Abel walks out of the council chamber doors with a pensive look on his face.
Penny sits somewhere in the vicinity of the fire. Infront of her are a number of items - her bag, a stack of unopened flyers, a few records. Palm-and-pocketing something small she looks up and over toward the chamber doors like she was expecting someone else. "Evenin'..." she offers, a hesitating drawl.
Abel nods to Penny. "Evening. I assume you're getting ready for the goodbye to Chase tomorrow?"
"Iguesssoyeah," quick and tightly wound words, the sound of her voice sharp. Like tacks on glass, the tongue behind her teeth a desert. "Tal's bein'a real humanitarian about it, yeah? Nice guy, real mensch" nodding to herself, nodding to the floor and to the fire. Nodding in a way to the fire watching the flames without really seeing it. "Most everything's done. Daze, Piggy .. they got it under control. Just," indicating the pile of flyers wrapped in brown paper "distribution what needs doin'.
Abel nods slowly. "I'll try to be there, but I may have to head toward Michigan." He sighs. "Alyx's body is on a garbage barge on it's way there." He looks sad.
Penny pats the floor "C'mere," the lazy flop of her hand, the boneless gesture of a drug coming on strong "Come sit with me. Why is she on a barge? I haven't seen that girl in months. What happened?" She tries to do that thing with her hand again, but only moves her shoulder and elbow - needs the hand to keep her upright.
"Jesus."
Funny, the things we say, how we term our surprise. Penny shudders a little, shock surfacing but only briefly "That's pretty fucking awful." Penny doesn't say anything for a long time. Each time she tries the fire cracks, pops or hisses at that odd interval. Like it doesn't want her to speak. "I didn't know," finally. Slowly. Tarred up is what she is, maybe nodding off with her eyes open "Gonnahaftadosomethingaboutallthis."
Abel nods. "We don't know who did it, though. We'll find out when we bring her back."
Penny moves her tongue around in her mouth the way people do when they taste something bitter. When they taste bile. She rubs a hand over her face, her tired eyes.
"I hope I never find out."
Abel nods and starts to stand. "I ned to go. I should probably get a few things together... to see about getting a the money to rent a boat. Aaron can run one, but he can't get cash or the technos will find him.
Penny nods a few more times "Should ask Pobs. He might have some floating around," cash, she means. "T'care, Abel. See you later," she says with limited enthusiasm or none at all.
Abel nods. "I'll to that Penny. Peace be with you and Providence guide your steps." He finishes standing and, with a wave of farewell, heads toward the door out of Novus.
Monday, July 14, 2003
Novus Valnastium -- Main Chamber
The main hall of Novus Valnastium is a wide, stone area, with arching buttresses and columns framing windows that stream with bright, comfortable light. Several circles of chairs and old-fashioned divans and davenports are scattered around the room, conversational areas if you will, and a center hearth flickers with a warm, comfortable flame. A set of stairs on the left leads up to a balcony that rings the area, several doors leading off it, and great double doors lead forward and to the left, right, and behind you. Two armored figures, silent as the grave, flank the doors ahead of you, as well as two others flanking the doors to the rear, which lead back out onto the open plains.
Contents:
Catherine
Alex
Viktor
Niko
Obvious exits:
Out to Fields Laboratory Doors Library Doors Council Chambers
You return IC ...
Niko smiles, 'She gave up her family and friends to be with me..I don't want her caught because I didn't get the best...and she doesn't know who she wants to lead.."
Viktor says "night"
Viktor has disconnected.
Niko looks to Alex, "Besides...I'm going to push their offer to provide support and see if it's serious
Viktor thinks for a moment and heads to the library. "Well, I'm off to do some research. I'll see you all later."
//.etro: It is 06:10 am, early morning, on Sunday the 22. day of March, 2009.
"Later,"Alex says to Viktor with a small nod as the man heads toward the library.
Was Penny always there?
Hard to say, things not being as linear as they could be. Regardless, she's there now. Between a few short, quick steps her phone beeps and while it may be true that certain grids can not be accessed out here in the nowhere, other particular matricies are always available.
Skirting the hearth, she advances on a place just to the left of the library. Just a few days ago a shroud of a sort was laid out. The strong smell hovers in that general area but nowhere else in the hall.
The phone is still beeping when Penny tugs it, and a smoke, out of her pocket. She thumbs the buttons for a few seconds until it's quiet.
Cassius pages: Alright, you get a message back saying. Wil du. Luv u.
You paged Cassius with 'Texting back: Body was hidden .. here? Need 2 bring it 2 our place.'.
Cassius pages: Hard 2 do Big guys will stop.
You paged Cassius with 'Y? We need 2 lay him 2 rest. 2morrow. things 2 do.'.
Cassius pages: Big guys wont let me take things from the place
You paged Cassius with 'Will carry him myself then. where is he?'.
Catherine looks at you She says something short in a language you don't understand. she yawns...hiding it behind her hand.
Alex glances over to Penny when she step into the room. "Come back for the rest of Chase?..." he asks her, a slight frown coming to his face.
Niko smiles to Cathy, 'then come and curl up with me and I'll carry you to bed after..'
Connelly 's sleeping on the floor in a corner of the room....
Catherine does just so, resting her head against Niko..
Penny has the bearing and mien of a person teetering on the far side of rational. Her shoulders too stiff, her posture too erect. The corner of her mouth twists, up. Down. The dead-white crust in corners, she is thin-lipped. Her gaze fixes on the phone. She thumbs something out on the keypad and looks toward Alex, her eyes rimmed red and peeled wide open "Yes."
Catherine does fall asleep...
"Oh,"Alex says with a smirk, almost a chuckle,"Too bad he is not here... But I am curious... What is it that you had planned to do with Chase's head and body?..."
Niko sits on a divan with Cathy salseep and resting across his lap as he toys with her hair and just watches on
Taliesin enters the Hall from the Library.
Taliesin has arrived.
Taliesin comes out of the library and starts walking in the direction of the council chambers.
Niko sees tal enter and doesn't pause to say hello or anything else, 'tal..you wouldn't be an Adept of Ars Animae by any chance...woul dyou?"
Alex is standing by the hearth in the same area where Niko is seated. His eyes, however, are on Penny. Perhaps waiting for a response or a reaction.
Taliesin comes to a halt when Niko addresses him, "An Adept of Ars Anime? No, I'm afraid not. I've been focusing my studies on the sphere of Prime lately. Why what do you need a Life adept for?"
Niko smiles to tal, 'Well..now I have to add to my request..need an Adept of Life to make the changes to Cathy..I can change my face..not hers
The tap-click-beep-beep noise of Penny-with-the-phone is a constant throughout the conversation. She doesn't look down as she types, operating by feel. A sandpaper sound comes out where her voice is requisite "It was said already. There is a letter to follow, instructions" she emphasizes "hoc monumentum heredem exterum non sequitur."
It's possible that she believe this should make sense.
Taliesin ahs softly, "I may have a solution to that. I'll get to work on it." He glances over at Penny, "How are you using a cellphone here? I can't believe you're even within roaming range. I know mine doesn't work?"
"And when I asked to see this... letter, while you were stealing Chase's head at gun point, you gave me an envelope full of dried leaves...." Alex says in response to Penny's statement,"I would think that, as a leader of this Chantry, what is done with Chase's body is a Chantry matter."
Pobble enters the Main Hall through the Fields, closing the massive double doors behind him.
Pobble has arrived.
"I never pointed a gun at you, Alex" her declaration a means to free her from that conversation, ending with "we are his next-of-kin and are due his remains." Quiet for a few minutes while she rearranges the three shrouds ontop of one another, Penny pockets the phone "It doesn't work," pushing the jet stones and other detrius into the center of the plastic sheets "it only talks to god."
Kneeling, Penny looks at her work, unsatisfied and fixated.
Pobble pushes the door open, allowing a suited monkey to scamper through, trailing a luminescent exhaust of cigar fumage in its wake. Sashaying behind the smokestack is a hooded man, black coat worn closed with the oversized hood shrouding his features in shadow. The fine shoes tap on the stone, as the man follows monkey into the chamber. A cigarette dangles precariously from thin blood stained fingers, the claret glinting fresh as the cherry ember sparkles on silver fingernails.
The pair come to a stop, suddenly and as one. The motion whips the heavy smoke around and in an overly dramatic manner, the fellow throws back his hood. The empty eyes of Dr Steve are revealed. Emaciated and haggard, his head shifts in the only indication that he scans the room, given the blank eyes.
Taliesin nods slowly to Penny, her commentary about her cellphone's abilities at communion being left alone for now. He asks, expecting that someone will know the answers, "Where is the body now? It should be handed over to them, as soon as possible. When will the College be holding the memorial? I know that myself and some others would like to attend."
Niko hmms a little, 'It's not a memorial they are doing...not right off, anyway.."
//.etro: It is 07:28 am, mid-morning, on Sunday the 22. day of March, 2009.
Alex let's out a sharp bark of a laugh,"Is /that/ what they were doing when they hacked into Chase's head with a kitchen knife?... Preparing for a memorial?..." he asks seeming rather doubtful of that explaination.
Taliesin raises a finger to the two Virtual Adepts, "Gentlemen, before you start in on defending the dignity of the corpse of a man that neither one of you was particularly fond of, I would like to speak with Penny about this. As a leader of the Chantry it is right that I should do so." He motions for Penny, Pobble and Dave to join him in the library.
Niko gives Tal a look and frowns a bit, "Make sure you run a lie detector.."
Penny stops what she was doing with the positioning of the plastic, muttering something about the squares not holding the circles. She stops because Pobble walked in. Instinct guides a hand from the floor to her side, the way a person looking to arm themselves might keep a loaded gun. The left hand from the floor to her right side stays there and does not move.
Dave Monkey nods, "S'right." he says slowly, waving his cigar around indignantly. "I'd have said he'd've rather 'ad is head cut awf that spent a quiet weekend with yous." The obnoxiously little monkey begins to swagger across towards Taliesin. The latter comment from Niko causes the fella to stop and he goes to say something but a following Pobble ends the statement pre-emptively with a kick to the rear. The monkey moves on but Dr Steve pauses to stare at Niko, "You are certainly full of insinuations today young man.." he says in a hoarse whisper, dried blood flaking on his cracked lips. "You should becareful where you aim such weapons of disunity." This said, he moves towards Penny and offers her his arm.
Niko glances to Dave and smiles, 'If daisy had not told me precisely what you all were looking to do, then I would not be so worried with your behavior..". He offers an obvious fake smile to Dave, 'And don't go calling me 'young man'."
Seemingly amused by Dave's antics, Taliesin offers Niko a slight smile, "I'm sure I can handle things just fine." He stands patiently waiting for the members of the Invisible College to proceed him into the library.
"First of all, Tal,"Alex says turning toward the man,"You are wrong about me not liking my former cabalmate. And second, Penny would not of had to come here, guns drawn, if there was any explaination as to what they were doing with Chase's head and body."
This fine gentleman is probably in the 25-30 age bracket, and is posessed of an unhealthy pallor, his skin having a washed out look to it as if he's been dry cleaned one too many times. Haircut looks to be home made, low grade clippers job but just a little patchy in places where there are hints of blue in the stubble. His eyes are apparently fitted with some form of contact lens, since they are a pale milky white with no iris or pupil visible. His pallid skin is contrasted by the adornments that mark it. Besides the peircings (1) there are numerous tattoos, the main design being a series of small black marks that ring his head in a strip about an inch wide reminiscent of a crown of thorns laden with black ink. Under his left eye, starting at the peak of the cheekbone are three thin vertical black lines, varying sizes with the middle the longest at about an inch. Finally, an abstract design formed from intersecting black and white squares, about the size of a silver dollar adorns his neck on the right.
