing property damage and killing everything supernatural with extreme prejudice is all right in the head.” "Such prejudices are sadly all too common amongst the ranks of the Council, Ada," Rupert replied, "As for the property damage, it seems more the fault of her teacher, whomever they are." Ada laughed. “Don’t let Hugues hear you say such things. I think he might take offense to that.” Ruperts eyes narrowed. “I get the feeling you weren’t entirely honest when you said Hugues was a normal kid, Ada.” Ada shrugged. “I said he was as human as you and I, not that he was normal. He’s about that normal as well.” “So what, he’s some kind of prodigy, a child genius? Or is it more than that, Ada?” Ada nodded. “Something like that, plus he’s got good notes. You want the details, you’ll have to ask him. It’s not my job to tell other people’s life histories.” Rupert shrugged, “Perhaps I will eventually.” He paused for a moment before asking, “If it’s not too much to ask, how’d he end up alone? Where’s his father?” “Dead. The Reds got him. Nobody else stepped forward to pick up the pieces.” Of course, no one even knew Hugues had a ‘son’, but she wasn’t about to tell Rupert that. “He uses potions to pass himself off as an adult. Somehow he makes it work.” Rupert shook his head. “The war hurt everyone. It’s a shame he was left to fend for himself, though.” “Maybe Cole should legally adopt him.” Ada said, her voice betraying her amusement. “After all, if he doesn’t, Bellworth probably will.” Rupert laughed, “I don’t think you should let Cole hear you plotting to make him a father, even an adoptive one. You’ll give him grey hairs.” Ada grinned. “Nah, he’d enjoy it. He’s told me he’s always wanted kids.” Rupert smiled, “I’m sure he’d be better at it than me.” “Maybe, maybe not. We’ll see.” Looking through the window, Ada’s smile broadened. “We’re here. Finally, I thought we’d never get back home.” Stepping out of the cab, she looked back in. “I’ve talked your ear off. Want me to pay the whole fare to make up for it?” Rupert nodded with a smile, “If you would. Skipping the country tends to limit your funds.” Reaching into her pockets, Ada pulled out three Benjamins and passed them to Rupert. “This is where we split, then. The carriage’s all yours.” She said, then closed the door. Transient People fucked around with this message at 16:18 on Apr 21, 2015 |
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May 12, 2014 18:09
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J.R. - FP: 5 JR found climbing to the second floor window easy enough - there was a tree relatively close enough for JR to launch himself to the window edge, pulling himself up and giving Hugues a hand in once he made his own way to the window. "We'd best meet up with the others first - if there's someone on the ground floor we can come at 'em from both sides." Athletics result of +4 is enough to get me in the window
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May 13, 2014 06:32
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 3 (This post takes place before Hugues left for the lighthouse.) As Hugues left for the apartment, he couldn’t help but think of Calfuray’s report from last night. Circe had turned Cole into a wolf, and then went hunting in the marshes. How nice of her to do that right after they did all of that work to turn him back. And since they were spending a lot of time focusing on the lighthouse and then Denarian, who know what else she was going to do to him. He shook his head and climbed on his bike to head out, seeing a glittering red light outside his apartment window. Did Nidawi come to give her own report too? He let out a soft whistle and hollered out to her. “Down here!” “Grumpypants!” Nidawi flitted down to sit on top of the silver bell on the right handlebar. “Where are you going?” “The lighthouse near where we met Slimer for the first time. Heard he might be hiding out in there. Actually I think I’m late already, but we can keep talking.” He kicked back the break and started pedaling. “So, what’chu got for me?” “Mr. Cole tried to eat me!” Nidawi said, holding on tight and tucking her wings so she wouldn’t blow away. “Then I kicked him in the nose.” “Yeah...I...heard. You must not have been very tasty.” Hugues said, trying to imagine the scene. “Seriously though, is he okay? Still got his senses and everything or did she turn him into a mindless animal?” “He was being a big baby about it, so I told him to stop being a wolf if he didn’t like it.” she explained. “So he did. He says…” She puffed herself up and crossed her arms in a fair imitation of the Warden. “Tell Grumpypants that I’m holding on but he’d better rescue me by the day after tomorrow or he has to be a ringbearer like Mr. Frodo on the moving picture box.” “Wait, what? A ringbearer? I don’t have a ring, or a nice volcano to throw it into--oh my god.” Hugues skidded to a stop. “Nidawi, is Cole getting married to Circe?” “Maybe the other way around?” Nidawi snorted. “Why, is that bad?” “Umm...yes. Very.” He shook his head in disbelief. Out of the frying pan, into the fire. “Okay, I have two tasks for the pixie squad. One for everyone, and one for another pixie for you to delegate to. First, Don’t. Tell. Ada. She’s going to probably go axe murderer crazy if she hasn’t already.” Hugues shuddered at the thought. “Second, we’re going to need a flower girl too.” “A girl made of flowers?” “A flower girl is…” Oh dear if Nidawi doesn’t understand what a ringbearer is, what will she understand? “Okay, you remember Sam, the other hobbit who stuck close to Frodo? A flower girl is like that, a gardener, and walks up with the ringbearer too. The ringbearer gives the rings, and the flower girl gives a lovely bouquet of flowers.” Hugues thought for a moment, then smiled. “We can probably use Jenny, and I’ll talk to her. So instead, go find us some flowers, something you can imagine Jenny carrying around. Take your time, we won’t need it until tomorrow. And, uh...no wolfsbane, just in case.” “OK! Um… there was one more thing.” She thought really hard. “Mr. Cole said she hasn’t taken his magic away, and nobody likes the gold man. Not even his friends. There’s angles on it.” “Huh, interesting. Good to know when it comes to take him out, we won’t have any problems. Glad to know there’s one bit of good news in there.” Hugues said, pedaling again. “Is that all?” Nidawi nodded. “Yeah, the witch came back so we couldn’t talk any more. They went back to the gold man’s house. He was sleeping when I left to tell you.” “Alright. You have your orders, send someone after those flowers and keep an eye on him.” Hugues watched as Nidawi zipped off into the air. “And don’t get eaten this time!” ---------------------------------------------- (The rest of this post is back in the present) With a clink and a grunt from Hugues, he went soaring through the air as his hookshot grabbed on to the window's ledge and cranked the chain back. He accepted JR's hand to climb into the window and put the hookshot back in his pack. "Sounds good, we need to at least take a look. And if one of us hits trouble, the other group knows how to reach them." Hugues whispered, tip-toeing down the staircase. (Used the Grappling Hook as a 6-shift Air Overcome against the window.)
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May 13, 2014 21:39
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Nobody Home? The stairs led down to the main round room at the bottom of the lighthouse. The window climbers and door openers both entered at the same time... But there was no one here to ambush. Construction materials, paving stones, plywood, and drywall were all stacked against one wall. It seemed like the reconstruction effort might actually be happening. There was a set of plans on one table, held down by a three ring binder. There was also a workbench with a set of power tools and an old laptop on it, all plugged into a strip that was powered by a small gas generator that was currently turned off. ---- Downstairs appears to be empty. What do you investigate? Does anyone go upstairs?
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May 13, 2014 21:55
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A Few Surprises Roy met Ada at the door. His eyebrow twitched once, and Ada immediately knew something was very wrong. “Ma’am… There is a lady Warden here to see you. I thought it would be unwise to tell her to come back another time. She’s waiting on the patio.” Ada let out a deep, long sigh. Suddenly she was desperately hoping that Peter Evans would discover the location of the duSang estate and pay it a visit. Fighting a Denarian sounded like a much easier prospect than facing down Bellworth. “I was hoping she’d come around. I’ll go speak with her right away.” As she walked through the estate to meet the Warden Captain, her step conspicuously lacked the spring it had when she’d come in. Captain Bellworth was standing with her back to the glass doors, looking out over the lawn that led towards Midas’ backyard. She was an imposing figure, tall and broad shouldered, with chocolate brown skin and her black hair done in tight braids pulled up into a high ponytail. The 2 handed great sword slung over her back was longer than Ada was tall. She did not turn around when Ada opened the door to join her. “Warden Bellworth.” Ada said as she approached her. “Saw you at the House of the Rising Sun a couple months ago when you gave the new Warden his job. Cole’s had it rough getting used to New Orleans. It’s been a rollercoaster since you left.” “Of that I have no doubt.” Bellworth glanced down at Ada. Her eyebrow raised. “But we will get to him in due time. You have broken glass in your hair, Ms. duSang. And you stink of Hellfire. Explain.” “Had a run-in with a Denarian. Managed to give him the slip, but he took one of the kids we were looking out for. Gonna try to get him back after I get everybody together in one place so we can work out a plan.” It wasn’t a boast, and it wasn’t something Ada spoke of casually, but it was a statement of fact. They couldn’t let Ed stay with Evans, and they weren’t going to do anything before they’d had the time to set up a meeting. It wasn’t up for debate, they just had to do it. “...Do you know which Denarian?” The Warden-Captain didn’t seem surprised. Ada got the impression that surprised wasn’t an expression she used very often. “Tamiel. Host is ex-Council. Ring any bells?” This was a good opportunity to get a handle on how Bellworth handled surprises. If she was as dedicated to her job as Ada had heard she was, she’d catch who Ada was referring to in an instant. “Evans.” Her eyes narrowed. “He was one of the primaries last year during the crisis over at the Grand Cross leyline. Slippery little cretin, but they don’t last long if they aren’t. Wizard Hadley failed to mention him when we met earlier today.” Ada shrugged. “Doesn’t surprise me. We just learned about his identity a couple hours ago. There’s no way he could’ve known which Fallen we were dealing with back then.” She tilted her head. “Crossed paths with him before?” Bellworth nodded once, slowly. “He’s one of the reasons that Elbridge was the only wizard I could spare to help here last November… There’s a leyline intersection in Georgia, the Grand Cross, that had become extremely unstable. The Denarians, they tend to work together when the need arises, had set the Cross to explode and take the entire eastern seaboard with it from Florida to North Carolina. That is why Warden Cole was forced deal with an arch-demon with no backup.” “No backup except for the best of the best, of course.” Ada said, grinning in spite of herself. There was the slightest hint of a smile at the corners of the older woman’s mouth. “Hadley is certainly capable. He went on at great length about a certain squad of deputized civilians in his report.” Ada’s smile widened. “Over or under five hundred pages?” Bellworth didn’t even bother answering that one. “Your role in banishing Mel’Karshok may have made you overconfident, Ms. duSang. Challenging a demigod to single combat is…” She shook her head. “A terrible idea, even for a seasoned Wizard. Which you are not.” Bellworth’s words got Ada to drop the comedy act in a hurry. “It’s not about thinking I can win, because I don’t. It’s that I have to. We can’t leave Cole with Circe. He’s going to end up broken.” She said, now deathly serious. “I agree. My purpose here is to advise and officiate on your -and his- behalf. Firstly, if this duel is to be sanctioned under the Code Duello then you will be officially registered as an apprentice under Warden Cole. Don’t underestimate the responsibility that places on you both. Are you willing to accept that position?” “Gladly.” The response was instant. "Then you have the Council’s support. We will need to visit Circe to issue the formal challenge. Have you given thought to a champion? As the challenger that is within your right.” Ada nodded. “Unless Circe decides she wants to get cute I don’t think I’m going to need one...but I have the right man for the job.” “Good.” She didn’t seem interested in who. “You have one other decision to make before we begin in earnest. I know Hadley offered his service as your Second. I am also offering you mine.” Ada fell silent for a time. This wasn't an offer she would've ever expected to hear. Her first instinct was to dismiss it out of hand. She knew Elbridge, and knew he was as capable as they came. He'd make a good second. But then the wheels in her head started spinning. Bellworth was here because they needed more than a second: They also needed an unrelated member of their organization (someone belonging to the White Council) to select an emissary who would determine the weapons to be used in the duel. Bellworth would get her an unbiased third party, and El would get her a fair deal, but that wasn't enough here. What they needed was a chance to stack the deck in their favor to make up for Circe's advantages in every field. Elbridge had firsthand knowledge of the situation and was fiendishly clever, while Bellworth was a dominating presence wherever she went, someone who was best described as 'powerful'. A carefully selected, secretly partial emissary, one with a convenient excuse to grant concessions thanks to the Warden's powerful presence, would give her a better than fair shot. After thinking about it, the choice was clear. "I couldn't ask for a better second. I'd be honored." She said, with a quick nod. Bellworth looked relieved. “Thank you.” she said. Then cleared her throat. “That puts Hadley in charge of choosing your emissary. It will have to be someone local, an apprentice doesn’t warrant a major name. But we’ll leave that to him now.” She turned her head to look over the lawn again. and sighed “I thought this city was out of the way. Someplace quiet where he could heal after the war ended. I was wrong.” “Like attracts like. A wounded city needs a wounded man...” She didn’t say it out loud, but inwardly, Ada finished the thought. “...And that man needs a woman who is wounded.” “Do you love him?” the Captain asked. It took an herculean effort for Ada to stop herself from staring Bellworth straight in the eye. “Yes. And I’m not leaving him. Not when he needs me most.” There was a note of defiance in her voice, calm but clearly present. There was a soft tap on the glass door behind them. Roy waited for his mistress to wave him in before entering. He presented Ada with a small envelope. “This was just delivered, ma’am. I would not normally interrupt but…” He gave a small apologetic bow. The golden crown on the envelope was all Ada needed to see to know where it had come from.  Ada took a good look at the card. She shook her head and read it again. And once more to be sure. Then she smiled broadly. Very, very broadly. The Cheshire Cat would have been proud of that smile. “Pass it back once you’re done reading it, will you?” She said sweetly, handing Bellworth the card. Finally, Bellworth looked surprised. “That’s tomorrow.” she said, not quite believing it. “Well that steps our timetable up a few days.” She handed the card back. “We are marching over there, right now, and you are issuing your formal grievance. That means you call her out and insult her as strongly as you can in front of her entire household. Do you think you can do that?” All over the patio, the lights began to flicker, then violently exploded. “Yes.” Ada said, clutching the card so tightly her knuckles went white. “I think I can.”
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May 13, 2014 22:59
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Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace “CIRCE! You crazed, capricious bitch, hear me now! Four days ago at the New Orleans Aquarium, you interrupted my courtship of Warden Richter Cole and attempted to wrest him away from me with feeble pretenses of ownership. On that day, I challenged you for control of his fate, and have not seen a single sight nor heard one word from you to decide under which terms we would settle our score. Do you quake with fear? Does the threat of an apprentice witch scare you so much that you refuse to show your face now, old hag? Has the Witch of Aeaea become so completely enslaved by the charms of her latest boy toy that she wishes to marry him before she goes to meet her death? Return Richter Cole to me and I will forgive the insult of this mockery of a wedding you have orchestrated. If you refuse, then I demand satisfaction by the terms of the Code Duello!” Following up that callout, Ada rolls Provoke and… <Krysmbot> TransientPeople2, -+/-+2 = 1 <TransientPeople2> Oh come ON <Piell> pranked <TransientPeople2> Screw it, I have those Fate Points for a reason <TransientPeople2> Invoking The Maid of New Orleans and Bloody Crazy and Bloody Minded to push that up to +5 because gently caress it, Circe needs to feel the burn. This was an overcome, and a +5 definitely succeeds with style. Circe has been ‘Called Out’. Lord and Lady Midae, along with several of the other members of their house, were listening from the wide front porch. Circe and Cole were nowhere to be seen. Midae sipped from a glass of sweet tea. He seemed greatly amused by the speech. “I take it from the presence of the Greycloak behind you that this is Council-sanctioned?” “It is.” Bellworth was a solid rock behind her. “My name is Warden-Captain Bellworth and I will be acting as her Second. Bring out the offender, so that we may come to terms.” “Oh she heard you.” Midae leaned back on the porch swing. Lady Midae gave a nasty smile. Circe, in her sabertoothed cat skin, exploded out of the hedges and charged at Ada with a primal roar. Bellworth grabbed Ada by the shoulders and pulled her out of the path of the beast’s claws by a fraction of an inch. She drew her sword. It looked even bigger unsheathed. “Circe!” Midae commanded, not even setting down his sweet tea. The monster cat growled and bared fangs. “Do not dishonor this house with your impatience. You will have your little fight once we come to terms.” In a truly disturbing display, the cat stood up on it’s hind legs. Bones cracked and disjointed as she reverted to human form. “Yes we will. I will slaughter this child like a lamb. I will feed her body to the beasts and suck the marrow from her bones. I will share her blood and power with my dearest, and it will make us stronger and bond us together as nothing else ever could. Under the Accords, I accept your challenge.” She rounded on the porch. “Who will be my Second?” It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. “If you’re finally done posturing, you should go back to your cougar form. It’s a much better fit for an old mewling tabby like you.” Ada said as she looked down on her nails, sounding distinctly unimpressed. Circe snarled at her. Midae sighed. “I take it you mean to conduct this duel prior to the extremely expensive last minute wedding that I’m paying for?” “You might want to push the wedding back. There’s a chance the bride is going to get delayed...permanently.” Ada said, shooting Circe a poisonous glare. Midae snapped his fingers. “Philoctetes. You will Second for Circe. Go and discuss terms with the Greycloak.” The dark haired youth that had shot (and lost) against JR at the gala stood up immediately. “Yes, Lord.” He didn’t look happy about it. “I claim the right to examine the prize and make sure that it remains whole and undamaged before we continue.” Bellworth said. “There is no honor in a duel over a mindless husk, and the offender has a history of such things.” The bearded king yawned. “Granted, if you swear you will make no attempts to aid in his escape.” Bellworth bowed her head slightly. “On my power, I will not attempt to help him escape for the duration of this visit.” “The Greycloak only. I do not trust the little bitch.” Circe spat. “So I only get to see him again over your dead body? Fine by me.” Turning to look at Bellworth, Ada nodded. Bellworth leaned down to whisper in her ear. “You did well. We have the advantage for now. Go home and rest. It’s my turn.” There was a deeply satisfied smile on the Captain’s face as she strode past Circe and up onto the mansion’s porch. Philoctetes sighed and opened the door for her. The pair vanished into the house. As Ada turned to leave, a light in the upper window caught her eye. It was bright white and came from a familiar crystal. Cole waited until he was sure she was looking then gave her a big thumbs up. In response, Ada turned toward the window and blew him a kiss. As she raced back to the duSang Estate, she grinned. “Wait for me, Prince Charming. Your princess is coming to save you from the evil witch.”
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May 13, 2014 23:06
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 3 Hugues went straight for the laptop, wanting to protect the precious thing before anyone else hexed it. He opened it up just to make sure it was alright, but didn't turn it on. Instead he unplugged it from the power strip and put both the laptop and it's cord in his backpack. While he was low to the ground, he figured he might as well check the gas generator. (Investigate -++- +2 = 2.) "Half-empty." Hugues announced, standing up. "At the very least they're doing some degree of construction work here."
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May 14, 2014 00:56
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Elbridge Hardley - FP: 3 Giving the sensitive electronics a wide berth, Elbridge turns his attention to the pile of documents on the table. Superficially, it looks nothing more than a respectable sort of renovation plan: new wiring, solid timbers, a fresh coat of paint - the stuff that tax breaks are made of. But under that... The next page is blank. Per city ordinance, everything past it should be legalese and documentation, but it feels too thick even for that, and somehow Elbridge doubts that the Fomor are simply that civic-minded. He flips to the next page. Paydirt. Plans for an elabourate, underground expansion, including a tunnel beneath the lake and a large, central chamber beneath the old park. There's no way they'd go to this much trouble for a mere safehouse. And the entrance... ...not five feet away, hidden under a stack of paint canisters. The hairs on the back of El's neck begin to prickle; these are the stories begin, that end with "and they were never heard from again." He coughs softly, waving Jenny over. "Er...Miss Hirsch." He points to the relevant portions, and the concealed trap-door. "You said you were going to see a scrap-dealer about procuring some iron?" Investigate +/+/ +4 = 6. Aspects revealed: "Underground Expansion" and "A Way Down".