Dressed to impress in a four figure suit in a black that purposefully looks a touch faded. Its appears to have been fitted perfectly, but the stylistic crispness is convoluted into a more casual style by virtue of an unbuttoned jacket, and the white crinkled silk shirt worn untucked with its top button open. The cuffs of the shirt protrude at perfect lengths, fastened with flat round headed cuffs consisting of blank white circles. The hands that emerge from the expert tailoring are also thin and on the pale side, accentuated by patches of dried blood (2). Precisely pressed and creased pants with precision turnups and length are finished up by a pair of stylish black shoes that appear both classy and designed for duty with thick soles and what could be steel toe caps.
Cold repelling is perfomed by a full length black crushed velvet overcoat, apparently with an added inner lining. In contrast to the fine attire beneath, the velvet hasn't held up too well in the snow and rain and is starting to become patchy in places while having that drowned rat look to it while wet. It has an oversized hood, and deep out-side pockets.
He speaks with a South London accent, sounding quite common at times no matter the covabluary he wields. He moves wearily, as if each motion is a true feat of willpower and each step a mile.
Penny seems to wince at the offer, seems to recoil from Pobble or Dave, seems to give a great deal of consideration to his extended hand and none at all to the conversation going on around her. Equal parts fear and delerium keep her quite motionless, a wide open stare travelling slowly upwards. Caught her own reflection in the shine of Pobble's shoes, Penny winces again.
"..not just yet," she whispers to the steel toes, taking his bloodied hand. Is it then that her hand becomes red as well? or was it before... "cycle hasn't resolved."
Dave Monkey mutters as he heads into the library, casting a look back at Niko, pointing his cigar as if it were a rifle. It could be, its the right size. No shot however, Dave Monkey, saving the lives of those he despises. He whispers into the momentary silence. "I have every right to call you boy if I wish. Do not condescend the monkey. The monkey is ancient. The monkey has many friends across many layers of existence. The monkey takes no prisoners." This is said with remarkable venom.
Dr Steve smiles, sadly. As if an act of simple kindness had destroyed the world. A slight nod, and a gentle squeeze of Pen's hand. He then leads her to the library in silence. There is an air of resignation about his motions when close to Penny, his wasted features growing sadder still.
"I think the chimp just threatened you Niko,"Alex says as he moves to take a seat in a nearby armchair.
Niko looks to Alex, "He'll throw feces next, I'm sure.."
You head to the door marked 'Library' and head through into the room beyond.
Novus Valnastium -- Library
High shelves, comfortable chairs, warm lights, and wide tables adorn this room. Large rugs of various types of fur spread out, here and there. On one wall is a hearth that seems to always burn with a quiet, warm flame. This room is a bibliophile's dream, with books on magick, books on history, in fact, books on almost anything one might think about.
Currently, most of the books are still away, packed in Hermetically sealed crates which line the walls of the room. Soon, though, the boxes will be unpacked and the library will be complete.
Obvious exits:
Out
Pobble enters the Library from the Main Hall.
Pobble has arrived.
Taliesin enters the Library from the Main Hall.
Taliesin has arrived.
Taliesin follows shortly thereafter and closes the door behind him. He looks at the three of you, "Can you guys tell me what's going on? I'm more than willing to help you memorialize Chase, but I need to know what the hub bub is all about."
Dave Monkey says, "Awright Tal me ole mucka." The indignance of youth forgotten it seems, the Monkey hops into a chair and performs admirably the task of looking happy for the entire Colledge. Matted fur around the eyes attests otherwise maybe, but for now those saucer pupils are filled with something that resembles glee.
Dr Steve comes to stand near Dave. Releasing Penny he seems to slump down as if a great weight has been returned to his neck, Steve Atlas. The chair seems to be the only thing supporting his defiance of the tyranny of gravity. His head shifts, eyes possibly moving to Penny to allow her to explain.
The monkey, ill conceived little steward that he is, leads the way for the strained couple. She folds herself down to the side of the chair, not for lack of strength but because just at that moment Dave, Pobble and Penny exist in a kind of Raphaelite symmetry.
"It's to do with dates. Time, really. It's the right time." A pause, her voice still paperthin and erraticly octaved "Um. I'm sorry who are you? I don't think we've .. met."
The other two nod solemnly at this. Eerily in time with one another. Questioning looks await response.
This earns a look for Dr. Steve and Dave from Taliesin. He sighs and grips his white oak staff taking a deep breath before speaking, "Penny, I am Taliesin Emrys. I'm a Celestial Chorister and I'm a friend of Chase. I'm trying to figure out what is going on with his remains that has caused such a problem. I'm not understanding your explanation, so if you could try to explain it to me, more simply. I'd appreciate it."
Penny ohs, maybe making a mental note. Studying Tal, intent on his staff, his posture, she brings a knee up, readjusting her position on the floor. Hooking an elbow around it, she rests her head, a dark bloodied palm-print left on the black jeans.
"It isn't my .. I haven't got the words .." a pregnant pause, like she's waiting for an invitation.
Taliesin is really trying here, "Ms. Ante, I need you to try please. This is causing trouble that Chase would not have wished. I want to help you do right by Chase, but I need you to help me do that."
//.etro: Penny rolls "arete" at diff 4
For a total of 1 success(es).
Penny shifts again to pull a notepad and a sharpie from the apron pocket she sits on. There's another uncomfortable moment where Penny just stares at Tal. All processes pending circulation. The sense of muted urgency breaks when she teeths the cap off, grips the pen. In a quick hand she writes the words REQUIESCAT IN PACE on the notepad, a rectangle, scribbles that look nothing like the english-letter alphabet, a discoball, a television and seven stick-figures in a circle. She rips the page off the top, a bloody thumbprint set squarely inside the stick-figures.
"Here, here" holding the note out for him.
Taliesin takes the paper, looks at it and nods. "I see. What were you guys doing with his head though? Was there something you were trying to get out?"
Pobble has disconnected.
It's not the strongest projection ever built but it conveys enough; that they're giving Chase his due; a bacchanal.
Penny slumps back to the chair and looks up at Pobble before rasping, scratching something from the corner of her mouth "His skull of course. And the pieces that did not belong to him. Part of the deal. Return to sender."
Taliesin ahs softly, "He had some sort of implant then? And you guys were taking it out to send it back to the person who gave it to him?"
Penny nods, folding away the notepad, capping the marker. It isn't so much that she's dumb or mute but that she can not get cohesive. A twitch here, a shiver there; subtle signs of a hunger strike.
Taliesin nods slowly, "Very well. I will have the body ready for the Invisible College to take care of in short order. If you would let me know who you're sending the implant to as well, so I can make sure they receive it, and so the others will know what's going on. I would appreciate that as well."
Taliesin sings a few bars under his breath and the pangs of hunger and deprivation fade into memory. He smiles, "No need to suffer like that any longer, Ms. Ante."
Penny shouts, "NO!"
Taliesin takes a step back, "What's the matter? Are you alright? I'll have the body for you as soon as I can. There was no need." He looks worried that perhaps he has done something wrong unintentionally.
Penny lurches forward like she could reach what was just slipped out of her grasp. She makes a noise, a wail, a cry "No! It's necessary! The letter.. " looking at Pobble who has succumbed, has passed out or slipped unconcious for minutes at a time. She raises fingers to her mouth, still chapped? "..you don't know anything!"
Taliesin smacks himself on the forehead. "My apologies." He looks ashamed of himself. "I was only trying to help. I will set you back the way you were, Ms. Ante, but before I do, is one of you remaining healthy enough to plan the bacchanal?"
Dave panicks and scoots out of sight. He's seen Penny at her shrieking, terrorizing worst, he knows better than to stick around.
"It's done," getting up knees to feet "Put it back, give it back," stumbling down as she crosses the room, tripping over the apron strings. "..give it back.."
Penny shouts, "Put it back, give it back!"
Taliesin nods, "I shall." He pulls out a stick on incense, "This is very important, before you leave, I want you to take this and burn it. I'm going to put a blessing on it that the Chorus often uses when subjecting ourselves to similar privation. If you burn it those who inhale the smoke of the incense will be able to endure your privation with greater grace. It is up to you if you wish to use it, but I respect what you're doing and want to help." He bows his head, "Lord, please forgive Your servant who has interfered with the sacrifice of another, please forgive me my foolish pride and restore the sacrifice made in the name of a friend." The pains of hunger wrack your body once more and once again it becomes difficult to think clearly due to your grumbling and forlorn stomach. He focuses on the incense and prays over it for a few moments and puts it in your bloodied hand.
Taliesin says "Eseentially if you burn it, anyone in the area who inhales the smoke will be able to deal with extreme hunger... think of it as a stamina boost directed toward exactly that."
Taliesin says "I need to go nini now."
Penny says "That's excellent."
Penny says "I'll letcha go. Say. Before you go?"
Taliesin says "Yes?"
Penny says "You're getting the body to us ..so that means I don't have to haul it out of here myself?"
Taliesin says "Right."
Taliesin says "Just let me know where you need it to go with a +mail or the like."
Penny says "Okay. Thank you. This was excellent."
Taliesin will have to recover it first of course, but that's my problem now.
Penny nodsnods.
Taliesin leaves by way of the double doors, entering the Main Hall.
Taliesin has left.
You open the double doors, returning to the Main Hall.
Novus Valnastium -- Main Chamber
The main hall of Novus Valnastium is a wide, stone area, with arching buttresses and columns framing windows that stream with bright, comfortable light. Several circles of chairs and old-fashioned divans and davenports are scattered around the room, conversational areas if you will, and a center hearth flickers with a warm, comfortable flame. A set of stairs on the left leads up to a balcony that rings the area, several doors leading off it, and great double doors lead forward and to the left, right, and behind you. Two armored figures, silent as the grave, flank the doors ahead of you, as well as two others flanking the doors to the rear, which lead back out onto the open plains.
Contents:
Alex
Niko
Connelly
Obvious exits:
Out to Fields Laboratory Doors Library Doors Council Chambers
Alex is seated quietly in one of the armchair, his shade covered eyes looking in the direction of the library door.
The library door opens again. And Penny doesn't so much walk out as she shuffles between short spasms of breath. By and large this was the way she entered the room but for the very faint, very thin sheen of sweat that's broken across her features. Even now as she returns to the hall this sweat seems to be evaporating, her left hand still bloodied. The strings of the apron are rednow as well and her knee bears a dark handprint.
"What," she rasps "you were expecting someone else?"
Alex doesn't bother to answer Penny's question and his eyes don't move either. In fact, he doesn't move much at all.
Penny shrugs her jacket back the right way, the nylon making that slithery noise as she zippers it. "Whatever. Jackass." Short on words and patience in low supply, she stuffs her fists into the pockets. Penny walks toward the door slowly; her body just as stiffly resolute as when she walked in.
A faint smile creeps to Alex lips; as if Penny's words where a victory on his part. Still he remains silent and still.
Penny snorts then starts coughing. It's a terrible, colicky sound that rattles from deep, deep in the lung. She stops to try and control it, working the flem up, up and spits it to the stone floor.
Spitting on the truth, some people call it. She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand and leaves the hall still clearing her throat.
You open the double doors and head out into the open, rolling fields beyond.
The main hall of Novus Valnastium is a wide, stone area, with arching buttresses and columns framing windows that stream with bright, comfortable light. Several circles of chairs and old-fashioned divans and davenports are scattered around the room, conversational areas if you will, and a center hearth flickers with a warm, comfortable flame. A set of stairs on the left leads up to a balcony that rings the area, several doors leading off it, and great double doors lead forward and to the left, right, and behind you. Two armored figures, silent as the grave, flank the doors ahead of you, as well as two others flanking the doors to the rear, which lead back out onto the open plains.
Contents:
Catherine
Alex
Viktor
Niko
Obvious exits:
Out to Fields
You return IC ...
Niko smiles, 'She gave up her family and friends to be with me..I don't want her caught because I didn't get the best...and she doesn't know who she wants to lead.."
Viktor has disconnected.
Niko looks to Alex, "Besides...I'm going to push their offer to provide support and see if it's serious
Viktor thinks for a moment and heads to the library. "Well, I'm off to do some research. I'll see you all later."
//.etro: It is 06:10 am, early morning, on Sunday the 22. day of March, 2009.
"Later,"Alex says to Viktor with a small nod as the man heads toward the library.
Was Penny always there?
Hard to say, things not being as linear as they could be. Regardless, she's there now. Between a few short, quick steps her phone beeps and while it may be true that certain grids can not be accessed out here in the nowhere, other particular matricies are always available.
Skirting the hearth, she advances on a place just to the left of the library. Just a few days ago a shroud of a sort was laid out. The strong smell hovers in that general area but nowhere else in the hall.
The phone is still beeping when Penny tugs it, and a smoke, out of her pocket. She thumbs the buttons for a few seconds until it's quiet.
Cassius pages: Alright, you get a message back saying. Wil du. Luv u.
You paged Cassius with 'Texting back: Body was hidden .. here? Need 2 bring it 2 our place.'.
Cassius pages: Hard 2 do Big guys will stop.
You paged Cassius with 'Y? We need 2 lay him 2 rest. 2morrow. things 2 do.'.
Cassius pages: Big guys wont let me take things from the place
You paged Cassius with 'Will carry him myself then. where is he?'.
Catherine looks at you She says something short in a language you don't understand. she yawns...hiding it behind her hand.
Alex glances over to Penny when she step into the room. "Come back for the rest of Chase?..." he asks her, a slight frown coming to his face.
Niko smiles to Cathy, 'then come and curl up with me and I'll carry you to bed after..'
Connelly 's sleeping on the floor in a corner of the room....
Catherine does just so, resting her head against Niko..
Penny has the bearing and mien of a person teetering on the far side of rational. Her shoulders too stiff, her posture too erect. The corner of her mouth twists, up. Down. The dead-white crust in corners, she is thin-lipped. Her gaze fixes on the phone. She thumbs something out on the keypad and looks toward Alex, her eyes rimmed red and peeled wide open "Yes."
Catherine does fall asleep...
"Oh,"Alex says with a smirk, almost a chuckle,"Too bad he is not here... But I am curious... What is it that you had planned to do with Chase's head and body?..."
Niko sits on a divan with Cathy salseep and resting across his lap as he toys with her hair and just watches on
Taliesin enters the Hall from the Library.
Taliesin has arrived.
Taliesin comes out of the library and starts walking in the direction of the council chambers.
Niko sees tal enter and doesn't pause to say hello or anything else, 'tal..you wouldn't be an Adept of Ars Animae by any chance...woul dyou?"
Alex is standing by the hearth in the same area where Niko is seated. His eyes, however, are on Penny. Perhaps waiting for a response or a reaction.
Taliesin comes to a halt when Niko addresses him, "An Adept of Ars Anime? No, I'm afraid not. I've been focusing my studies on the sphere of Prime lately. Why what do you need a Life adept for?"
Niko smiles to tal, 'Well..now I have to add to my request..need an Adept of Life to make the changes to Cathy..I can change my face..not hers
The tap-click-beep-beep noise of Penny-with-the-phone is a constant throughout the conversation. She doesn't look down as she types, operating by feel. A sandpaper sound comes out where her voice is requisite "It was said already. There is a letter to follow, instructions" she emphasizes "hoc monumentum heredem exterum non sequitur."
It's possible that she believe this should make sense.
Taliesin ahs softly, "I may have a solution to that. I'll get to work on it." He glances over at Penny, "How are you using a cellphone here? I can't believe you're even within roaming range. I know mine doesn't work?"
"And when I asked to see this... letter, while you were stealing Chase's head at gun point, you gave me an envelope full of dried leaves...." Alex says in response to Penny's statement,"I would think that, as a leader of this Chantry, what is done with Chase's body is a Chantry matter."
Pobble enters the Main Hall through the Fields, closing the massive double doors behind him.
Pobble has arrived.
"I never pointed a gun at you, Alex" her declaration a means to free her from that conversation, ending with "we are his next-of-kin and are due his remains." Quiet for a few minutes while she rearranges the three shrouds ontop of one another, Penny pockets the phone "It doesn't work," pushing the jet stones and other detrius into the center of the plastic sheets "it only talks to god."
Kneeling, Penny looks at her work, unsatisfied and fixated.
Pobble pushes the door open, allowing a suited monkey to scamper through, trailing a luminescent exhaust of cigar fumage in its wake. Sashaying behind the smokestack is a hooded man, black coat worn closed with the oversized hood shrouding his features in shadow. The fine shoes tap on the stone, as the man follows monkey into the chamber. A cigarette dangles precariously from thin blood stained fingers, the claret glinting fresh as the cherry ember sparkles on silver fingernails.
The pair come to a stop, suddenly and as one. The motion whips the heavy smoke around and in an overly dramatic manner, the fellow throws back his hood. The empty eyes of Dr Steve are revealed. Emaciated and haggard, his head shifts in the only indication that he scans the room, given the blank eyes.
Taliesin nods slowly to Penny, her commentary about her cellphone's abilities at communion being left alone for now. He asks, expecting that someone will know the answers, "Where is the body now? It should be handed over to them, as soon as possible. When will the College be holding the memorial? I know that myself and some others would like to attend."
Niko hmms a little, 'It's not a memorial they are doing...not right off, anyway.."
//.etro: It is 07:28 am, mid-morning, on Sunday the 22. day of March, 2009.
Alex let's out a sharp bark of a laugh,"Is /that/ what they were doing when they hacked into Chase's head with a kitchen knife?... Preparing for a memorial?..." he asks seeming rather doubtful of that explaination.
Taliesin raises a finger to the two Virtual Adepts, "Gentlemen, before you start in on defending the dignity of the corpse of a man that neither one of you was particularly fond of, I would like to speak with Penny about this. As a leader of the Chantry it is right that I should do so." He motions for Penny, Pobble and Dave to join him in the library.
Niko gives Tal a look and frowns a bit, "Make sure you run a lie detector.."
Penny stops what she was doing with the positioning of the plastic, muttering something about the squares not holding the circles. She stops because Pobble walked in. Instinct guides a hand from the floor to her side, the way a person looking to arm themselves might keep a loaded gun. The left hand from the floor to her right side stays there and does not move.
Dave Monkey nods, "S'right." he says slowly, waving his cigar around indignantly. "I'd have said he'd've rather 'ad is head cut awf that spent a quiet weekend with yous." The obnoxiously little monkey begins to swagger across towards Taliesin. The latter comment from Niko causes the fella to stop and he goes to say something but a following Pobble ends the statement pre-emptively with a kick to the rear. The monkey moves on but Dr Steve pauses to stare at Niko, "You are certainly full of insinuations today young man.." he says in a hoarse whisper, dried blood flaking on his cracked lips. "You should becareful where you aim such weapons of disunity." This said, he moves towards Penny and offers her his arm.
Niko glances to Dave and smiles, 'If daisy had not told me precisely what you all were looking to do, then I would not be so worried with your behavior..". He offers an obvious fake smile to Dave, 'And don't go calling me 'young man'."
Seemingly amused by Dave's antics, Taliesin offers Niko a slight smile, "I'm sure I can handle things just fine." He stands patiently waiting for the members of the Invisible College to proceed him into the library.
"First of all, Tal,"Alex says turning toward the man,"You are wrong about me not liking my former cabalmate. And second, Penny would not of had to come here, guns drawn, if there was any explaination as to what they were doing with Chase's head and body."
This fine gentleman is probably in the 25-30 age bracket, and is posessed of an unhealthy pallor, his skin having a washed out look to it as if he's been dry cleaned one too many times. Haircut looks to be home made, low grade clippers job but just a little patchy in places where there are hints of blue in the stubble. His eyes are apparently fitted with some form of contact lens, since they are a pale milky white with no iris or pupil visible. His pallid skin is contrasted by the adornments that mark it. Besides the peircings (1) there are numerous tattoos, the main design being a series of small black marks that ring his head in a strip about an inch wide reminiscent of a crown of thorns laden with black ink. Under his left eye, starting at the peak of the cheekbone are three thin vertical black lines, varying sizes with the middle the longest at about an inch. Finally, an abstract design formed from intersecting black and white squares, about the size of a silver dollar adorns his neck on the right.
Dressed to impress in a four figure suit in a black that purposefully looks a touch faded. Its appears to have been fitted perfectly, but the stylistic crispness is convoluted into a more casual style by virtue of an unbuttoned jacket, and the white crinkled silk shirt worn untucked with its top button open. The cuffs of the shirt protrude at perfect lengths, fastened with flat round headed cuffs consisting of blank white circles. The hands that emerge from the expert tailoring are also thin and on the pale side, accentuated by patches of dried blood (2). Precisely pressed and creased pants with precision turnups and length are finished up by a pair of stylish black shoes that appear both classy and designed for duty with thick soles and what could be steel toe caps.
Cold repelling is perfomed by a full length black crushed velvet overcoat, apparently with an added inner lining. In contrast to the fine attire beneath, the velvet hasn't held up too well in the snow and rain and is starting to become patchy in places while having that drowned rat look to it while wet. It has an oversized hood, and deep out-side pockets.
He speaks with a South London accent, sounding quite common at times no matter the covabluary he wields. He moves wearily, as if each motion is a true feat of willpower and each step a mile.
Penny seems to wince at the offer, seems to recoil from Pobble or Dave, seems to give a great deal of consideration to his extended hand and none at all to the conversation going on around her. Equal parts fear and delerium keep her quite motionless, a wide open stare travelling slowly upwards. Caught her own reflection in the shine of Pobble's shoes, Penny winces again.
"..not just yet," she whispers to the steel toes, taking his bloodied hand. Is it then that her hand becomes red as well? or was it before... "cycle hasn't resolved."
Dave Monkey mutters as he heads into the library, casting a look back at Niko, pointing his cigar as if it were a rifle. It could be, its the right size. No shot however, Dave Monkey, saving the lives of those he despises. He whispers into the momentary silence. "I have every right to call you boy if I wish. Do not condescend the monkey. The monkey is ancient. The monkey has many friends across many layers of existence. The monkey takes no prisoners." This is said with remarkable venom.
Dr Steve smiles, sadly. As if an act of simple kindness had destroyed the world. A slight nod, and a gentle squeeze of Pen's hand. He then leads her to the library in silence. There is an air of resignation about his motions when close to Penny, his wasted features growing sadder still.
"I think the chimp just threatened you Niko,"Alex says as he moves to take a seat in a nearby armchair.
Niko looks to Alex, "He'll throw feces next, I'm sure.."
You head to the door marked 'Library' and head through into the room beyond.
Novus Valnastium -- Library
High shelves, comfortable chairs, warm lights, and wide tables adorn this room. Large rugs of various types of fur spread out, here and there. On one wall is a hearth that seems to always burn with a quiet, warm flame. This room is a bibliophile's dream, with books on magick, books on history, in fact, books on almost anything one might think about.
Currently, most of the books are still away, packed in Hermetically sealed crates which line the walls of the room. Soon, though, the boxes will be unpacked and the library will be complete.
Obvious exits:
Out
Pobble enters the Library from the Main Hall.
Pobble has arrived.
Taliesin enters the Library from the Main Hall.
Taliesin has arrived.
Taliesin follows shortly thereafter and closes the door behind him. He looks at the three of you, "Can you guys tell me what's going on? I'm more than willing to help you memorialize Chase, but I need to know what the hub bub is all about."
Dave Monkey says, "Awright Tal me ole mucka." The indignance of youth forgotten it seems, the Monkey hops into a chair and performs admirably the task of looking happy for the entire Colledge. Matted fur around the eyes attests otherwise maybe, but for now those saucer pupils are filled with something that resembles glee.
Dr Steve comes to stand near Dave. Releasing Penny he seems to slump down as if a great weight has been returned to his neck, Steve Atlas. The chair seems to be the only thing supporting his defiance of the tyranny of gravity. His head shifts, eyes possibly moving to Penny to allow her to explain.