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May 14, 2014 01:58
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Rupert Singh - FP:1 Rupert’s apartment was in the same state of disarray as he’d left it - notebooks filled with an untidy scrawl lying strewn across his cabinets, the covered frame of the lantern sitting in a corner. Noticing an envelope behind the door, he picked it up as he crossed the room to sit beside the table. Reading the invitation inside, he sighed, tossing the letter onto the bed and muttering, “What did you get yourself into, Cole?” Shaking his head, he began to prepare to finish the lantern - he cleared the table, setting an old blackened thick cast iron bowl filled with scrap metal before uncovering the lantern’s frame - the serpent’s eye bobbing in a preservative liquid inside a jar, geometric designs etched upon the glass surface. Surrounding the jar was a frame of cast iron bars with a crude handle above the jar’s lid. He removed the jar, setting it to one side, beneath the cover once more. Hanging the lantern’s frame from a hook above the bowl, Rupert sat and began to clear his mind, focusing for the long spell. And then he began to work, focusing heat magic upon the pieces of scrap metal, transforming them into bubbling orbs of molten metal, held in the air by his magic. He began to sculpt the metal around the frame with gentle force magic, holding the shape in place as he leeched the heat away. -- Some hours later, he rose, the lantern complete with the final step - to lend it enough power to kickstart the magic within the eye and the geometric designs, the bobbing eye glowing with an eerie light - while it was a crude and hasty work, the shutters closed to block it’s revealing light, it would suffice, Rupert thought. ChrisAsmadi fucked around with this message at 04:44 on May 14, 2014 |
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May 14, 2014 04:41
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J.R. - FP: 5 While the others searched the first floor, JR turned back towards the stairs. "I'll go check upstairs - make sure nothing's hiding around up there. We don't want to get ambushed from both sides." He makes his way up the stairs somewhat quietly. Stealth result of +1 against whatever's up there
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May 14, 2014 08:23
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Anybody Up Here? JR climbed the stairs. There was a short ladder at the top of them, leading to a hatch. Popping the hatch and climbing up put him inside the glass top of the lighthouse itself. There was no one there either. The lamp housing was huge and very old. This place hadn't been in use since before electricity was invented, and it showed. But... Someone had refilled the oil that fueled the wick, and there was a long campfire lighter sitting on one of the ledges. Someone had been fiddling with the lamp shutters, the rust had been knocked away and swept into a corner. The windows had been cleaned recently too. Back downstairs, Elbridge opened the three ring binder to find a primer on Morse code, along with all kinds of common Maritime signals, flags, and messages. Several of the common ones (SOS, Confirm, Check, Report) were circled with red pen. mistaya fucked around with this message at 08:45 on May 14, 2014 |
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May 14, 2014 08:39
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Just Checking Up Warden Cole FP:2 Cole was still watching Ada walk home from the window in Circe’s bedroom when the door behind him opened. Against his better judgment he stood up and turned around. Sometimes you just had to face the music. “Hi, Captain.” he said. “I uh…” “Warden.” She closed the door behind her and looked at him. If there was an international looming contest, Bellworth would take the gold every year. Cole sighed and rubbed the back of his head nervously. “How much did Elbridge tell you?” She narrowed her eyes. “A lot more than you have.” “It’s been… busy.” He explained. “Midas has business ties to the Fomor, and we’ve been trying to get more on them ever since we found out who was behind the kidnappings... This whole mess started because I ran into Circe at the Mardi Gras ball.” She raised an eyebrow. “It’s my understanding that it began last year when you were foolish enough to take a thief with you on a mission. Your report failed to mention that you traded a token to Charon in exchange for an exit.” “I didn’t think…” He shook his head. “No, I knew it was going to come back and bite me. But you didn’t see the monster that was on our heels. Circe’s transformation magic is paid for by sacrificing gifted blood to Hecate. She hasn’t had the chalice for months. What you just saw on the lawn was a day-old kitten compared to what came after us last year.” Bellworth didn’t look convinced. “Have you seen the quarter yet?” “No.” His shoulders slumped. “I’ve been stuck here for two days now and my people are off fighting Denarians and God knows what else while she makes me buy her ice cream with Midas’ money.” “Hadley told me you took Turner’s son into a Dragon’s lair.” Cole bit his lip. “…um. Yes. He’s fine, Captain. He’s… very talented for his age.” Bellworth had ordered him not to put Hugues in danger, and punctuated that with a tug on his noose. Cole understood why she wanted Turner’s ‘son’ protected but what was he supposed to do about it? Hugues knew the risks and took them gladly whenever he got involved. Bellworth glared at him. “There’s something else you’re not telling me.” “What?” His eyes widened. Did she suspect something? “The way Hadley described her, Circe was furious with you for stealing her property. So why does she intend to marry you tomorrow instead of feeding you to Hecate one drop at a time?” “Oh that…” Cole let out a sigh of relief. “You know… I wasn’t sure at first. I think she was going to, but when she cut my cheek on the altar my St. Giles tattoos lit up. She really seems to like them.” “The warning tattoos?” Bellworth crossed her arms. “Has anything else caused those to show since the Red Court was destroyed?” Cole shrugged. “Once… When I found out a good friend of mine was killed. But they were faint, not like this. I guess blood sacrifice brings them out black.” “Not red?” “…not that time.” He said quietly. “Warden…” Bellworth warned. Then she paused. “There is something wrong with your eyes.” She took three long strides forward and grabbed him by the chin, tilting his face up towards hers and looking straight into his eyes. There was no danger of a soulgaze with Bellworth. She’d demanded that of him before his trial. The Senior Council wanted to know if he could handle life as a Red Court Infected before they put their weight behind him, and his commanding officer was the best judge of character they were likely to get. It had been an experience for them both. “What is it?” Cole asked, trying to hide the sudden panic. “There’s gold flecks in them.” Bellworth explained. “And they’re reflecting light like an animal’s. What has she done to you, Richter? I came here to make sure you were alright. You can tell me.” Her voice was almost gentle, and it scared him. He pulled back and sat down on the window ledge. He felt guilty, like he’d been caught stealing candy from the drug store. “The whole wedding thing is my fault. She was going to, you know, have me in front of the altar on her island, until I said we should wait until we got married, which she took as a proposal. I didn’t think it would actually work, but I was stalling for time. I know what happens if we… you know.” “Clever. I take it these-” She waved a finger at the romance novels and DVD shelves. “-have warped her perception of a modern relationship heavily.” “You have no idea.” Cole said. “It’s a nightmare Captain. She…” He stopped and took a ragged breath. “She made me drink her blood from the chalice yesterday. That’s when the tattoos went red.” He scratched at his arms. “I can still feel her under my skin… I was hoping it would wear off.” “That explains it then…” Bellworth sighed. “What did she turn you into?” He picked up one of the Beanie Babies and tossed it to her. “A wolf?” she said, looking at the stuffed toy. “But not an ordinary wolf, any more than she becomes an ordinary lioness.” “It felt so good, Captain. Better than anything I’ve ever felt in my life. She said… ‘Today you beg me to stop. Tomorrow you will beg me not to.’” He buried his face in his hands. “She wasn’t kidding.” “We have to get you out of here.” Bellworth said. “How? You can’t seriously let Ada duel Circe, she’ll get torn apart!” Bellworth smiled at him. It was terrifying. “You let me worry about that. Your apprentice is tougher than you think.” “Right. My apprentice.” Cole winced. “Yet another thing you were too busy to report?” She didn’t drop her smile, which was somehow even worse. “I didn’t think it would be safe to make it official. She’s a… blood mage.” “Hadley said as much. But that doesn’t disqualify her as long as she remains within the Laws.” Yeah, about that… Cole thought. Someone knocked on the door three times. “Time’s up, Lady Warden.” Philoctetes said from outside. “Focus on finding that quarter.” Bellworth said quickly. “We’ll do the rest.” “I’ll try, Captain.” Cole said. He gave her a weak smile. “Thanks for coming to save me.” She turned towards the door. “You’re just lucky I don’t have anyone to replace you with. Good Wardens are hard to find these days.” “Captain… Laura… Promise me you’ll take care of Ada? She’s… I can’t lose her like I lost Rachel. I can’t.” She looked back over her shoulder. “You won’t.” she said, and then she was gone. mistaya fucked around with this message at 09:45 on May 15, 2014 |
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May 15, 2014 08:29
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Jenny Hirsch FP: 3 Jenny frowned, moving over towards El and patting inside her jacket as she peered down at his discoveries. "Somewhat better equipped, at least. This doesn't look suspicious at all." She started to clear away the paint cans, neatly stacking them off to the side and away from the trapdoor. "What are you thinking? Some kind of signal tower? Maybe a waystation for the, uh, deliveries Midas is making to the friendly fish?" Jenny set the last can aside, standing with a small flourish. "Shall we see what they're keeping under here?" Leaving the details of Jenny's new armory for when I have a moment to hash it out with Krysm.
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May 15, 2014 11:45
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Elbridge Hardley - FP: 3 "Yes, let's," Elbridge concurs with Jenny. "Only, er...not just yet. I suspect that it might be prudent to see what's out there first." Cautiously, he makes his way up the dilapidated tower, climbing the ladder through the hatch to the beacon proper. "Be alert, everyone!" he calls down. "We might have to run for the van if this goes awry." So saying, he lights the wick. Elbridge opens and closes the shutters in time as the firelight plays across the darkening waters, blinking a message: CQ CQ CQ DE W 03 BSW STS CK PLS CFM HW? K Attention all stations This is Bayou Sauvage Wildlife Refuge Station 03 Routine check to confirm status Verify receipt Over
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May 17, 2014 03:09
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Old-World Texting It didn't take long for Elbridge to get a response from the north end of the lake. W 03 BSW DE W 04 BBW GA OM STS CFM NML RPRT SKED TMW U OK? Bayou Savage Wildlife 03 this is Big Branch Wildlife 04 Good afternoon, operator Status confirmed normal Report scheduled tomorrow You OK?
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May 17, 2014 03:40
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Elbridge Hardley - FP: 3 Well, isn't that interesting? Elbridge sends a quick reply: R W 04 BBW TU FER CFM FB NIL RPRT GL W 03 BSW SK Roger, Big Branch Wildlife 04 Thank you for your prompt confirmation All clear here, nothing new to report Good luck Bayou Sauvage Wildlife 03, out He gets an equally-prompt answer: R CUL W 03 BSW W 04 BBW K SK Roger, speak to you later Bayou Sauvage Wildlife 03 Big Branch Wildlife 04, over and out "There's another station across the lake, at Big Branch," Elbridge announces the instant the fire's extinguished. "This one's numbered 03; the other, 04." He pinches the bridge of his nose. "Which leaves us with at least two more unaccounted-for - three, if they started with 00." El sighs. "And we've no way of knowing if those noticed the transmission or not. I don't suppose anyone else found something that might shed some light on this?"
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May 17, 2014 04:49
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Down The Hatch The only thing that might have answers on it was the laptop Hugues had picked up, and he couldn't do much with it until he took it home. Whatever the Fomor were up to with the beacons would have to wait for now. So that just left the underground cave. The floor panel lifted up to reveal a ladder leading down into blackness. Good thing wizards have their own pocket lights. The tunnel below is dry, and branches in two directions. To the left, the sound of water dripping can be heard. To the right, there is a sweet scent, like an unfamiliar incense. It's a strong scent, and there's something sour underneath it. Something splashes down the left fork. Something rattles down the right. mistaya fucked around with this message at 13:36 on May 17, 2014 |
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May 17, 2014 13:26
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 3 "Let's split up again." Hugues said, glancing down both paths. "I need to go right, can't let the laptop get wet. Elbridge, you can deal with water, so you go left. Just in case theres trouble, JR doesn't have magic to lock with water, so you go with Elbridge. Jenny, that means you're with me. Down here the pins won't work as well, so if one of us makes a call, assume it's a call for trouble if you can't make out what they're saying."
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May 17, 2014 17:22
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Tunnels Elbridge and JR headed down the slightly sloping tunnel towards the sound of running water and the smell of salt. There weren't any magical defenses in this direction. The tunnel itself was man made, concrete, not natural stone. After about a dozen yards it opened into a square room. There was a pool in the middle of the room. It was large, about 15 feet across. There was a wood platform extending towards the center of the room, almost like a tiny dock. Along the walls, hanging on hooks, were sets of uniforms. Electrician's jumpsuits, police blues, construction helmets, ranger uniforms... It was almost like a Halloween closet. Dried slime on the floor led from the hooks to the dock. Several trails. There was something bobbing in the water. It splashed against the side of the pool. ---- In the other direction the ground was level. Hugues and Jenny slowed as they proceeded, both feeling the buzz of magic in the air. Jenny couldn't tell much other than it was strong, but Hugues could sense multiple sources. He stopped her and looked at the walls in the bright light from his magical flashlight. There were runes etched into the concrete, similar in look to the ones he'd seen on Circe's island. Not the same runes though, so it wasn't set to explode. These were very powerful wards. The rattling paused for a second, then started back up again. ---- JR and Elbridge can investigate anything on their end that they'd like to. Hugues and Jenny need to make some lore rolls to identify the kind of rules, and how to disable them, if they want to proceed.