The monkey, ill conceived little steward that he is, leads the way for the strained couple. She folds herself down to the side of the chair, not for lack of strength but because just at that moment Dave, Pobble and Penny exist in a kind of Raphaelite symmetry.
"It's to do with dates. Time, really. It's the right time." A pause, her voice still paperthin and erraticly octaved "Um. I'm sorry who are you? I don't think we've .. met."
The other two nod solemnly at this. Eerily in time with one another. Questioning looks await response.
This earns a look for Dr. Steve and Dave from Taliesin. He sighs and grips his white oak staff taking a deep breath before speaking, "Penny, I am Taliesin Emrys. I'm a Celestial Chorister and I'm a friend of Chase. I'm trying to figure out what is going on with his remains that has caused such a problem. I'm not understanding your explanation, so if you could try to explain it to me, more simply. I'd appreciate it."
Penny ohs, maybe making a mental note. Studying Tal, intent on his staff, his posture, she brings a knee up, readjusting her position on the floor. Hooking an elbow around it, she rests her head, a dark bloodied palm-print left on the black jeans.
"It isn't my .. I haven't got the words .." a pregnant pause, like she's waiting for an invitation.
Taliesin is really trying here, "Ms. Ante, I need you to try please. This is causing trouble that Chase would not have wished. I want to help you do right by Chase, but I need you to help me do that."
//.etro: Penny rolls "arete" at diff 4
For a total of 1 success(es).
Penny shifts again to pull a notepad and a sharpie from the apron pocket she sits on. There's another uncomfortable moment where Penny just stares at Tal. All processes pending circulation. The sense of muted urgency breaks when she teeths the cap off, grips the pen. In a quick hand she writes the words REQUIESCAT IN PACE on the notepad, a rectangle, scribbles that look nothing like the english-letter alphabet, a discoball, a television and seven stick-figures in a circle. She rips the page off the top, a bloody thumbprint set squarely inside the stick-figures.
"Here, here" holding the note out for him.
Taliesin takes the paper, looks at it and nods. "I see. What were you guys doing with his head though? Was there something you were trying to get out?"
Pobble has disconnected.
It's not the strongest projection ever built but it conveys enough; that they're giving Chase his due; a bacchanal.
Penny slumps back to the chair and looks up at Pobble before rasping, scratching something from the corner of her mouth "His skull of course. And the pieces that did not belong to him. Part of the deal. Return to sender."
Taliesin ahs softly, "He had some sort of implant then? And you guys were taking it out to send it back to the person who gave it to him?"
Penny nods, folding away the notepad, capping the marker. It isn't so much that she's dumb or mute but that she can not get cohesive. A twitch here, a shiver there; subtle signs of a hunger strike.
Taliesin nods slowly, "Very well. I will have the body ready for the Invisible College to take care of in short order. If you would let me know who you're sending the implant to as well, so I can make sure they receive it, and so the others will know what's going on. I would appreciate that as well."
Taliesin sings a few bars under his breath and the pangs of hunger and deprivation fade into memory. He smiles, "No need to suffer like that any longer, Ms. Ante."
Penny shouts, "NO!"
Taliesin takes a step back, "What's the matter? Are you alright? I'll have the body for you as soon as I can. There was no need." He looks worried that perhaps he has done something wrong unintentionally.
Penny lurches forward like she could reach what was just slipped out of her grasp. She makes a noise, a wail, a cry "No! It's necessary! The letter.. " looking at Pobble who has succumbed, has passed out or slipped unconcious for minutes at a time. She raises fingers to her mouth, still chapped? "..you don't know anything!"
Taliesin smacks himself on the forehead. "My apologies." He looks ashamed of himself. "I was only trying to help. I will set you back the way you were, Ms. Ante, but before I do, is one of you remaining healthy enough to plan the bacchanal?"
Dave panicks and scoots out of sight. He's seen Penny at her shrieking, terrorizing worst, he knows better than to stick around.
"It's done," getting up knees to feet "Put it back, give it back," stumbling down as she crosses the room, tripping over the apron strings. "..give it back.."
Penny shouts, "Put it back, give it back!"
Taliesin nods, "I shall." He pulls out a stick on incense, "This is very important, before you leave, I want you to take this and burn it. I'm going to put a blessing on it that the Chorus often uses when subjecting ourselves to similar privation. If you burn it those who inhale the smoke of the incense will be able to endure your privation with greater grace. It is up to you if you wish to use it, but I respect what you're doing and want to help." He bows his head, "Lord, please forgive Your servant who has interfered with the sacrifice of another, please forgive me my foolish pride and restore the sacrifice made in the name of a friend." The pains of hunger wrack your body once more and once again it becomes difficult to think clearly due to your grumbling and forlorn stomach. He focuses on the incense and prays over it for a few moments and puts it in your bloodied hand.
Taliesin leaves by way of the double doors, entering the Main Hall.
Taliesin has left.
You open the double doors, returning to the Main Hall.
Novus Valnastium -- Main Chamber
The main hall of Novus Valnastium is a wide, stone area, with arching buttresses and columns framing windows that stream with bright, comfortable light. Several circles of chairs and old-fashioned divans and davenports are scattered around the room, conversational areas if you will, and a center hearth flickers with a warm, comfortable flame. A set of stairs on the left leads up to a balcony that rings the area, several doors leading off it, and great double doors lead forward and to the left, right, and behind you. Two armored figures, silent as the grave, flank the doors ahead of you, as well as two others flanking the doors to the rear, which lead back out onto the open plains.
Contents:
Alex
Niko
Connelly
Obvious exits:
Out to Fields
Alex is seated quietly in one of the armchair, his shade covered eyes looking in the direction of the library door.
The library door opens again. And Penny doesn't so much walk out as she shuffles between short spasms of breath. By and large this was the way she entered the room but for the very faint, very thin sheen of sweat that's broken across her features. Even now as she returns to the hall this sweat seems to be evaporating, her left hand still bloodied. The strings of the apron are rednow as well and her knee bears a dark handprint.
"What," she rasps "you were expecting someone else?"
Alex doesn't bother to answer Penny's question and his eyes don't move either. In fact, he doesn't move much at all.
Penny shrugs her jacket back the right way, the nylon making that slithery noise as she zippers it. "Whatever. Jackass." Short on words and patience in low supply, she stuffs her fists into the pockets. Penny walks toward the door slowly; her body just as stiffly resolute as when she walked in.
A faint smile creeps to Alex lips; as if Penny's words where a victory on his part. Still he remains silent and still.
Penny snorts then starts coughing. It's a terrible, colicky sound that rattles from deep, deep in the lung. She stops to try and control it, working the flem up, up and spits it to the stone floor.
Spitting on the truth, some people call it. She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand and leaves the hall still clearing her throat.
You open the double doors and head out into the open, rolling fields beyond.
Thursday, July 10, 2003
You walk down the hill and through the small valley, approaching Novus Valnastium. As you crest the next large hill, you arrive, opening the door and heading into...
Novus Valnastium -- Main Chamber
The main hall of Novus Valnastium is a wide, stone area, with arching buttresses and columns framing windows that stream with bright, comfortable light. Several circles of chairs and old-fashioned divans and davenports are scattered around the room, conversational areas if you will, and a center hearth flickers with a warm, comfortable flame. A set of stairs on the left leads up to a balcony that rings the area, several doors leading off it, and great double doors lead forward and to the left, right, and behind you. Two armored figures, silent as the grave, flank the doors ahead of you, as well as two others flanking the doors to the rear, which lead back out onto the open plains.
Obvious exits:
Out to Fields Laboratory Doors Library Doors Council Chambers
Penny shouts, "Daaaaisy, Daaaaaaisy" it's a sing songy, girly voice "give me your answer, do. I'm half craaazy..."
Two massive, dark-finished oaken doors, rimmed and lined in silver and steel. Through them lie the Council Chambers of Novus Valnastium.
Nearby, a female voice shouts, "Well, hell. If it ain't Penny Dreadful."
You open the double doors, heading into the Main Hall beyond.
Novus Valnastium -- Council Chamber
This room is mostly empty, even more vast in some ways than the hall outside. Only three things mar its granite perfection; an immense marble table at the head of the room with nine chairs, each marked with a single Sphere glyph, an intricately inscribed Certamen circle in the center of the room, and perhaps forty seats at the back of the room, for observers and audience. A single door to the left glows a soft gold.
The great marble table seems to be carved from a single piece of stone. Polished and pristine, the table stands as if it had stood here for an eternity, its circle unbroken and complete. Each seat surrounding it is spaced evenly, as if meticulous care has been given toward seeking this state of equality.
The room is lit by a multitude of dim fires which rest in recessed pits along the walls. Here and there, candelabras stand, adding additional light to the chamber through their infinitely burning candles.
<< +views and places here >>
Contents:
Daisy
Niko
Supplies
Obvious exits:
Left Door Out
Penny pushes open one of the massive oak doors with her shoulder, kind of backing into it. Her hands are occupied, you see. Duct tape, a dark duffel bag. She's dragging a huge roll of industrial packing plastic. From the look of the dirt and grass divets caked up around the base, it's taken her a while. She's even a little out of breath.
"I've been looking everywhere for you."
"What, so I can schlep stuff around for you?"
Daisy is standing midroom, one hand jammed wrist-deep in her hoodie pocket,the other one holding her cigarette up to her lips. Long tangles of black hair hang down over her face.
Niko glances over at Penny, "You are a very fortunate young lady....I'd dare say you don't know how much so...". He shakes his head softly and then looks at Daisy and reaches in his back pocket and pulls out his wallet, fanning out 3 hundreds, "This help you get what you need?"
Penny watches the business without interrupting. She's used to waiting. And when it seems appropriate, Penny deadpans at Niko "Yeah. I heard they had me, too. But it's cool. It's cool" picking dirt out of her hair, kicking rocks out of her shoes "I got friends over there, friends over there too."
She props her things in the way of the door to keep it open, leans on the roll of plastic.
Eyes glittering with the craven hunger of the chronically impovershed, Daisy just stares -- unblinking -- at the money. Then, long fingers flexing, she flicks forward to take it.
"Yeah," she says casually, bobbing her head. "That's definitely enough to get me started. An' I suppose I'm in charge of being started, being, as I am, Friday and all. An' being Friday, an' Friday being the Sabbath, I ain't got to schlep shit for you, Penny. Unless of course it's for a good cause. Talmud says I can schlep shit for charity."
For a moment, she scowls.
"Keene totally nailed me on that point last week."
Niko arches a brow and shakes his head a little as if he's trying to fathom something about you all, "And to think..3 years ago..I would have asked to join your litle group..". He smirks a bit and moves back to the circle, 'Don't take any of Alex's shit...he'll be more pissed off than he already is and I don't need him thinking about anything but pissing off the Union with me..'
Squinting, Daisy holds one of the hundred-dollar bills up to the light, then turns it over and examines the other side. She gets to examine real currency far, far too infrequently.
"We don't want to be sowin' no discord in Q Division," says Daisy. "Don't worry -- if there's anything at all Daisy Inscrutable's good at, it's keepin' the peace."
Penny looks Daisy over like maybe there's something wrong, incorrect perceptions; reception isn't coming in clear. She looks Daisy over, mouth twisted shut, eyes on the money. Purpose.
"You're taking applications? I thought our roster was full. Plus we gotta get this shit started, bein'as it's five in the goddam and it won't cook itself. Plus, y'know .. you're Friday," indicating the roll to Daisy. An introduction, an invitation.
Kicking her boots against the roll of plastic again, Penny scratches her nails across her jeans, flicking out sand. Or salt. Something that makes noise when it hits the stone floor.
"Us plus Voodoo Eddie plus Eva plus the Eighth Day means we're full up," agrees Daisy, turning her back on Niko and slouching over to the sheeting. Delicately, she pushes it with the tip of her toe, waiting it for to rebound. Her expression passes through a dozen permutations of uncomfortable. "I think we're good with what we got now, P. I mean, there's always the possibility that --"
Eyes, hooded, jerk from Penny to a point just over her shoulder.