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May 18, 2014 01:52
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Jenny Hirsch FP: 3 Jenny crouched next to the concrete wall, examining the runes as best as she could from here. "Alright, this is why we hit the books." She extended her finger to point at the first rune, tracing along the edges of it with her fingertip. "This is a rune of alarm. Pretty standard, too - there was one just like it in the book's example. It's tied to some kind of magical tripwire a few steps further down the corridor." She frowned, studying the rune more closely as her finger caught on an unfamiliar swirl. "But this... the rune artist layered another rune on top of the first, intertwining it with the alarm. Some kind of physical shield which is tied to the alarm being activated, probably an invisible wall. And down there..." Jenny turned, craning her head to try and make out the far rune, past the tripwire and the alarm before shaking her head. "I can't tell from here, but I doubt it's good." She put her hand against the rune, closing her eyes as she concentrated on the threads of power. The loops of energy were bound tight, with none of the slackening the book had mentioned, which meant... Jenny chewed on her lip for a moment before speaking. "They're using the leyline to power these. That gives them more than enough power to do, well, lots of bad things really. These don't look too dangerous but we should definitely avoid triggering them. Look, there," she said, stabbing her finger out to point at a conspicuously absent stone. "There's a keystone missing here, something which should disable the entire system. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if they stuck the runestone under a hide-a-key, so we'll probably have to jury-rig something up to deactivate it." Jenny turned to Hughes, smiling. "That look about right to you, boss?" Rolling Scholarship --+/ +5 = 4, justified by the library research.
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May 18, 2014 04:56
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Elbridge Hardley - FP: 3 Mindful of the water, Elbridge inspects the rack of uniforms. Firefighters, police officers, EMTs, construction workers, and more - all of them with mends and patches. Some hide bullet holes, others cover knife-slashes...and more than a few conceal claw marks. This is beginning to make a very frightening sort of sense. No oilcloth or plastic garment bags for waterproofing. This is where deliveries are taken, then, and not sent. A rippled gleam catches El's eye, and a few needles of force begin to form as he turns about - but no. Nothing from the water. Just a laminated piece of card-stock. A nametag. Several nametags. "...Santos...Tanner...deVries...Chernowith...Loomis..." Elbridge mutters the names as he scribbles each on his pocket-notepad, along with all other identifying information. More than a few, he recognises from Sgt. Drouillard's extensive list of missing (and now, Elbridge surmises, quite probably deceased) persons. It's not happy work. But it'll at least bring someone a measure of closure. Investigate -++/ +4 = 5, garnering some clues. Gonna call the Aspect revealed "Lost and Found".
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May 18, 2014 16:29
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 3 "Ten points to Jennydor." Hugues smiled. "You've done your research and know all of this better than I do." He reached for the chalk he had in his backpack and handed it to her. "If we trace the rune ourselves, that should knock out the system. And then when we leave, we can just wipe away the chalk and the alarm will be activated again. No one will know we were in. Krysmphoenix fucked around with this message at 18:02 on May 18, 2014 |
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May 18, 2014 17:42
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 3 --> 2 Hugues and Jenny huddled close, sketching the runes they could see away from the wards to compare. The direction of the primary triangle was the first thing to catch. Hugues had discovered that the runes seemed to follow a general design pattern, repeating every three runes. Jenny noticed that each design had a smaller triangle in the same direction, except for the last one. Both of them looked at the runes, stumped for a moment. There was something they were missing. (Jenny rolled Lore, //+- +2 = 2. Not good enough for a hint. <Krysmbot> Krysmphoenix, /--- +5 = 2 <Krysmphoenix> ... <RPZip> lol <Thesaurasaurus> Jesus wept * Krysmphoenix kicks Krysmbot <Krysmbot> You jerk! <Krysmphoenix> You betrayed me! Invoking Protector of the Small to be the wise mentor in this situation, and nab a hint) "Wait, they're not just triangles! It's Aristotle's elements!" Hugues said, hitting his hands together.  "Although their design is a little different. The line for Earth and Air extend out some, but the pattern seems consistent." Hugues smiled, glad they were getting somewhere. "We're going to need a Water triangle, and in the style of these two..."  "I'm not sure this is it, but I think we're close now..." Krysmphoenix fucked around with this message at 03:08 on May 19, 2014 |
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May 19, 2014 03:00
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Jenny Hirsch FP: 3 Jenny walked a few yards away from the runes before she put her hand on an out of the way section of the wall, closing her eyes as the concrete bubbled and flowed at her touch. A small chunk of concrete popped free, rolling into her hand as she concentrated, using her fingers to trace the long lines of the rune. "I think that's right. It matches the patterns, at least, and it should let us through. If not, this might get a little interesting." Jenny grinned, then crouched down next to the open slot. "Any last words, boss?" "I'm too young to die." Jenny smiled, pushing the stone in to the slot. "We all are."
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May 19, 2014 06:36
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Is That Your Final Answer? The molded piece of concrete slides into the slot with a click. The rune glows blue briefly, the light spreading up the array and around the barrier, and the shield fades. The alarm runes pulse red briefly, then flicker out. The third set, the one Jenny couldn't identify, did nothing at all. Above this third set, embedded in the ceiling, spined creatures, (not the Screechins because they didn't have eyes, but something probably closely related to them,) softly murmured to each other. They didn't seem to mind the intruders. It looked like Jenny had guessed correctly. Leaving the keystone in the lock, the pair of them continued up the tunnel. There was dim light ahead of them... gentle rainbow colors. The incense was almost overpowering, as was the cloying, rotten smell beneath it. Something was growing on the concrete walls here. It was slimy and gave off a slight glow. Moss... or algae, maybe? The air grew very moist and warm. Once they reached the cavern, they paused. The ceiling opened up a few dozen feet, and strands of what looked like kelp hung down in curtains of green and purple. More of the glowing algae covered the concrete walls and the ceiling above, bathing the room in iridescent color. It was like walking into the set of 'Under the Sea'. There were round boulders in orderly rows down the center of the room. These were hollow and filled with water. Some were shallow, and tiny crabs and starfish could be seen going about their business. Snails and sea cucumbers, urchins and clams... All varieties of sea life. None of them looked native to Lake Pontchartrain. Some of the deeper ones contained fish. Further back, where the light grew dim and the incense was the strongest, there was an algae covered mound. Something... No somethings were crawling all over it. The rattling came from them. Rattles and clacks, as the huge insects- water beetles that resembled poodle sized roaches, snipped and snapped at pit bull sized fiddler crabs. Beneath their dragging bellies, beneath the glowing algae, were bones. Animal corpses were mixed with the human. It was a feeding ground for the scavengers.
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May 19, 2014 07:26
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J.R. - FP: 5 "Well, don't this just look inviting," JR said lowly. He drew his revolver in his right hand, holding it pointed at the thing in the water. With his other hand, he grabbed a construction helmet that had been half-bashed in, and hurled it underhanded at the thing in the water. If the thing was alive, he didn't want to find out when it tried to eat his hand when he touched it. The thing in the water bobbed as he smacked it and JR realized it was just a red and white buoy knocking against the edges of the pool. But there was a cable attached to it that led straight down into the murky water. JR reholstered his gun and grabbed onto the buoy. "Let's see what we've got on the other end," he said as he rapidly pulled the cable up. Might check of +8!! to pull it up When the rope went taut, JR found himself straining against it. Whatever was down there was heavy or stuck, or maybe both. But with one mighty tug he felt it come loose, and from there it was easy to keep pulling. A metallic hatch broke the surface of the water, followed by the top of a small, personal submarine. The hatch twisted open. "What the hell do you think you're... doing..." Said a woman, who appeared to be human, from the open hatch of the submarine. She paused when she realized that JR was definitely not one of her people, and slammed the hatch back down on herself. It clanked as it locked. Piell fucked around with this message at 06:44 on May 20, 2014 |
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May 20, 2014 06:14
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Jenny Hirsch FP: 3 "Well, that's gross." Jenny shaded her eyes, looking across the makeshift aquarium. "Let's check out the slightly less lethal looking ones first," she said, crouching by one of the less body-filled boulders. She examined the fish swimming around inside with a critical eye. "It's been a while since I've taken marine biology, but those look like electric eels. They're not quite the same, though. These ones actually look like they might be eels, rather than being something more related to catfish." Jenny scanned the area, finding a small collection of tools against one of the walls. They weren't metal but were instead sewn out of kelp, like the kind hanging all around them. She picked up a lone one with a net at the end, finding it surprisingly sturdy, before taking her sweater off and wrapping it around the handle for extra insulation. Now in only a short t-shirt, Jenny lowered the net into the aquarium bolder and carefully scooped up the eel, bringing it out of the water to examine it more carefully. It got about three inches out of the water before a stream of flame erupted from its mouth, burning oil flying out to cover a good portion of the water's surface. Jenny quickly dropped the eel back into the water where it subsided, the now bent and ruined fish net dangling at the end of its kelp pole. "Huh. Not quite what I was expecting." She shook her head. "Looks like an armory, or what fish people would use for an armory. Bioweapons, all of them nasty."
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May 20, 2014 07:00
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Hugues Turner Fate Points: 2 Ahh, that old familiar scent of decaying bodies. You never forget that one. Hugues focused his attention to the skeletons below. While underwater he was doubtful they were going to reanimate anytime soon, you fall for that trick twice and you learn to keep an eye out just in case. Still, the bodies had to come from somewhere. Were they keeping them around here? (Investigate +-/+ +2 = 3) Nope, just a lot of creepy sea creatures, giant crabs, noisy water beetles and "Jenny! Careful with that, you'll burn the place down! There's dried plants and algae all over the place and--" nobody would know it was them. "Jenny, how do you feel about burning down a building?"
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May 20, 2014 07:56
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Elbridge Hardley - FP: 3->2 Stress: Physical OOOO / Mental XXOO / Social OOO "Oh, no you don't. Vyatta!" Elbridge twists the fingers of his right hand counter-clockwise, miming the motion of turning a doorknob. The u-boat's metal hatch is several orders of magnitude thicker and heavier than a doorknob, but the lock still pops open with a loud, reverberating *clank!* in answer to Elbridge's spell. Overclocking for 6 shifts of Force to open the hatch, rolling Discipline to control: -/-+ +6 = 5. Spending a FP on "The Forbidden Sage to bring it up to +7, success; marking off the first two boxes of Mental Stress.
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May 21, 2014 02:57
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J.R. - FP: 5 JR pulled the sub closer to him, and dropped the chain to grab onto the hatch with his left hand. He leaned into the sub and grabbed the woman by the arm before straightening out and yanking her out of sub and onto the floor with one mighty heave. "Now then, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Might +4 to pull her out. Piell fucked around with this message at 15:08 on May 22, 2014 |
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May 22, 2014 15:03
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Help! The woman struggled and punched ineffectually at JR's arm. "Please don't kill me!" she yelled. "I have a daughter! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She was a tiny little thing, maybe 5'2. She was very pale, with long brown hair. She looked like she hadn't slept or had a meal or a shower in a long time. Her clothes were dirty too. She started crying. "I'm sorry..."
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May 22, 2014 20:36
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Elbridge Hardley - FP: 2 Human. No surgical modification evident - and indeed unlikely, if she needs a submarine. Captive, unwilling accessory, or just someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time? Elbridge doesn't think she's in the regular employ of the Fomor; not if the man at the hospital is any indication. He doesn't want to think about what it would mean if she is. "No call for that, I should think," he tells J.R. Yet, he does not have to say. "Please, calm down," Elbridge addresses the woman. "We'll need to ask you some questions - what you're doing here, if there are others, and so forth - but co-operate, and we'll do what we can to make sure that you see your daughter again, Mrs...?" Let's see if we can get a name here. Will edit to append dice rolls, if mistaya rules that any are called for here.