"-- I mean, you know what there's a possibility of. That ain't a good possibility."
Niko settles back in the center of the Certamen Circle and puts his laptop back on his legs, 'I don't want to join, ladies....I'm just trying to remember when I was like you both are..'
"You used to be a stupid cunt that wanted me to carry a big bloody roll of plastic on the Sabbath?", Daisy asks sweetly.
They commiserate quietly, the girls.
It's this thing they do, talking with their eyes.
And Penny doesn't look happy, no, not pleased at all. "..but it's the rules,.." she hisses "We have to at least try. It's what, I mean it's not just the principle of the thing, it's the fucking letter."
A guarded glance at Niko "I'm serious, I didn't want any trouble. That shit, Alex? He doesn't know man.
Niko smirks a little at Penny and shrugs, "Neither did I..and you can see what it got me.."
Penny, uncomfortable in the doorway, broken-records "Yeah. Uh. So where's the body." She touches the edge of the plastic, tip-tip-flicking a corner between thumb and forefinger. Shrugging up her shoulder, the question merely perfunctory.
"Figure I can ask and you can tell me."
Niko shakes his head, "I have no idea...I didn't ask...but you're not going to get it..and I have a feeling if you don't return that head soon....all hell's gonna break loose.
Deer-in-headlights. Daisy literally locks up with indecision, unmoving for a second.
"I suppose it's charity," she says when she thaws.
Penny arches a brow, the left one, the one that can be seen. She says, in Enochian, "Daze, y'ever get the feeling you're just not being heard?" Reaching into one of the apron pockets on her hip, Penny digs out a scissor and puts her wrist through the roll of duct tape. She says, in Enochian, "Come on, this is pointless."
Niko glances to Penny, "I'll run that through the universal translator later..". He looks to Daisy, "If you're sure I can't help....then just let me know what you need...I'll see what I can do instead of having you poke around Alex's stuff.
Daisy's brows knit up and her lips start to move slowly. It's obvious that she only vaguely understands the language that Penny was speaking in. After a moment, she sort of nods, shrugs, and mumbles, "Thanks, Aaron. I mean it. But I gotta go."
Penny gives Daisy the scissor in between some complicated gesture, her thumb and pinky fingers spread out. Kicking the door off the roll of plastic, she holds it open.
"Don't run with those."
Daisy takes the scissors. Daisy holds the scissors. Daisy is obviously trying to puzzle out what you said just a moment ago in Enochian, and not doing so well. If you can read lips, you can see her going through the rather arbitrary declinations of the word 'nowhere'.
Half of them are wrong.
Novus Valnastium -- Main Chamber
The main hall of Novus Valnastium is a wide, stone area, with arching buttresses and columns framing windows that stream with bright, comfortable light. Several circles of chairs and old-fashioned divans and davenports are scattered around the room, conversational areas if you will, and a center hearth flickers with a warm, comfortable flame. A set of stairs on the left leads up to a balcony that rings the area, several doors leading off it, and great double doors lead forward and to the left, right, and behind you. Two armored figures, silent as the grave, flank the doors ahead of you, as well as two others flanking the doors to the rear, which lead back out onto the open plains.
Contents:
Rhiamon
Abel
Paksenarrion
Connelly
Obvious exits:
Out to Fields Laboratory Doors Library Doors Council Chambers
Abel heads through the double doors, entering the Main Hall beyond.
Abel has left.
Rhiamon is following after Abel..
Rhiamon heads through the double doors, entering the Main Hall beyond.
Rhiamon has left.
Daisy arrives from the forward doors.
Daisy has arrived.
Daisy and Penny are just leaving as, apparently, the entire population of the Chantry starts to head through into the Council Chambers. The former has a pair of scissors in one hand and a cigarette in the other; the latter has a giant roll of plastic sheeting behind her. Neither offers an explanation.
Paksenarrion looks at the giant sheet of plastic, "Off to desicrate more bodies?"
Lugging along slowly, Penny and Daisy are going over a few things. "The fourth
doesn't apply in cases of the personal. Like affronts or insults. But if you just conjugate with a verb like I did? it works. Cig me," a polite request as they walk "I'm only taking this as far as the next door then it's all you."
Daisy dips into her center pocket to cig Penny. "What door?", she asks.
Abel arrives from the forward doors.
Abel has arrived.
Abel comes out of the main Chamber, heading toward the doors out of the keep.
Daisy and Penny are just leaving as, apparently, the entire population of the Chantry starts to head through into the Council Chambers. The former has a pair of scissors in one hand and a cigarette in the other; the latter has a giant roll of plastic sheeting behind her. Neither offers an explanation.
Abel looks at the two woman curiously. "Hey. What's up?"
"We're workin' on something," Daisy says cryptically, snapping her scissors in Abel's direction. "You'll see soon. Don' worry."
Abel holds his hands up defensively as the scissors snapp at him. "Sure."
"Eight days," Daisy says flatly.
Abel says, "Eight days till what?"
"That one," pointing Daisy at the library. She gets a sharpie out of her bag, bites off the cap and holds it there between her teeth. She starts writing on the duct tape, scribing circles, slashes, points on an axis. "Eight days," she repeats like it should be obvious enough. Matter of fact she's just like those annoying chain-store jingles that keep reminding you how many days there are til Christmas. "Eight days," tearing of that section. It gets slapped to the plastic sheet.
Daisy is not quite so cryptic.
"Eight days 'til you find out," she murmurs, eyes flicking to Abel for just a moment. Shivering and sober, she stands behind Penny's right shoulder, watching. Waiting. "Eight days 'til everyone finds out what we're up to. You'll love it."
Abel doesn't look too sure of that. "Eight days huh? Does this have something to do with Chase?" He stays a short distance away from the two women, obviously unsure how to interact with them. He glances at Daisy, noticing the state she's in. "Are you all right Daisy?"
"Don't worry, Abel. It's not a violation of the Council's order. I'm over that. We're just in planning."
As Abel speaks, Daisy wrinkles up her nose and bobs her head. You can see aftershocks -- muscle tremors -- across her shoulders and back. They're obviously uncomfortable.
"I'm just comin' down off of somethin'. It's ... not so good."
Abel nods to Penny and then to Daisy. "Believe it or not... I know," he says quietly.
"She's fine," an offhand comment, not really concerned. It's most likely that Penny's seen Daisy in far worse shape. "I'm fine. We're all fine except him. He's dead and you can't even help us honor him. Why are you letting Alex hide his body anyway? What's it to you?" This is rhetoric, these are complaints.
Tearing through the tape, Penny's fingers get stuck. "Cut that into about three headless Chase's," chinning to the plastic.
Snip. Snip. Snip.
"Don't worry about Penny," Daisy contradicts, giving Abel a look of genuine concern. Tic. Tic. Up goes the corner of her lip, but it's not a sneer; it's a twitch, and one she can't do anything about. "She's strung out. We're all a little strung out. Since Chase went out, we've been ... too much."
It's obvious what she's been too much of.
Abel blinks to Penny and nods to Daisy again. "I don't know where Alex has put the body. I wasn't around for it. And how are you honoring Chase? You guys never tell anybody what you're doing. You simply do your thing that nobody else understands. And then you expect us all to just... to just get it." He runs a hand through his hair in frustration. "And I think you like it that way."
"That's true," says Daisy contemplatively. Halfway done, she finishes cutting and looks up, red-rimmed eyes on Abel. "Would you like us to tell you more? We could tell you things, if we could find Hod. It's Hod's job to tell you things."
Penny is mapping out a lattice of tape. It looks like a net, the long lines of silver half stuck to the floor, criss-crossing. Fencing. On hands and knees Penny marks up the tape and starts pulling out tiny things from her pockets; copper wires, bay leaves, jet pebbles, bitter herbs. These things remain in a pile beside the near-complete sticky frame.
"No. Hod is not Keene."
"Okay, help me flip this over sticky and then put that" she points to the plastic "on this."
"Keene is the best Hod. Keene is deeply Hod," Daisy explains, carefully taking up one end of the net, carefully turning it over, and carefully lowering it onto the aforementioned plastic sheeting. She looks up at Penny expectantly, lip caught between her teeth, before continuing. "There's seven of us. There're seven days. There're seven Sephirot reflected upon the face of the supernal crown, Kether. Each of us, each of the members, is a day, a Sephirot, a name. Today I'm Friday, the Sabbath. Now, the Sabbath doesn't do any work, 'cause the Sabbath is head of the cabal, just as Eheveh rules the world and the father is the head of the house. Today Penny is Monday. Monday is more cryptic than the rest of us, because Monday is above the language of intelligences."
Her smile is wan, but still a smile.
"Be glad you ain't talkin' to Da'ath. Da'ath is silent, and a bitch to boot."
Abel smiles a little and moves to help keep the plastic and tape from getting caught where it isn't supposed to go. "Here, let me help. I really need to read up more on my Kabbalah."
Penny stops with a sharp intake of breath waiting there. And it issues forth in little put-put noises when she drops a corner for Abel to pick up since he wants to help.
Her gestures are slowing down, becoming more fluid. It's possible her facilities and acuity are leaving her.
"Now. Turn it over and litter the shroud with safe passage, enlightenment and sacrafice."
The pile, her eyes fix on the pile. The bay leaves, the bitter herbs, the jet. Who knows what the copper wire is for. Better leave it out.
Of course, it's plastic. It's duct tape. It's a rock. It's a leaf. It's silly, and it's not going to work.
Daisy is a mage because she has learned to ignore these things. Closing her eyes, she takes up the bay, scattering the sharp-spined herbs across the duct tape and plastic. Then the green-brown curls of herb, scattered carefully across the same area. Then, finally, the jet stones, which clack and clatter across the shroud beneath her hand. She's whispering a gutteral, inarticulate prayer underneath her breath, choking back sobs.
You always swear in the language of your birth. You always grieve in the religion of your parents.
Abel stands back and watches. He understands something is being done... something for Chase... and he bows his head in prayer as well.
//.etro: Penny rolls "arete" at diff 5
For a total of 2 success(es).
Abel prays under his breath "Eternal rest grant unto him oh Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him.
Penny rests back on her heels. "And when they give us his body, we'll wrap him up and take him in among us," vacant-eyed she stares at a vanishing point. Head tilted to the side, her eyes go wide and slack. Swaying and rocking like some ecstatic, she might faint.
OOC> Penny says "awareness rolls if you're feelin'it."
Daisy's shoulders are tense, and her expression is hard, and she's staring at the shroud on the verge of crying.
"We will," she murmurs, "and our will is become flesh."
That's not something she would normally say, and it's lacking her characteristic insecure, gutterish diction.
Rhiamon arrives from the forward doors.
Rhiamon has arrived.
Abel puts a hand on Daisy's shoulder comfortingly but doesn't say anything.
Rhiamon enters from the Council chamber, yawning.
It's all on Penny, the energy, the resonance. This is clearly a meditation and you know she'll be here for hours. Another facet of the fasting, perhaps. She's made this little spot, the shroud and all part of a temporary domain. By touching it, the plastic, you can sense her presence and know if you stay there that your will could be subverted to her own.
Daisy, Abel, and Penny are clustered around three pieces of plastic sheeting, each roughly man-sized and man-shaped. A matrix of duct tape has been overlaid on each. The thick, pungent smell of asafoetida, fennel leaves, and horseradish rises from her. Baby leaves of romaine lettuce are scattered with jet stones and bay leaves.
Penny, kneeling, is sheened in an oracular sweat, eyes rolling up under closed eyelids, taut muscles vibrating with effort. There's no clear indication of what she's doing.
Rhiamon blinks, but doesn't interupt what is going on.
Abel turns and moves away from the powereful magicks and resonance of Penny's working, not wanting to get caught up in it. He remains quiet, contemplative.
Rhiamon mouths a greeting to Abel, and waves with a smile
Daisy stands without a word, and walks, straight-backed, out of the keep.
Daisy opens the two double doors leading out to the plains, leaving to enter the plains beyond.
Daisy has left.
Abel smiles to back to Rhiamon with a bit of a shrug, and heads out of the keep as well, gesturing to Rhiamon to follow and remain quiet.
Rhiamon nods, and picks her way over.
Abel opens the two double doors leading out to the plains, leaving to enter the plains beyond.
Abel has left.
Rhiamon opens the two double doors leading out to the plains, leaving to enter the plains beyond.
Rhiamon has left.
Novus Valnastium -- Main Chamber
The main hall of Novus Valnastium is a wide, stone area, with arching buttresses and columns framing windows that stream with bright, comfortable light. Several circles of chairs and old-fashioned divans and davenports are scattered around the room, conversational areas if you will, and a center hearth flickers with a warm, comfortable flame. A set of stairs on the left leads up to a balcony that rings the area, several doors leading off it, and great double doors lead forward and to the left, right, and behind you. Two armored figures, silent as the grave, flank the doors ahead of you, as well as two others flanking the doors to the rear, which lead back out onto the open plains.
Obvious exits:
Out to Fields
Penny shouts, "Daaaaisy, Daaaaaaisy" it's a sing songy, girly voice "give me your answer, do. I'm half craaazy..."
Two massive, dark-finished oaken doors, rimmed and lined in silver and steel. Through them lie the Council Chambers of Novus Valnastium.
Nearby, a female voice shouts, "Well, hell. If it ain't Penny Dreadful."
You open the double doors, heading into the Main Hall beyond.
Novus Valnastium -- Council Chamber
This room is mostly empty, even more vast in some ways than the hall outside. Only three things mar its granite perfection; an immense marble table at the head of the room with nine chairs, each marked with a single Sphere glyph, an intricately inscribed Certamen circle in the center of the room, and perhaps forty seats at the back of the room, for observers and audience. A single door to the left glows a soft gold.
The great marble table seems to be carved from a single piece of stone. Polished and pristine, the table stands as if it had stood here for an eternity, its circle unbroken and complete. Each seat surrounding it is spaced evenly, as if meticulous care has been given toward seeking this state of equality.
The room is lit by a multitude of dim fires which rest in recessed pits along the walls. Here and there, candelabras stand, adding additional light to the chamber through their infinitely burning candles.
<< +views and places here >>
Contents:
Daisy
Niko
Supplies
Obvious exits:
Left Door Out
Penny pushes open one of the massive oak doors with her shoulder, kind of backing into it. Her hands are occupied, you see. Duct tape, a dark duffel bag. She's dragging a huge roll of industrial packing plastic. From the look of the dirt and grass divets caked up around the base, it's taken her a while. She's even a little out of breath.
"I've been looking everywhere for you."
"What, so I can schlep stuff around for you?"
Daisy is standing midroom, one hand jammed wrist-deep in her hoodie pocket,the other one holding her cigarette up to her lips. Long tangles of black hair hang down over her face.
Niko glances over at Penny, "You are a very fortunate young lady....I'd dare say you don't know how much so...". He shakes his head softly and then looks at Daisy and reaches in his back pocket and pulls out his wallet, fanning out 3 hundreds, "This help you get what you need?"
Penny watches the business without interrupting. She's used to waiting. And when it seems appropriate, Penny deadpans at Niko "Yeah. I heard they had me, too. But it's cool. It's cool" picking dirt out of her hair, kicking rocks out of her shoes "I got friends over there, friends over there too."
She props her things in the way of the door to keep it open, leans on the roll of plastic.
Eyes glittering with the craven hunger of the chronically impovershed, Daisy just stares -- unblinking -- at the money. Then, long fingers flexing, she flicks forward to take it.
"Yeah," she says casually, bobbing her head. "That's definitely enough to get me started. An' I suppose I'm in charge of being started, being, as I am, Friday and all. An' being Friday, an' Friday being the Sabbath, I ain't got to schlep shit for you, Penny. Unless of course it's for a good cause. Talmud says I can schlep shit for charity."
For a moment, she scowls.
"Keene totally nailed me on that point last week."
Niko arches a brow and shakes his head a little as if he's trying to fathom something about you all, "And to think..3 years ago..I would have asked to join your litle group..". He smirks a bit and moves back to the circle, 'Don't take any of Alex's shit...he'll be more pissed off than he already is and I don't need him thinking about anything but pissing off the Union with me..'
Squinting, Daisy holds one of the hundred-dollar bills up to the light, then turns it over and examines the other side. She gets to examine real currency far, far too infrequently.
"We don't want to be sowin' no discord in Q Division," says Daisy. "Don't worry -- if there's anything at all Daisy Inscrutable's good at, it's keepin' the peace."
Penny looks Daisy over like maybe there's something wrong, incorrect perceptions; reception isn't coming in clear. She looks Daisy over, mouth twisted shut, eyes on the money. Purpose.
"You're taking applications? I thought our roster was full. Plus we gotta get this shit started, bein'as it's five in the goddam and it won't cook itself. Plus, y'know .. you're Friday," indicating the roll to Daisy. An introduction, an invitation.
Kicking her boots against the roll of plastic again, Penny scratches her nails across her jeans, flicking out sand. Or salt. Something that makes noise when it hits the stone floor.
"Us plus Voodoo Eddie plus Eva plus the Eighth Day means we're full up," agrees Daisy, turning her back on Niko and slouching over to the sheeting. Delicately, she pushes it with the tip of her toe, waiting it for to rebound. Her expression passes through a dozen permutations of uncomfortable. "I think we're good with what we got now, P. I mean, there's always the possibility that --"
Eyes, hooded, jerk from Penny to a point just over her shoulder.
"-- I mean, you know what there's a possibility of. That ain't a good possibility."
Niko settles back in the center of the Certamen Circle and puts his laptop back on his legs, 'I don't want to join, ladies....I'm just trying to remember when I was like you both are..'
"You used to be a stupid cunt that wanted me to carry a big bloody roll of plastic on the Sabbath?", Daisy asks sweetly.
They commiserate quietly, the girls.
It's this thing they do, talking with their eyes.
And Penny doesn't look happy, no, not pleased at all. "..but it's the rules,.." she hisses "We have to at least try. It's what, I mean it's not just the principle of the thing, it's the fucking letter."
A guarded glance at Niko "I'm serious, I didn't want any trouble. That shit, Alex? He doesn't know man.
Niko smirks a little at Penny and shrugs, "Neither did I..and you can see what it got me.."
Penny, uncomfortable in the doorway, broken-records "Yeah. Uh. So where's the body." She touches the edge of the plastic, tip-tip-flicking a corner between thumb and forefinger. Shrugging up her shoulder, the question merely perfunctory.
"Figure I can ask and you can tell me."
Niko shakes his head, "I have no idea...I didn't ask...but you're not going to get it..and I have a feeling if you don't return that head soon....all hell's gonna break loose.
Deer-in-headlights. Daisy literally locks up with indecision, unmoving for a second.
"I suppose it's charity," she says when she thaws.
Penny arches a brow, the left one, the one that can be seen. She says, in Enochian, "Daze, y'ever get the feeling you're just not being heard?" Reaching into one of the apron pockets on her hip, Penny digs out a scissor and puts her wrist through the roll of duct tape. She says, in Enochian, "Come on, this is pointless."
Niko glances to Penny, "I'll run that through the universal translator later..". He looks to Daisy, "If you're sure I can't help....then just let me know what you need...I'll see what I can do instead of having you poke around Alex's stuff.
Daisy's brows knit up and her lips start to move slowly. It's obvious that she only vaguely understands the language that Penny was speaking in. After a moment, she sort of nods, shrugs, and mumbles, "Thanks, Aaron. I mean it. But I gotta go."
Penny gives Daisy the scissor in between some complicated gesture, her thumb and pinky fingers spread out. Kicking the door off the roll of plastic, she holds it open.
"Don't run with those."
Daisy takes the scissors. Daisy holds the scissors. Daisy is obviously trying to puzzle out what you said just a moment ago in Enochian, and not doing so well. If you can read lips, you can see her going through the rather arbitrary declinations of the word 'nowhere'.
Half of them are wrong.
Novus Valnastium -- Main Chamber
The main hall of Novus Valnastium is a wide, stone area, with arching buttresses and columns framing windows that stream with bright, comfortable light. Several circles of chairs and old-fashioned divans and davenports are scattered around the room, conversational areas if you will, and a center hearth flickers with a warm, comfortable flame. A set of stairs on the left leads up to a balcony that rings the area, several doors leading off it, and great double doors lead forward and to the left, right, and behind you. Two armored figures, silent as the grave, flank the doors ahead of you, as well as two others flanking the doors to the rear, which lead back out onto the open plains.
Contents:
Rhiamon
Abel
Paksenarrion
Connelly
Obvious exits:
Out to Fields
Abel heads through the double doors, entering the Main Hall beyond.
Abel has left.
Rhiamon is following after Abel..
Rhiamon heads through the double doors, entering the Main Hall beyond.
Rhiamon has left.
Daisy arrives from the forward doors.
Daisy has arrived.
Daisy and Penny are just leaving as, apparently, the entire population of the Chantry starts to head through into the Council Chambers. The former has a pair of scissors in one hand and a cigarette in the other; the latter has a giant roll of plastic sheeting behind her. Neither offers an explanation.
Paksenarrion looks at the giant sheet of plastic, "Off to desicrate more bodies?"
Lugging along slowly, Penny and Daisy are going over a few things. "The fourth
doesn't apply in cases of the personal. Like affronts or insults. But if you just conjugate with a verb like I did? it works. Cig me," a polite request as they walk "I'm only taking this as far as the next door then it's all you."
Daisy dips into her center pocket to cig Penny. "What door?", she asks.
Abel arrives from the forward doors.
Abel has arrived.
Abel comes out of the main Chamber, heading toward the doors out of the keep.
Daisy and Penny are just leaving as, apparently, the entire population of the Chantry starts to head through into the Council Chambers. The former has a pair of scissors in one hand and a cigarette in the other; the latter has a giant roll of plastic sheeting behind her. Neither offers an explanation.
Abel looks at the two woman curiously. "Hey. What's up?"
"We're workin' on something," Daisy says cryptically, snapping her scissors in Abel's direction. "You'll see soon. Don' worry."
Abel holds his hands up defensively as the scissors snapp at him. "Sure."
"Eight days," Daisy says flatly.
Abel says, "Eight days till what?"
"That one," pointing Daisy at the library. She gets a sharpie out of her bag, bites off the cap and holds it there between her teeth. She starts writing on the duct tape, scribing circles, slashes, points on an axis. "Eight days," she repeats like it should be obvious enough. Matter of fact she's just like those annoying chain-store jingles that keep reminding you how many days there are til Christmas. "Eight days," tearing of that section. It gets slapped to the plastic sheet.
Daisy is not quite so cryptic.
"Eight days 'til you find out," she murmurs, eyes flicking to Abel for just a moment. Shivering and sober, she stands behind Penny's right shoulder, watching. Waiting. "Eight days 'til everyone finds out what we're up to. You'll love it."
Abel doesn't look too sure of that. "Eight days huh? Does this have something to do with Chase?" He stays a short distance away from the two women, obviously unsure how to interact with them. He glances at Daisy, noticing the state she's in. "Are you all right Daisy?"
"Don't worry, Abel. It's not a violation of the Council's order. I'm over that. We're just in planning."
As Abel speaks, Daisy wrinkles up her nose and bobs her head. You can see aftershocks -- muscle tremors -- across her shoulders and back. They're obviously uncomfortable.
"I'm just comin' down off of somethin'. It's ... not so good."
Abel nods to Penny and then to Daisy. "Believe it or not... I know," he says quietly.