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May 23, 2014 03:36
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Don’t Call Me Shirley She did calm down a bit, and thought about it before answering Elbridge. Finally she offered a name. “Shirley. I don’t know anything, I swear! I just do what they tell me to.” “I see,” Elbridge nods thoughtfully. “And ‘they’ are?” “The fishheads!” she said. She yanked on the arm JR was still holding her by. “You’re hurting me. Let me go.” “Go where?” Elbridge shrugs. “Correct me if I’m mistaken, but I was given to suspect that you’re a prisoner here against your will.” “I’m not just a prisoner.” She said, pushing her greasy hair out of her eyes with her free hand. “I’m a hostage.” Jenny came around the corner, poking her head into the room. “Hey guys. We found some firebreathing eels, so we’re thinking we should - oh, hello.” Jenny scanned the room, taking in the bobbing submarine and the girl JR was holding on to. “Who’s she?” “This is Shirley. Apparently, she’s not just a prisoner, she’s a hostage,” Elbridge deadpanned. “Well, I’m both now.” Shirley said, glancing up at JR. “Ah.” Jenny walked more fully into the room, stepping neatly around El and standing in front of Shirley. “Now, Shirley, I hope you can answer some questions for us. If you promise not to do anything silly, maybe there’s some place more comfortable we could sit and talk about this?” Shirley looked around the open room. “Fishheads don’t do comfortable.” she said. “I was sleeping in the sub because it’s the only place that isn’t infested with monsters.” “We saw,” Hugues said, roughly gesturing the way the two of them came from. “Personally, I wouldn’t mind if this whole place burned to the ground. I take it you don’t care much for it either.” “...who are you people?” Shirley asked, staring at the ten year old boy. “Just some people who really don’t like seafood.” Hugues smiled. “We can take you out of here if you’d like.” “Wait! I can’t leave.” she said quickly. “Ah, right. Hostage.” El inclined his head to the others. “Which means she’s standing guarantee for someone else’s safety.” “It’s not that. It’s the eggs that wriggly thing laid in my ear…” She squirmed slightly. “If I leave for too long they’ll hatch.” “...we’ll do what we can for that.” Elbridge tried to assure her. “Exactly what is it they’ve been telling you to do?” he asked, another tidbit from earlier finally registering as important. “I’m a hydrologist. I take water samples. I check temperatures. I wave the funny looking stick they gave me around and tell them if it turns colors. I don’t know why. They don’t tell me why. ” “I see.” The gears turned in the old wizard’s head. “You said something about ‘firebreathing eels’?” he asked Jenny. Jenny nodded. “Yeah, we found a cave full of bioweapons. We were going to burn it down, but… ah. Yeah, I think I see where you’re going with this. Can you describe the thing that they they had you use, Shirley?” She nodded. “It’s in the sub. I’ll get it for you if this jerk lets me go.” “Please,” Elbridge entreated J.R. “If this means what I believe it means, it would be quite helpful to us.” JR let Shirley go - she didn’t seem to be a threat. Shirley ducked headfirst into the mini-sub, and came up a minute later with what could definitely be called a funny looking stick. It was made of blown glass, about six inches long, with bulbs at either end. There were symbols, mostly spiral in nature, etched in the side and inlaid with silver. It was clearly a magical focus, but what it was used for was anyone’s guess. Elbridge just so happened to have such a guess. Taking the wand from Shirley gingerly, he waved it slowly up and down past one of her ears, then the other. It didn’t seem to need any external power to work, because when he waved it past her right ear the bulb on the end turned a deep sea green, shifting in color like a mood ring. “Excellent.” El held the stick out for Jenny. “Would you kindly show us to the nursery-lab? We need to locate the specimen that matches this result so that we can determine how to remove its eggs from Shirley’s ear canal.” “You need the key to get in there.” Shirley said, sighing. “They keep all my logs in there so I can’t even study the aggregated data…” Jenny grinned smugly. “That’s… sort of true. Come on, I’ll show you guys the way.” “...who are you people?” Shirley repeated. Elbridge briefly considered just telling her the truth, then remembered the sign at the entrance. Americans for a Restored Heritage. “Think of us as a political inaction committee.”
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May 27, 2014 23:04
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Do You Believe In Magic Shirley stared at the makeshift rune Jenny had plugged into the wall. “I don’t understand any of this.” she muttered, following the others into the brightly colored, incense-reeking cavern. Beset by fatigue and alchemical fumes and the ghastly stench of decay, Elbridge took the wand around the complex and searched for a match. Several specimens produced colours that were quite close - a sort of dull teal from a bed of writhing tentacles, and a deep aquamarine from a prawn-looking creature that nearly took his thumb off - but only one yielded the exact same hue. Investigate +/-- +4 = 3; good thing El has a high base skill, or this wouldn’t have made it. It looked like a plate of spaghetti noodles that had been steeped in bolognese for several days, unrefrigerated. It smelled worse. It moved like it was alive. “Ah...Miss Hirsch?” Jenny bent a little towards the pulsating mass, making sure to keep her distance while she examined it. She gave a low whistle. “This is a nematode - sorry, a roundworm. But it’s huge, much bigger than any I’ve ever seen.” She sighed. “I wonder how much trouble it’d cause if I took a few of these as samples. There’s got to be some kind of field reward for specimens like this, and I’d even get to name them. Maybe I could cuddle up with my gold-plated plaque at the natural history museum until the fishheads came by to kill me.” Jenny shook her head, focusing back on the worm in front of her. “Oh well, leaving that dream aside… most nematodes are parasites. A lot of them, anyway. Most of them live in the intestines, although that doesn’t sound like what we’re dealing with here.” Shirley stayed well away from the boulder containing the worms. “I’ve never heard of giant brain worms either but it’s not like anything else in my life has made sense for the past week.” She walked over to the table where Jenny had found the feeding nets and started looking for something. “I know they kept them here… Aha!” She pulled a stack of thin binders out from under a kelp mat. “I was doing a thesis on the recent changes in the salinity and pH values of the lake… I thought it was all due to the increase in acid rain…” She gave a bitter little laugh. Jenny walked over to Shirley, smiling politely as Shirley checked through the binders. “You’re a grad student? How’d you get caught up in all this?” The woman clutched the binders to her chest as if they were the only real thing in the world. “I was out on the north end of the lake in my ‘research vessel’, a tin can with an outboard motor on it, when this freaky fog rolled in. I just felt so tired…” She shuddered. “And then I woke up, tied up with my own anchor rope. There were these men… Well they weren’t men, not really. Big, ugly eyes, fish gills on the sides of their necks. I call them fishheads. They locked me up down here. Said it was to make sure Professor Lancaster cooperated.” Jenny smiled encouragingly. “Who is Professor Lancaster, your doctoral advisor?” “He’s…” She went quiet. “I thought that’s all he was. Now, I don’t know.” “If they need his help, then that means if we can find him we can figure out what they’re doing and maybe learn how to stop it,” JR theorized. “Better sooner than later,” Elbridge concurred. Because once the Fomori’s leverage over him is gone, they may simply opt to cut their losses, he didn’t say. Brain surgery would be complicated enough without putting Shirley in a tense mood. “First things first, we need to get those worm eggs out of your ear.” Hugues looked around the room, as he mindlessly started making a nice long fuse out of the scattered dry kelp. “Other than crushing them, what would be the best way to get rid of animal eggs?” “Without invasive surgery, it’s mostly pharmaceutical options,” Elbridge replied. “Nasty business, those, and all of them hard on the host’s system. And not only do you need the right drug for the right species, it depends on the maturity of the organism, and whether or not it’s-” He blinked. “...hatched. Er, Mrs...Shirley. They told you the eggs would hatch if - and only if - you left. How would that even work?” “I’ve been trying to figure that out since they did it.” Shirley said. “What I know for sure is that if I’m gone for about an hour… I can feel them vibrating.” She puts a hand over her ear. “So I can never leave for longer than that. I think it’s some kind of sound that keeps them dormant, something too low for us to hear. There’s been too much chatter on the sonar to isolate the signal… But I’m pretty sure.” “Screechins, or something like them.” Hugues mumbled, looking around the room. “The fishheads seem to like using spiny things that screech out a specific pitch. That’s how they’re keeping the eggs in check. If worst comes to worse, we can put one or a couple of them in a plastic baggy, and see if that’ll keep you safe until we get the means to properly get them out.” Shirley glared at him. “I don’t want to trust my brain to a plastic baggie! Even if you’re right, you don’t know which one it is. There’s at least 20 distinct species of urchin in the first row of tanks!” “Or they could be listening to their, ah, mother,” Elbridge suggested. He looked back at the flooded hollow containing the hideous roundworm. “So truly, let’s not burn this place just yet.” “OK, that’s it.” Shirley slammed the binders down on the table. “...who ARE you people?! No more bullshit!” “We’re wizards.” Hugues said outright. “The fishheads, Fomor, have been kidnapping people all across New Orleans, and I’ve been hearing reports that make me think they’re doing this anywhere with an ocean. A businessman has been giving them places like this lighthouse to make a base on the surface, and from the looks of it, they’ve been using them for armories. Not too long ago we stopped a Fomori from taking people with minor powers and doing God knows what to them.” He gestured to the skeletons at the bottom of one of the pools. “The Family Innsmouth seems to have been plotting a gruesome slaughter of us land-dwellers,” Elbridge said simply. “We’re here to stop them.” “Wizards.” Shirley said. “Yes.” Hugues sighed painfully. “I know it’s not the most...realistic answer, ma’am, but it’s the truth. We’re sorry you got caught up in this mess, but I swear on my power I will do whatever I can to help you get out of her alive and well.” “But you’re just a kid…” Jenny placed her hand on Hughes’s shoulder protectively. “What, you’ve never read Harry Potter? It’s perfectly normal for wizards.” “JENNY!” Hugues glared at his apprentice, and felt like steam could come out of his ears at any second. “You know that’s not how it---ugh!” He tossed up his hands in the air, took a breath to recompose himself. “Stupid incorrect children’s books aside, it doesn’t change the fact we’re here to help.” Shirley just shook her head. “No. Stop it. The fishheads are freaky weird, and all these… these things are… but they’re still animals. It’s still real. There’s no such thing as wizards, and magic, and...” she didn’t really sound like she believed herself anymore. Jenny smiled, just a little sadly, before picking up one of the kelp nets from the ground. “You’re not crazy, but magic is real. Here, let me show you.” She held the net out before her, focusing a bit of her will into a simple spell. “Wingardium Leviosa!” Jenny took her hand away, and the net… stayed. Floating in the air. “Holy crap.” Shirley said. She took a step towards the floating net and started examining it. “Ahem. Jenny, can I have a word?” Hugues said, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her away from Shirley and out of earshot. “Really? Wingardium Leviosa?” Hugues mumbled dryly, keeping his voice down. “You know it’s dangerous to use bad incantations like that. Your Will gets unfocused. You could have levitated one of those fire-belching fish out.” Jenny kept her sad smile, watching as Shirley prodded the net with wonder. “I’ve been doing simple charms like that for years. Besides, it’s all for her benefit. Her life was just turned upside down and she doesn’t know what's real. It might be silly, but it’s giving her a point of reference. A point of reference where the heroes always win, even if there’s a cost, and even children can conquer the forces of darkness. And they have British accents.” Hugues just shook his head in shame. “We don’t have British accents. We’re southern.” Jenny smiled and patted Hughes on the shoulder. “Well, nobody’s perfect. Come on, I think she’s had enough of the floating net trick.”