"She's fine," an offhand comment, not really concerned. It's most likely that Penny's seen Daisy in far worse shape. "I'm fine. We're all fine except him. He's dead and you can't even help us honor him. Why are you letting Alex hide his body anyway? What's it to you?" This is rhetoric, these are complaints.
Tearing through the tape, Penny's fingers get stuck. "Cut that into about three headless Chase's," chinning to the plastic.
Snip. Snip. Snip.
"Don't worry about Penny," Daisy contradicts, giving Abel a look of genuine concern. Tic. Tic. Up goes the corner of her lip, but it's not a sneer; it's a twitch, and one she can't do anything about. "She's strung out. We're all a little strung out. Since Chase went out, we've been ... too much."
It's obvious what she's been too much of.
Abel blinks to Penny and nods to Daisy again. "I don't know where Alex has put the body. I wasn't around for it. And how are you honoring Chase? You guys never tell anybody what you're doing. You simply do your thing that nobody else understands. And then you expect us all to just... to just get it." He runs a hand through his hair in frustration. "And I think you like it that way."
"That's true," says Daisy contemplatively. Halfway done, she finishes cutting and looks up, red-rimmed eyes on Abel. "Would you like us to tell you more? We could tell you things, if we could find Hod. It's Hod's job to tell you things."
Penny is mapping out a lattice of tape. It looks like a net, the long lines of silver half stuck to the floor, criss-crossing. Fencing. On hands and knees Penny marks up the tape and starts pulling out tiny things from her pockets; copper wires, bay leaves, jet pebbles, bitter herbs. These things remain in a pile beside the near-complete sticky frame.
"No. Hod is not Keene."
"Okay, help me flip this over sticky and then put that" she points to the plastic "on this."
"Keene is the best Hod. Keene is deeply Hod," Daisy explains, carefully taking up one end of the net, carefully turning it over, and carefully lowering it onto the aforementioned plastic sheeting. She looks up at Penny expectantly, lip caught between her teeth, before continuing. "There's seven of us. There're seven days. There're seven Sephirot reflected upon the face of the supernal crown, Kether. Each of us, each of the members, is a day, a Sephirot, a name. Today I'm Friday, the Sabbath. Now, the Sabbath doesn't do any work, 'cause the Sabbath is head of the cabal, just as Eheveh rules the world and the father is the head of the house. Today Penny is Monday. Monday is more cryptic than the rest of us, because Monday is above the language of intelligences."
Her smile is wan, but still a smile.
"Be glad you ain't talkin' to Da'ath. Da'ath is silent, and a bitch to boot."
Abel smiles a little and moves to help keep the plastic and tape from getting caught where it isn't supposed to go. "Here, let me help. I really need to read up more on my Kabbalah."
Penny stops with a sharp intake of breath waiting there. And it issues forth in little put-put noises when she drops a corner for Abel to pick up since he wants to help.
Her gestures are slowing down, becoming more fluid. It's possible her facilities and acuity are leaving her.
"Now. Turn it over and litter the shroud with safe passage, enlightenment and sacrafice."
The pile, her eyes fix on the pile. The bay leaves, the bitter herbs, the jet. Who knows what the copper wire is for. Better leave it out.
Of course, it's plastic. It's duct tape. It's a rock. It's a leaf. It's silly, and it's not going to work.
Daisy is a mage because she has learned to ignore these things. Closing her eyes, she takes up the bay, scattering the sharp-spined herbs across the duct tape and plastic. Then the green-brown curls of herb, scattered carefully across the same area. Then, finally, the jet stones, which clack and clatter across the shroud beneath her hand. She's whispering a gutteral, inarticulate prayer underneath her breath, choking back sobs.
You always swear in the language of your birth. You always grieve in the religion of your parents.
Abel stands back and watches. He understands something is being done... something for Chase... and he bows his head in prayer as well.
//.etro: Penny rolls "arete" at diff 5
For a total of 2 success(es).
Abel prays under his breath "Eternal rest grant unto him oh Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him.
Penny rests back on her heels. "And when they give us his body, we'll wrap him up and take him in among us," vacant-eyed she stares at a vanishing point. Head tilted to the side, her eyes go wide and slack. Swaying and rocking like some ecstatic, she might faint.
OOC> Penny says "awareness rolls if you're feelin'it."
Daisy's shoulders are tense, and her expression is hard, and she's staring at the shroud on the verge of crying.
"We will," she murmurs, "and our will is become flesh."
That's not something she would normally say, and it's lacking her characteristic insecure, gutterish diction.
Rhiamon arrives from the forward doors.
Rhiamon has arrived.
Abel puts a hand on Daisy's shoulder comfortingly but doesn't say anything.
Rhiamon enters from the Council chamber, yawning.
It's all on Penny, the energy, the resonance. This is clearly a meditation and you know she'll be here for hours. Another facet of the fasting, perhaps. She's made this little spot, the shroud and all part of a temporary domain. By touching it, the plastic, you can sense her presence and know if you stay there that your will could be subverted to her own.
Daisy, Abel, and Penny are clustered around three pieces of plastic sheeting, each roughly man-sized and man-shaped. A matrix of duct tape has been overlaid on each. The thick, pungent smell of asafoetida, fennel leaves, and horseradish rises from her. Baby leaves of romaine lettuce are scattered with jet stones and bay leaves.
Penny, kneeling, is sheened in an oracular sweat, eyes rolling up under closed eyelids, taut muscles vibrating with effort. There's no clear indication of what she's doing.
Rhiamon blinks, but doesn't interupt what is going on.
Abel turns and moves away from the powereful magicks and resonance of Penny's working, not wanting to get caught up in it. He remains quiet, contemplative.
Rhiamon mouths a greeting to Abel, and waves with a smile
Daisy stands without a word, and walks, straight-backed, out of the keep.
Daisy opens the two double doors leading out to the plains, leaving to enter the plains beyond.
Daisy has left.
Abel smiles to back to Rhiamon with a bit of a shrug, and heads out of the keep as well, gesturing to Rhiamon to follow and remain quiet.
Rhiamon nods, and picks her way over.
Abel opens the two double doors leading out to the plains, leaving to enter the plains beyond.
Abel has left.
Rhiamon opens the two double doors leading out to the plains, leaving to enter the plains beyond.
Rhiamon has left.
Penny was here before you. She's been here for days. It's been days.
It's a pretty day. The sun is shining. Penny sits indian-style at the peak of a hill, her back to the fields, her back to the tall swaying grasses and the peace that might come in quiet contemplation. She watches the forest, hands in her pockets. It's possible she hasn't showered since she got here. It's been days.
Days since that day.
It's a pretty day. The sky is blue and the sun is shining.
Cresting the hill, Pig-boy comes shuffling down the embarkment; footing unsure; stumbling, really. No master of stealth, he makes a great deal of noise in his approach - grass rustling, dirt and rocks cascading ahead of him.
"Hey, uh -- Penny," he calls, or perhaps mumbles.
//.etro: Penny rolls "arete" at diff 4
For a total of 2 success(es).
In the area are familiar looking things. It's the partial contents of Penny's bag - sharpie markers, slips of paper, tampons, keys, a gun. You walked into this area, this little circle and the slide guy interrupts your vision, your sense of self. It feels like Penny in there and Penny wants to kill.
Everything.
Easy to recognize, it's adrenaline and mescaline. It's pressure risen. It's blood in the veins and a tightness in the fists.
"I don't understand," she says with a distant tongue.
"...nothing to understand," answers Hiro, crossing the invisible line between rolling elysian fields and Penny's personal hemisphere. The sun doesn't shine so brightly, here. The birds, untroubled and singing, a little more difficult to hear. He keeps his hands balled up in his pockets, stubbornly; a key element to his perpetual slouch. "He's dead. Motherfuckers killed'm. Thassit, right. And the people we're supposed to answer to, who're supposed to protect us and help us don't give a shit, as usual. They care about number one. As usual. Nothing new."
"Right," slow and contemplative "right." Decisive. "Grab those keys, hey?" And the markers, she probably means, too.
Good mescaline comes on slow. At present time Penny has no problem getting up, picking up things, dissolving that felt-presence. But things linger - the crisp sound of paper crumpling in her hand, the feel of cold metal in her hand, your hand.
Penny holds the gun. Safety on. Finger threaded through the trigger and around the handle. Little click.
"We're taking it out of here."
It. "You mean the body," Hiro observes, bending down to retrieve Penny's keys from the grass; a fistful of sharpies next. These things are held uselessly; offered up, as if an alternative to the gun. "We can't lug a corpse out of here, Penny."
Penny starts tramping down the hill, wading through the hip-deep grasses toward the big building over there. The only building, as it happens. Consider it a march; on the move with Penny. "They brought it in here. We're taking it out of here." An unspoken 'why not?' punctuating her reasoning. "It's got a sheet on it," like a sheet's enough. "It was enough for Caesar, it's enough for him. I have a plan."
Her stance, her posture is a challenge to the building itself. "We can't leave him here. Not with these cowards. They do him wrong."
Arriving at the doors of the Novus Valnastium Penny declares quietly "We're taking him out of here. Today is the sixteenth and the first day. On the ninth day we will celebrate him. The ninth day is the Bacchanalia."
Hiro falls into place behind Penny, his record bag jostling as he makes his way, stumbling, through the field. Whatever's in there, it's heavy. He lights a cigarette as he walks; hands cupped around the tip, butane continually going out in the artifical climate. He lights it only at considerable length.
This place wasn't designed for smokers; it was designed for throwbacks. Pig-Boy's expression attests this opinion; scowling around the filter.
"We can't just cart a corpse out of here, Penny," he insists.
"It's the end of the feast, Piggy."
She raises the gun, grips it with both hands and aims it at the doors. There's a good chance she doesn't know what she's doing, what she's aiming at.
"Our fasting begins right fucking now." Thumbing the safety off, she pulls the trigger. The bullet ricohets off the stones of the building, the distinctive smell of scorched air orbits and she walks into the building.
There is a certain instinctive response to gunfire, one you don't see in movies. The hard-asses never cringe at the report, at the explosion of cordite, the sharp sound of a bullet ricocheting off of stone, or the zip as it passes through the air.
Pig-Boy is no hard-ass; he ducks instinctively, as if this would save him from a stray round. "Fuck, Penny," is all he says. He still follows -- just gives himself a little more distance.
Connelly 's sitting on the floor in a corner of the room, reading some sort of
book...
A few seconds earlier a gunshot pierced the quiet.
Moments later comes the former statue-on-the-hill that was Penny. In her hands is a large gun and in her wake is Hiro armed only, somewhat impotently, with sharpie markers. She is making great strides across the hall toward the council chambers, offering the troops no quarter moving onward.
Abel arrives from the forward doors.
Abel has arrived.
Abel comes out of the council Chambers, heading to ward the exit.
As if just now realizing his hands are full of sharpies, Hiro stuffs them away into a pocket of his labcoat; following suit with a set of keys. The cigarette, then, is plucked from between his lips; ashed on the ground.
In passing, he flashes an ironic 'peace' sign -- index and middle fingers extended -- in Connelly's direction.
Connelly stands up as she sees the two people coming in...and blinks.."What the..." She says her words hanging in the air as she sees the women with the rifle come into the main hall....
Abel goes still when he see's Penny. "What in the One's name?"
Penny doesn't stop amid the protests but keeps moving for the doors over there. It's not a rifle. It's a gun.
A Colt .45 in Penny's hand.
She isn't aiming it at anyone in particular but has it in her right hand. Her grip loosens and blows past Connelly, past Abel She says, in Enochian, "It's nothing to you. Stay out of my way."
-- and Hiro remains just a few feet behind her, keeping pace. His record bag creaks and jangles with his movement, the heavy load thumping against his back.
Connelly does what anyone who has seen armed people moving like that would do...she drops the book she was hold(a Medical Examiners procedural book) and presses her back against the wall.....
Abel calls out, trying to warn the people in the other room....
Abel shouts, "Incoming!"
You open the double doors, heading into the Main Hall beyond.