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May 27, 2014 23:18
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Back-cavern Surgery As Hugues stepped back, he clapped his hands together to get attention. “Right, enough fooling around. Elbridge, can you help me see just where the eggs are in her? Sooner we can get those eggs out, sooner we can get out of this disgusting place.” In the time it had taken Hugues and Jenny to debate the finer details of childrens’ literature, Elbridge had drawn a capital-C Circle on the cavern floor in chalk. “Let’s be done with it, then.” Oh boy, oh boy, it’s ~Thaumaturgy Time~. El’s using a sample of slime from the mother worm to locate her eggs within Shirley’s body so that Jenny can handle the removal part. I’m assuming this is a sufficiently-minor spell to not really need rolling. The spell was a slight variation on the one he’d used at the warehouse where Mel’Karshok had been summoned. A little twist in the elements, a softer touch, and it was done. “Please, keep your eyes covered,” Elbridge advised Shirley as her skin turned transparent, revealing the internal anatomy beneath. “You...may not want to see this.” “Here.” Hugues said, pulling out a kerchief from his backpack. “You should probably lay down as well.” “Have you ever done anything like this before?” Shirley asked. She tied the bandanna over her eyes and lay down on the floor in the chalk circle. “Is it going to hurt?” “We’re going to put a sleep spell on you. Something like anesthesia.” Hugues dug through his backpack again. “Otherwise, yes, it would definately--” Jenny cut in hurriedly. “No, you won’t feel a thing.” “Are you a doctor too?” Jenny briefly weighed the merits of honesty before nodding with an encouraging smile. “Yes. I’m actually something of a specialist in this; this won’t be the first time I’ve had to remove some nematode eggs from a patient. I’ve never had a single complaint from someone I’ve operated on.” “That sounds too good to be true. But it helps… a little.” Shirley said. “What’s your name?” Jenny smiled, laying out the small bundle of tools she kept in a tightly rolled cloth, making sure everything was in its place. “My name is Jenny. Jenny Hirsch.” “OK, Doctor Hirsch. Just… just get them out. I’m ready.” “Alright. Just one quick question? Would you like to be woken up when we’re done, or outside in a place more pleasant?” Hugues said, sprinkling a bit of sand over where her eyes would be under the bandanna. “Anywhere but here. That way…” She shivered. “If it doesn’t work…” “Don’t worry. We’ll get those eggs out.” He gently put his hand over hers. “Now just take in a deep breath...and let it out. Summer is approaching, imagine yourself gently floating on a raft. ”Breathe in…and breathe out… Quietly drifting with the waves… ”Breathe in…and breathe out… Feeling nothing but the sun shining on your face… ”Breathe in…and breathe out… Drifting… ”Breathe in…and breathe out… Drifting away… ”Breathe in…and breathe out… Drifting to sleep.” (Another Thaumaturgy, this one to give a “Relaxing Sleep” aspect. 5 Complexity, ties Hugues’ Lore exactly. Hugues doesn’t get automatic success on 1 shifts, so Discipline: /--/ = -2, //+- = 0, -+/+ = 1, /+-+ = 1, --+- = -2. No -4’s, so it’s a success.) Hugues let go of Shirley’s hand, looked up at Jenny and nodded. Jenny took a close look at the eggs, peering down at them through Shirley’s now translucent skin. Brow furrowed, she carefully slid the scalpel in, cutting away the flesh covering the eggs and folding it out of the way. Shirley started to bleed, not profusely but earnestly, as with any open cut in the head. Jenny could see the eggs, now beginning to be covered by the slight pool of blood insider her patient’s head. She took a deep breath, focusing herself, happy that Shirley wasn’t awake to hear this. “It’s pretty much just like operating on Ernest.” Hugues raised an eyebrow. “Who now?” Jenny smiled, placing her hand over Shirley’s ear as she shut her eyes. “The pig at the Brocktown farms who had a nasty worm infection in his ear. Now hush, let me concentrate.” (Rolling Scholarship +--+ +5 = 5 to make the initial incision, beating the difficulty of 4. Jenny needs some maneuvers to meet the spell complexity of 6 with her Lore of 2, plus 1 from the Cold Iron Scalpel which gives +1 Healing Complexity Focus. That has never, ever been relevant, and it’s not relevant now. Jenny rolls Scholarship -+-- +5 = 3 to get “Humans Are Pretty Much Just Like A Pig” and Discipline +/// +5 = 6 for “Just Take A Deep Breath”. Jenny immediately invokes both to hit the spell complexity.) The eggs were barbed, tiny hooks digging into the skin around them to keep them in place. A pair of surgical tweezers might have gotten them out, but getting them out without excessively disturbing them or breaking the shells and releasing only god knew what was the problem. Jenny focused her power, just the lightest touches of power as she rotated them from side to side, dislodging the hooks. A bead of sweat appeared on her forehead as she worked, taking care to apply just the tiniest whisper of power to each motion. It wasn’t natural, Hughes’ efforts to teach her aside: something inside her reacted to the power and wanted to feel it flow freely, unleashing it in one sustained effort. But she bit that back and focused, managing to neatly disentangle the eggs from supports. (Jenny attempts to complete the ritual over two rounds. She summons three shifts of power, controlling it with a Discipline roll of /-// +5 = 4 to keep the power steady.)
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May 29, 2014 05:46
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Tower Defense While Jenny operated, the rest of the room seemed to grow quiet. The quiet rattle over the bone-pile in the back of the room had stopped. The oversized crabs and beetles smelled fresh blood. For several seconds, they simply waited at the pile for the food to be brought to them, as it always was, but when that did not happen, the braver of them began to venture away from the pile. Back in the 1960s (a time of which he had little desire to ever speak again) Elbridge had briefly given the Bohemian, ‘All-Natural’ thing a go, and attempted to set up a decent, organic garden. ‘Attempted’ was the operative word there, because no sooner had he planted the cabbages than slugs and ants and other nasty things had set upon them. With everyone decrying the evils of synthetic pesticides, he’d had to resort to diatomaceous earth - soil rich in the fossilised shells of micro-organisms - and found it to be indeed quite efficacious in dispatching the vermin. Unfortunately, his enthusiasm had waned when the crop came in and he’d remembered that he loathed cabbage, but it had still been an instructive exercise - and surprisingly-applicable to the current predicament. ”Danshhtraa...ari...aaraama...” Elbridge muttered, pacing a wide arc between the onrushing horde and the operating ‘table’. As he went, he crumbled white powder onto the floor in a line - the dry, brittle shells of dead Fomor bio-weapons, now put to a different use. ”...sasyam...avatu...suuichii!” The cavern floor shook, and groaned, splitting and cracking where the dust had fallen. Up from the bedrock grew a forest of gleaming, bone-white stalagmites: slender as knitting needles, sharp as sin. They weren’t so vast nor terrible as the ones that thwarted Baba Yaga, but a few monstrous beetles and hookworms could scarcely be called the ogress’ equal. Handling this as a 5-shift Warding Thaumaturgy to create a Zone Boundary, rolling Discipline to do it all in one go: ///+ +5 = 6, success! “Well crap.” Hugues said, looking at the other group of critters eyeing Shirley from the other side of the room. “You got those guys under control, El? I’ll try to hold off these guys.” He flicked his left hand at Jenny, as the air suddenly rushed around her for protection. Once she was safe, he pulled out his slingshot and took aim. Killing these bugs might trigger something worse, but shooing them away would probably be safer for now. (Air Gauntlet on Jenny/Shirley, “Protective Winds” aspect, 4-shift Block on their zone. Reminder that the Slingshot is a W:1 Air weapon with 7 free uses. No ammo required.) JR moved towards the group Hugues was blowing around, attempting to draw their attention. Unfortunately, they seemed more interested in the scent of blood than JR’s movements. JR attempts to distract them with Provoke, but gets a result of 0 Like a tide, the crabs and beetles advanced. There was some nervous clacking of claws and mandibles when they reached Elbridge’s wall, but as long as Shirley was lying there bleeding they would press on. Doing this as a tower defense game. 6 crab wave, then a 6 beetle wave. If they beat the zone barrier they get to advance. El’s created border:5 is the first obstacle. Crabs, Athletics: ++++ +3 = 7, ++// +3 = 5, +/// +3 = 4, -+/+ +3 = 4, //// +3 = 3, //+- +3 = 3 2 of them scale the wall. Beetles Athletics: --// +4 = 2, --+/ +4 = 3, +-+/ +4 = 5, +/+- +4 = 5, +/+- +4 = 5, -//+ +4 = 4 3 of them scale the wall.[/i] Two crabs managed to scramble over their brothers as they sought the source of food. Three beetles remained unscathed by the spines, carefully placing each limb between them as they scuttled along. Jenny wasn’t finished and Shirley couldn’t be moved. It was up to the boys to handle the problem. The fastest crab clearly wanted to be first in line for the buffet. ”Suuichiibhis!” With a wave of his hand and a storm of force-needles, Elbridge obliged him. Elbridge calls a 5-shift Force Attack Evocation, marking off his third Mental Stress box, and rolls to control/hit: -//+ +6 = 6, success. Crab defends with Athletics: /-+- +3 = 2, nnnnnope. That’s 9 shifts of hurt for at LEAST a Moderate Consequence: “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice” Hugues ducked as the crab that sprinted ahead went *squish*, then looked up to see that that one had buddies. They were all hungry and seemed more willing to eat the first crab but just in case he swept the air in front of him with his left gauntlet again, creating another barrier. (Shield gauntlet again, taking a single stress. 4 shifts to get through this one.) JR takes aim and fires at the other crab, striking it in the center of it’s body. His revolver’s heavy bullet smashes the crab’s body apart. JR shooting at untouched crab, Guns +++- +5 = 7 with a Weapon:3 Jenny winced as JR fired above her head, the magical forces swirling around her making her pause from her work for long enough to take a quick glance around. She cursed vilely as she saw the line of advancing monsters, leaning down to refocus on her work. Jenny extended careful tendrils of force, wrapping around each egg in a small cocoon, gently lifting them out of Shirley’s ear and on to the concrete ground nearby. The eggs stirred fitfully as they cooled, the change in environment causing the creatures inside to react. Jenny lifted the last egg onto the ground and viciously stomped them with the heel of her shoe, hastily packing gauze into the now-empty hole dug for the eggs. “Got them! We’re clear here!” (Jenny summons another three shifts of power, rolling Discipline to control it: +-+/ +5 = 6. The ritual is completed successfully.) The pair of crabs went down under a hail of gunfire and force needles, leaking crab juice all over the floor. The beetles took full advantage of this unexpected meal ticket, and the one that attempted to continue on towards the slight trickle of human blood was rebuffed by the miniature gale Hugues set up. Crabs are down, Beetles continue. Athletics: +//- +4 = 4, +--/ +4 = 3, -++/ +4 = 5. Tagging “Beetlejuice” and “Crabsplosion” causes the 2 successes to fail. Beetles are out. Time to run away! “Alright, I reckon we’d best be moving on. No telling when someone might come home,” JR said as he holstered his revolver. He stepped up beside Shirley and bent down, picking her up in his arms. “Or come investigating from Big Branch,” Elbridge concurred. The old wizard took the time to gather up every last research paper that Shirley had dropped before sprinting for the exit. “Hold on, I’ve got one last thing to do!” Hugues said, turning back and taking aim at the seaweed. “Die monsters, you don’t belong in this world.” Flames blazed out from his right hand, catching the dried up plants on fire. It wouldn’t take long for it to spread all throughout the room. Now they just had a lighthouse to crash down.
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May 29, 2014 05:49
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Arson and Vandalism Hugues’ fireball spread into an inferno with alarming speed. The algae burned white-hot, and the water in the boulder tanks started boiling. The living contents began to scramble, but there was nowhere to run. Jenny pulled the rune-key out of the slot as they ran past, reactivating the shield and trapping everything still alive inside. The roar of the fire and the cries of dying animals followed them back up the ladder and outside into the park. “Er, Turner,” Elbridge said warningly as Hugues raised his gauntlet for a second time. “As, ah, cathartic as that might be, time the Fomor don’t know that the underground lab is gone is time they won’t spend recouping their losses.” He looked down at the ashen-faced woman in J.R.’s arms. “Also, if we’re to take her to a medical facility, I’d think it best if we weren’t followed or observed. They won’t want her talking.” Hugues stood still, thinking for a moment, then lowered his arm with a groan typical of a child his apparent age. “Do I have to?” Elbridge just narrowed his eyes and tapped the (no-longer-deputy) Warden pin on Turner’s chest. Hughes sighed and looked away. “Sorry. Places like that remind me of...well, you know.” He hadn’t seen the likes of anything close to that since Auschwitz. His eyes fell on the sign proclaiming the upcoming renovations to the lighthouse. “Can you give me a moment? I’d like to leave them a little message at least.” Jenny had Shirley laid out with her head on her lap, keeping the ear elevated to minimize the amount of blood flowing to it. It had started to clot, but the gauze was beginning to get sodden and would have to be changed soon. “Where are we taking her? She can’t just go home like this.” “Not to the local ER, that’s for bloody sure,” Elbridge said sourly. “Not while she’d be sharing a room with one of her kidnappers.” He thought about it. “What about this ‘Professor Lancaster’? I can’t imagine the Fomor leaving him alone now that their hostage is gone, and Shirley meant enough to him to ensure his co-operation.” Jenny sighed, brushing a few of Shirley’s hairs out of the way as she unwrapped another roll of gauze. “She’ll need to wake up first either way. We’ll need some more information about the Professor, and I’d imagine she’ll have an opinion or two of her own about where she wants to go. In the meantime, I think we’re heading to Ada’s.” “Yes, I suppose.” Elbridge turned back in the lighthouse’s direction and cupped his hands around his mouth. “Oi! Turner!” he shouted. “You about finished there?” “Yeah. Let’s get out of here.” Hugues said, wiping off his chalk covered hands on his jeans as he rushed back to the van. As Jenny pulled away, he looked out the window at his work. Only ten years old and already leaving graffiti around. What a hoodlum he was becoming. “Rennovations coming Americans for Restored Heritage -Cancelled on the authority of THE FISH FRY APPRECIATION SOCIETY
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May 29, 2014 05:49
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The Warden Express The van was about halfway back to New Orleans when Shirley’s eyes blinked open. “Ugh.. my head.” She said. She was laying across the backseat with her head elevated on a folded towel. Her hand went to the spot behind her ear and she flinched when it touched the gauze. The bleeding seemed to have stopped but it still hurt. She looked around the van at the others. Jenny driving, JR riding shotgun, and Hugues and Elbridge watching her from the second row. “Oh, hi Harry Potter. Merlin.” Elbridge snorted. “Not in this century.” Shirley tried to sit up, thought better of it, and stayed where she was. “How’d it go doc?” Jenny smoothly turned the corner at the traffic light, making sure to keep her eyes on the road before turning to give Shirley a brief, reassuring smile. “We got them out. There’s still a little bleeding, and I’m worried about possible infection, but once we get some antibiotics into you you’ll be fine.” Shirley settled with a small smile. “Sounds good.” Quiet tears ran down her cheeks. “I really thought I was going to die in there.” “We left the place standing,” Hugues said, a bit of disappointment in his voice. “That should give them a little more time before they know you escaped.” “But only a little,” Elbridge cautioned. “And so we’re concerned about this Professor Lancaster you mentioned - we’d like to reach him before the fishheads do, if at all possible.” The young woman looked out the window, watching the trees go by. “Can I borrow a cell phone? I want to talk to him first.” “Sure.” Hugues said, casually pulling out his phone then realizing Elbridge was in close proximity. “Another thing you need to know about Wizards, for your protection. They break technology. For me, being young has it’s perks. Jenny? Can you pull over really quick?” Elbridge grumbled as he undid his seatbelt and slid out onto the pavement of the breakdown lane. “Bloody kids and their bloody electronics...bleeding edge, they say. Sturdy as tinfoil, I say.” Shirley checked the bars on the phone. There weren’t many this far out of town, and she frowned at it before dialing. It rang several times before someone picked up. “Reuben?” Shirley asked. “Yes, I’m fine, I got out of there. No, they didn’t… Of course not. I was rescued by some people claiming to be Wizards.” There was a pause. “No, there isn’t anyone with a cloak on. It’s an old guy, two twenty-somethings and a little kid.” Another pause. “Yes, it’s the kid’s phone. We had to kick the old guy out of the car. They didn’t say anything about a...” She looked over at Hugues. “He’s asking if you’re White Council.” “Yes, we’re even working with the Warden Richter Cole, though he’s... unavailable for a couple of days. I’m currently the Acting Warden.” Hugues said proudly, ever so slightly puffing his chest out. Shirley nodded. “Did you hear that? Yes. Wait, seriously? You can’t just… But what about me? What am I supposed to do? Reuben!” She pulled the phone back from her ear and stared at it in disbelief. “He hung up.” “Umm...what did he say?” Hugues took back his phone and turned it off, signaling that it was alright for Elbridge to come back. “He’s running and not to look for him. That he would be in touch.” Shirley said. “And to be careful about who I trusted.” Hugues thought for a moment then something came to mind. “Does he have a cell phone, a computer, or any techy device made in the last decade?” “Um… now that I think about it… He always makes me do the logs on paper… And he never handles the devices…” She snorted. “Wait, are you trying to say he’s secretly a Wizard too? Reuben? That’s…” “Proper term is Sorcerer, a magician without the formalized training and discipline of the Wizards of the White Council.” Hugues said as he climbed back in the van. “Sorcerers and Wizards tend to distrust each other, which is why he may not want to meet us if he is a Sorcerer-” “...or a Warlock,” Elbridge interrupted gloomily. “If he asked about the cloak first…” “Yeah…” Hugues face fell. “This is all a conversation for later. Right now we’re meeting with some of our friends, catch up on what happened. Would you like to come with us? We can at least get you something to eat.” Shirley sighed, trying to keep all the terms straight. Finally she gave it up. “I’m starving.” she said. “And they have my wallet, so they know where I live. What do you think I should do?” “Well, we have a little time before they know what we did back there. We can swing by your place and you can take anything important and valuable before they come looking for you. Change of clothes too. After that we’ll figure out a way to help you lay low for a little while.” Hugues looked to the rest of the group. “That sound good to you all?” “I’d like that.” Shirley said. “Hey, Potter. Could you do that sleep… thing... again? I’m tired but it hurts too much...” She wasn’t ready to start saying things like ‘spell’ yet. “Hugues.” He said, repressing a painful groan. “Not Harry Potter. And yes, I can do that. Umm…” He pulled a pencil and some paper out of his backpack. “Give us your address here, and you can take a nap. We’ll wake you up when we get there.” Jenny took the paper back after Shirley had finished writing on it, checking the address. “Ah, I know where this is. Come on, Hughes Potter, we’ve got places to go.”
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May 30, 2014 05:44
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Special Guest Star Shirley’s place had been tossed, but not trapped. She picked through her closet for a few changes of clothes and rescued some photos and other personal effects, stowing them all in a bright yellow backpack. It was a studio apartment, all one room, and she gave a sad little sigh at leaving it in such a state. But there wasn’t much to be done about it. Elbridge warded the broken lock for her at least, so no one would just waltz in and walk off with the television while she was away. “I thought you guys were Wizards, not the X-Men.” She mumbled, as they drove up the circle drive leading to Ada’s mansion. It didn’t take long to get her settled in one of the guest rooms, and Jenny pilfered the antibiotics from Stevie’s ICU along with some painkillers. Shirley accepted them gladly and Roy promised to come by with whatever she’d like to eat. “I could get used to this.” Shirley said, leaning back on the pillows with her feet up. --- Once Ada’s newest house guest was settled in, the group reconvened in the Tea Parlour. This time, there was chamomile. Oh yes. “The Fomor bio-weapons went up in flames, and we rescued a graduate student they’d taken hostage. With the facility itself still intact, they might not know until morning, but Lancaster’s in the wind, so any further intel will depend upon Shirley’s notes and whatever Turner can pull off of that computer.” Elbridge poured a shot of absinthe into his tea and took it with two caps of Advil. “So,” he asked Ada and Rupert, “how was your day?” Rupert leaned back in a padded chair, “Another day in what seems to be the average life of a New Orleans Warden’s deputy - got thrown at a car by a Denarian and got a wedding invitation in the post.” “Wait, you heard about the wedding?” Hugues said, hiding behind his teacup. “The pixies told me earlier. I…” didn’t want Ada to freak out so I wasn’t going to say anything, “...was planning on telling you.” “Oh, I can’t wait to hear this,” Elbridge remarked sourly. “Got an invitation for Cole’s wedding to Circe in the post. Lord knows how Cole managed to get himself into this one, mind,” Rupert said, with a questioning glance over to Hugues. Jenny barely stopped herself from spitting tea all over the table in front of her, coughing to cover the reaction. She glared daggers at Hughes, putting the tea cup down with a frown as she turned to Ada. Ada seemed far, far too calm about the revelation for Jenny’s peace of mind. “I already took steps to fix that little problem.” Ada sipped her tea calmly as she considered what to say next. In the end, she decided to wait, at least for a moment. The rising tension would make the next thing she had to say have all the more impact. “Okay, how about that other bad news, you ran into the Denarian?” Hugues asked. “Is he still alive?” Rupert nodded, “Even with Skinner’s help, we ended up running. Evans got Ed, too. Kid’s been helping his father find them, leaving a trail of blood.” Rupert sighed, “Skinner and Lucy are in hiding for now. One of Ada’s safe places.” Elbridge had just been quiet since Ada had spoken. “What do you mean, ’took steps’?” he asked, one eyebrow arched. “Soon as I heard the news, I walked over to Midas’ mansion, called her a cowardly old hag where everyone could hear it and challenged her to a duel. Bellworth acted as my second, so you’re in charge of helping pick out a neutral emissary, by the way.” Remembering the moment brought a smile to Ada’s face. “You have no idea just how happy I was to give that witch a piece of my mind.” Jenny nodded to herself, a smile playing across her lips. Well, that explained the calm. Roy tapped on the door and poked his head in. “The Lady Warden is returned from the Goldman estate.” he said quietly, “Shall I show her in?” Rupert absent mindedly tugged his shirt sleeve to cover the demon mark, a momentary grimace crossing his face before he composed himself. “Please do. She needs to know about this.” Ada said, accentuating her words with a nod. Crapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrap “Ahem, if you please excuse me I think someone should check on the woman we brought back from the lighthouse so…” Hugues said, not even waiting for Ada to reply before he started moving out of his chair and to the closest door- Which opened in front of him, as Hugues ran smack into Bellworth’s knees. She was quite a bit more intimidating from this height. “Ah, young Mr. Turner.” She said. “Why am I not surprised?” She looked around the room. “Ms. duSang, as hostess, do you mind handling the introductions?” “Of course. Hugues, Jenny, Rupert, JR, this is Warden Captain Laura Bellworth. They are Jenny Hirsch, local practitioner and veterinarian, Rupert Singh, recent arrival to Nawlins and Hugues Turner, a young prodigy and one of Cole’s most trusted friends. JR is JR, and needs no introduction.” Ada gestured toward each of them in turn as she gave Bellworth the run-down. JR nods at Bellworth. “Warden,” he states, feeling no need to say anything more at the moment. Bellworth inclined her head slightly. “Why, Wizard Singh…” she said, a very slight smile forming a the corner of her mouth. “People wondered where you’d gone after your sudden retirement.” “It’s Mister Singh, now,” said Rupert quietly, keeping his voice measured, “And Wizards wonder about a great many things, I’ve found.” “Especially other Wizards. They’re like schoolgirls that way.” Bellworth said. “But the front lines of the Fomor incursion aren’t what I would call a vacation spot.” “Of course. Wizards really do make the worst gossips. Still, New Orleans has sun, sea, and a few good pubs. Seems as good a place as any to retire, no?” asked Rupert with a shrug. “You aren’t the first to think so.” she said, giving Elbridge a sideways glance. “Is this everyone?” Hugues painfully managed to nod and force a smile on his face. “Yes, except Mr. Cole.” “Warden Cole.” she corrected, gently. “God knows he’s earned the title.” She unslung the sword belt from her shoulder and propped it against a high backed chair before sitting down. “Isn’t it a school night? You shouldn’t neglect your studies to help Richter. I’ll have to talk to him about that.” “Did it while we were waiting to hear back from Warden Cole.” Hugues shrugged. “I’m used to distractions like you by now.” One eyebrow went up, but all she said was, “Don’t try to grow up too fast.” Elbridge snorted. Then spluttered and coughed, because absinthe coming out of one’s nostrils loving hurts. Fortunately, this made it difficult to tell his incredulity from discomfort, or his deflection from saving face. “What did you manage with the duel arrangements?” he deftly changed the subject. “As we discussed, Ms. duSang has agreed to take me on as her second. We issued a formal challenge at the neighboring estate less than an hour ago, which was accepted, and I demanded to see Warden Cole.” “Is he OK?” In spite of her past words, Ada couldn’t help but feel a little worried. Circe was insane, and she might have taken out her anger on him to calm herself. “Richter has been behind enemy lines before. He’s not in immediate danger.” She turned to Elbridge. “We’ll need that list by tonight Hadley.” “I have the first draft ready,” he replied. “I’ll have it narrowed down to the short list by the time you need it.” “Good. The weapon choice will be the key in this duel, so the Emissary is important. With such short notice, Circe won’t have time to be picky. It shouldn’t be hard to lean on her Second.” “And in the meantime,” said Rupert, dryly, “We’ve just got to ambush a fallen angel and his puppet Wizard.” Bellworth looked thoughtful. “Have you considered contacting the Knight? He was here not long ago.” “Don’t know how to reach him. I don’t suppose the Council has the Knights of the Cross on speed dial, do they?” Ada asked, though she was sure she already knew the answer. “Of course not. You need to talk to the Church.” Ada sighed. “Know a ritual to speak with the dead?” “...I see.” Bellworth shook her head. “The Knight appears when he is needed. If he has been here and gone, then perhaps the rest is up to you. I can have Evans’ Warden file forwarded to Richter’s office, in the meantime. It may provide some insight.” “There’s nothing that can really hurt a fallen angel, is there? Will we just have to throw everything we can at it until it bites the dust or we do?” Ada was not looking forward to another demonic slugfest. Jenny’d been scarred by the first one, and they were still reeling from fighting Mel. “You aren’t fighting a fallen angel. You’re fighting a Knight of the Blackened Denarius.” “Is there that much difference when the former’s helping the latter by turning everything we can throw at him away?” It didn’t seem like such a big detail, from Ada’s perspective. A Denarian could be dealt with in ways that a Fallen Angel couldn’t have, but not if things came down to a fight. At best, they might be able to knock him out before he could really start casting. Rupert pulled the newly crafted lantern from the satchel beside his chair, "This ought to solve the whole invisible grappling arms issue, at least, provided I got the formulae right." He flicked the lever to open the shutters, casting an eerie blue light into the room. The lamps in the room dimmed and went out in response to the sudden surge of magic, leaving the Serpent’s eye the only thing illuminating the room and the eight people in it bathed in blue. Eight?
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What Is Essential Is Invisible To The Eye A young woman stood next to Ada, watching the rest of them. She had the same face, but everything else about her was completely different. Her hair was longer, reaching past her shoulders, and her eyes had a wary look to them, as though on guard. She was dressed for cold weather, with a red hoodie, burgundy boots and a short skirt and blue-gray pants completing the outfit. She looked perfectly normal...if one ignored the transparency of her chest, revealing a ball of softly glowing light where her heart should have been, connected to Ada by a thin strip of light. She walked a few steps closer to the lantern, leaning over to look at it and the previously slack strip tightened, like a tether that had almost reached the end of its range. Everyone in the room was staring at her, but she didn’t seem to realize it. "poo poo," swore Rupert under his breath. “Alisa! What are you doing-” Ada couldn’t stop herself from calling her sister until the damage was already done. She didn’t need to look in Bellworth’s direction to feel the weight of her stare right now. Knowing that she’d already given the Warden cause for suspicion, she just sighed and turned to look at Rupert. “How?” Ada takes a compel on Twin Souled Blood Mage because her sister’s revealed, right in front of Bellworth. ‘Whoops’ At the sound of her name, Alisa whipped around. “Ada?” Her voice was muffled, as if from a long ways off, but clear enough to understand. “What did that thing do? Everything looks so unreal...” "Well, Ms. duSang, I don't think you'll need a ritual to speak to the dead anymore." Bellworth said. "This is rather unexpected...." said Rupert, still shocked, "Ada... how did you end up bound to a ghost?" “She’s not a ghost. She’s my sister!” Ada moved to stand between Alisa and Bellworth, just in case. She didn’t know whether a Warden’s Silver Sword could hurt a soul, but it wasn’t a risk she was willing to take. Bellworth hadn’t gone for her sword. She leaned back in her chair and steepled her fingers in front of her lips. The blue light drank into her dark skin until only her eyes were visible. “Did you know about this, Hadley?” she asked. “Yes. As a matter of fact, I taught her the spell to bring Alisa to the fore. As to why I didn’t mention it in my briefing…” Elbridge sighed. “I never know when someone else might steel themselves to read one of those things. After Peabody, the last thing I wanted was for them to find her out.” “Twin-souled.” Bellworth said. “Now I understand. Richter reported that a young woman survived a frenzied White Court feeding last year. Faerie assistance, he said. But that wasn’t necessary, was it?” Ada shook her head. “No. We shared the cost. Unless you give away all of it, I don’t think you can die from cutting up your soul.” “There are things worse than death.” Bellworth said quietly. “But now that this has come to light…” She paused, but if she smiled it was hidden in the shadows. “Spirit, how did you become trapped in your sister’s skin?” “Would you share your life with me? If not, why should I share my death with you?” Alisa asked evenly. There was a very neutral expression on her face, and it didn’t take a genius to realize there was nothing she wanted to say about herself. “Because your sister is going to die tomorrow without my help. I expect she takes you with her when she goes.” Bellworth said simply. “You’re the ace up her sleeve. I plan to play you when the hand is right. To do that, I need to know what you are.” Alisa thought for a moment, gave Bellworth a curt nod and spoke. “In spite of what this looks like, I’m not a ghost, and Ada’s not an ectomancer. I’m a soul, the same person I was when I was alive...” For a moment, Alisa’s form flickered, assuming a childlike appearance, then she was an adult once again. “...But I’ve grown up with her. We’re together, in every way that counts. I can’t leave her, and even if I could, I wouldn’t try. We can do things together that others wouldn’t even think about.” Alisa raised her right hand, and as she did so, her arm began turning to stone, then stopped halfway. “I can slow down curses. Maybe stop them outright.” She shook her arm and the creeping stone returned to normal, while burn marks began appearing all over her clothes and face. “I can protect her from attacks on her soul.” She closed her eyes and the burns vanished. Carefully, she touched the tether keeping them together. “And if she needs someone, I’m there for her. Does that give you anything you can use, Captain?” Bellworth closed her eyes. “Blood magic scars even those we hold most dear.” she said. “I have one final question. How do you feel about your sister’s affair with Richter Cole?’ Turning her neck slightly to look at Ada, Alisa’s neutral expression broke into a slight grin. “I wouldn’t call it an affair. Not yet at least. They’re too busy having a fairy tale romance and patching the holes in each other for that.” “It’s nothing like tha-” Ada began, but Alisa cut her off. “If they ever decide to get together like real people, though, all I ask for is a blindfold and a pair of earplugs. I don’t think it’ll be much fun to spend life peeking on them.” Her grin broadened, ever so slightly. Ada’s words died in her throat. It was the best she could do to stop herself from blushing furiously. She’d never thought about that! Most of her felt like strangling her sister, but a quiet part thanked her. The look on Alisa’s face was honest, as were her words. She really had chosen to leave Ada’s life to her. The Warden Captain stood up. “Hadley, are you thinking what I’m thinking?” “That ‘will’ is now our best option, yes?” Elbridge nodded. “Why will?” Ada asked, curious. What were they planning? “Because willpower is multiplicative.” Bellworth said. “Alone, you had no chance. But if you can bend your two wills to the same task, you can beat Circe.” Ada and Alisa exchanged looks. At length, the latter gave the former a nod. “We’re together in every way that counts. If it’s good enough for him, it’ll work for the Code Duello.” She said. Ada nodded back. She couldn’t believe it was so simple. The edge they’d been looking for had been standing beside her all along. “Tag team?” She offered. Anyone looking at Alisa’s smile could tell that it was trouble. Trouble for Circe, that is. “She’ll never know what hit her.”
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Jun 2, 2014 05:37
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