Novus Valnastium -- Council Chamber
This room is mostly empty, even more vast in some ways than the hall outside. Only three things mar its granite perfection; an immense marble table at the head of the room with nine chairs, each marked with a single Sphere glyph, an intricately inscribed Certamen circle in the center of the room, and perhaps forty seats at the back of the room, for observers and audience. A single door to the left glows a soft gold.
The great marble table seems to be carved from a single piece of stone. Polished and pristine, the table stands as if it had stood here for an eternity, its circle unbroken and complete. Each seat surrounding it is spaced evenly, as if meticulous care has been given toward seeking this state of equality.
The room is lit by a multitude of dim fires which rest in recessed pits along the walls. Here and there, candelabras stand, adding additional light to the chamber through their infinitely burning candles.
<< +views and places here >>
Contents:
Alex
Niko
Supplies
Obvious exits:
Left Door Out
Hiro enters the Council Chambers from the Main Hall outside.
Hiro has arrived.
Niko read your description.
Alex is seated in the Seat of Correspondence, slightly slouched, and with his fingers folded together in his lap.
Niko walks across the line and enters The Certamen Circle.
Penny-with-the-gun comes through the doors to the chamber, glassy-eyed and radiating that kind of level-headed calm people with guns tend to have. It is not raised or aimed at anyone in particular, it rests there in her right hand.
An extension.
She looks left, looks right and then begins to move at a reduced clip into the room "Where is it." Her voice is a thin, hard line.
Abel enters the Council Chambers from the Main Hall outside.
Abel has arrived.
Behind Penny, Hiro pauses at the chamber's threshold; standing in the shadow of the enormous oaken door. He says nothing: expression carefully neutral, only his eyes -- fixed nervously on Penny, lacking their usual narcotic placidity -- giving his state away. The cigarette rises to his lips, cherry flaring bright orange-red.
Abel comes running into the room a moment after Hiro and Penny.
"Where is what?..."Alex queries calmly with a raised eyebrow.
"The body. THE BODY," when she repeats the words, they carry upward. They echo. They reverberate and shuttle quickly back into the void. Still not pointing the gun, Penny watches Niko moves deliberately into the circle. Perhaps it's an involuntary reflex that moves her to say "I don't want to fight you, I just came for the body."
Alex hrms softly and gives a single nod,"...And what do you intend to do with the body?...
Niko settles into the circle, cross-legged and looks to Penny, "This is just where I think...chill out.."
Abel stays back for now... not wanting to get shot.
"They're fucking you about," Hiro murmurs, matter-of-factly. He still shadows the doorway; eyes flicking sideways to Abel as he materializes beside him, then back to Penny, to Alex. "Cough it up, man. He doesn't belong here."
"Oh... And I am sure that you know better than anyone else where the body belongs,"Alex comments casually,"...So why do not you enlighten us with your brillance?..."
Penny fingers the trigger of the gun. Tilting her head to the side, like maybe
she doesn't understand english, Penny squints at Alex. She holds this pose for
one, maybe two minutes before turning and walking back out of the chamber.
"Keene was right."
"...you think they ate him?" Hiro asks, quietly, as Penny draws near. Did he just insinuate... A sideways look at Alex -- a silent stare held for several seconds -- and he turns to follow Penny out.
Novus Valnastium -- Main Chamber
The main hall of Novus Valnastium is a wide, stone area, with arching buttresses and columns framing windows that stream with bright, comfortable light. Several circles of chairs and old-fashioned divans and davenports are scattered around the room, conversational areas if you will, and a center hearth flickers with a warm, comfortable flame. A set of stairs on the left leads up to a balcony that rings the area, several doors leading off it, and great double doors lead forward and to the left, right, and behind you. Two armored figures, silent as the grave, flank the doors ahead of you, as well as two others flanking the doors to the rear, which lead back out onto the open plains.
Contents:
Connelly
Obvious exits:
Out to Fields O Laboratory Doors RD Library Doors LD Council Chambers FD
Penny returns almost as quickly as she left this area "Where is it, where's the body. You /tell/ me where the body is right now." The gun is still in her hand and she seems less stable, less patient than when she left.
Hiro arrives from the forward doors.
Hiro has arrived.
"Yes, the body."
Connelly ums.."Who's body?"
Alex arrives from the forward doors.
Alex has arrived.
Abel arrives from the forward doors.
Abel has arrived.
Abel follows Alex out of the room.
Alex casually wanders into the main chamber, stopping just through the door. His head doesn't turn, but one would assume that his eyes are moving about behind the shades.
Hiro doesn't travel far into the corridor. While Penny is interrogating Connelly, Pig-boy is fitting the foam ear-beads of a minidisc player into his ears; thumb held down on the fast-forward button.
Connelly 's stqanding, like she is waiting on something...she is definately watching the gun in Penny's hand..
Hiro says "Need awareness, diff 8, from you guys"
//.etro: Connelly rolls "perception + awareness" at diff 8
For a total of 1 success(es).
Huh? (Type "help" for help.)
//.etro: Alex rolls "awareness + per" at diff 8
For a total of 1 success(es).
You paged Cassius with 'True ..and the last time I did it was with a cabal
member that had matter 2. Rats.'.
//.etro: Penny rolls "awareness+perception" at diff 8
For a total of 2 success(es).
//.etro: Abel rolls "6" at diff 8
For a total of 2 success(es).
Hiro pages Abel, Penny, Alex, and Connelly: The air is atingle. -_-
Dropping the minidisc player into his labcoat's breast pocket, Hiro takes a hesitant step across the corridor. Then another, and another. "Penny," he says, quietly; as if ignoring the presence of the other mages. "Come on then." A few more steps down the corridor, and he's pushing open the door to the laboratory.
Abel turns to Alex questioningly.
Penny falls back a step from Connelly. If looks could kill. If they could even maim. If she really wanted it to. But Penny just doesn't have time for stupidity. Clearly there are other doors, other venues to pursue here. She looks toward Hiro and gestures with the gun She says, in Enochian, "They have nothing in them but fear. If any man is able to convince me and show me that I do not think or act right, I will gladly change; for I seek the truth by which no man was ever injured," spitting to the ground She says, in Enochian, "But he is injured who abides in his error and ignorance."
Alex sighs and shakes his head following after Hiro.
Hiro opens and moves through the door marked 'Laboratory.'
Hiro has left.
You head to the doors marked 'Laboratory' and head through into the room
beyond.
Novus Valnastium -- Workspace
This room is bare, save the inclusion of several seats, benches, tables, and other miscellaneous lab equipment. Even with this equipment, the room itself is fairly empty, left to made into whatever is needed at the time. As a lab, it seems poorly equipped; however, should one consider the makeup of the room, it would become clear that the lab was built as such to better align it with any who might use it, as opposed to fitting it to any specific paradigm.
Contents:
Hiro
Obvious exits:
Out
Alex enters the Laboratory from the Main Hall.
Alex has arrived.
Abel enters the Laboratory from the Main Hall.
Abel has arrived.
In the corner of the room, where Alex's computer system has been setup, is his gang. They appear to be working on something on one of the computers, but when people enter the lab they look up. The sight of Penny's gun has them all on their feet in an instance. However, they take no action, but probably only because Alex holds a hand up to stop them as he enters the lab.
Hiro pushes his way into the library, the tinny rattle from his earbeads growing cacophanous, almost deafening. The Misfits? He fixes his attention on the body lain out on it's gurney; tapping his breast pocket to kill the music. Somehow, he never even looks at the gang of bikers. "Your show, Pence," is all he has to say, unshouldering his record bag, and dropping it down onto a workbench.
You paged Cassius with 'Can I roll at you and can you tell me what the result of a matter scan of the body reveals?'.
Cassius pages: Are you looking for something in particular?
From afar, Cassius warns he will be logging momentarily.
Long distance to Cassius: Penny wants to know if it's booby-trapped or if it's just flesh and bone we're dealing with here. Cally wasn't exactly forthcoming with info. In order to perform this ritual in nine days we're going to have to prepare the body and I don't want any surprises.
Cassius pages: Aside from a small implant that looks inactive, the corpse is an ordinary embalmed corpse.
One hand occupied with the gun. The other hand begins pulling things from her bag, that bottomless bag. She begins to deposit these things one after another onto the sheet that covers the body. A sewing kit from The Holiday Inn, her
cellphone, a swiss army knife, a Stickies notepad. "Sharp, Piggy." She holds out her free hand to him but not her full attention. That, the audience will notice, is fixed quite specifically on the head.
Contents of the record bag. white-jacketed records, unlabelled. Black plastic garbage bags. Zip ties. Cylinder of minidiscs. Wire cutters. Bag of cocaine-- that's what he was looking for. He's already got a largish quantity tapped out, narowed down to a three inch long, pencil lead-thin line. It goes up his nose with the hollow cylinder of a mechanical pencil.
"That's some spicy guacamole," he declares, straightening bolt-upright. Sharp sniff. He turns; tosses a sharpie to Penny, underhand.
Alex frowns as he makes his way to a stool next to one of the workbenches. The gang watches with idle curiousity.
Penny says "Awareness rolls diff 8, please."
//.etro: Hiro rolls "perception+awareness" at diff 8
For a total of 0 success(es).
//.etro: Abel rolls "7" at diff 8
For a total of 1 success(es).
Long distance to Hiro: Penny just got ammo.
Alex frowns as he makes his way to a stool next to one of the workbenches. The
gang watches with idle curiousity.
//.etro: Alex rolls "awareness + per" at diff 8
For a total of 2 success(es).
You paged (blind) Alex and Abel with 'Huge energy centered around Penny as she makes a move toward the head.'.
Alex sits on the stool, leaning an elbow on the workbench. His head tilts slightly as Penny moves toward the head, but he doesn't do anything to stop her.
Abel says, "Penny, what are you doing?"
Hiro cuts out a second line with the edge of a public library card. He seals the bag, dropping it into a labcoat pocket, and leans forward. "And one for my dead homie," he murmurs, before huffing the entirety up his left nostril.
Penny has the ability to do two or more things at once. She catches the marker and moves the sheet at the same time, uncovering the lump that was Chase's head. "Son of a bitch," she remarks, her hands turning the appendage, eyes wide ..maybe more dilated than they should be "son of a /bitch/. You fucking assholes," a remark for the group. "Knife, Piggy."
Penny says it again, insistant "Piggy, KNIFE."
How is it that people consuming cocaine, irregardless of other tendencies and paraphenalia choices, always seem to carry a bladed weapon? Who would have guessed that Hiro kept a gleaming, polished kitchen knife -- wicked looking bugger, fine swedish craftmanship -- in his record bag? He brandishes it briefly, turns it in his hand to grip it by the back of the blade, and offers it to Penny handle-first.
"Don't gotta be a howling cunt about it," he replies. Sniff.
Abel seems very unsure about what's going on, like he wants to interfere, but he doesn't, though he makes a few moves to.
Alex tilts his head little in Abel's direction without looking away from what Penny is doing. "Maybe she is trying to get inside Chase's head?..."
Penny responds with a quick "You don't know what I'm looking at," to justify the howling. Looking back over her shoulder at the gang of geeks Penny advises "You might want to step back," bending over the head she rests the knife on the gurney's edge "You, too" kind of waggling the gun toward the door at Alex and Abel implying that 'step back' means 'leave.'
Appearantly Alex isn't about to leave. He remains seated on the stool, elbow leaning on the workbench. He seems totally unfazed by what Penny is doing or is planning on doing.
"Motherfucker looks like he could use one," Hiro comments, sniffing again. He does not step back; he leans forward to stare glassy-eyed at the gap between head and neck. "Fuck. They really did him, didn't they?"
Abel looks at Alex and back at Penny. He hesitates but doesn't leave either. He stays back and out of the way though.
"Yeah they did," she asides to Hiro, her voice quiet and contained, possessed of the strangest calm. "Suit yourself, just don't blame me .." Already embalmed there's no gore, no blood when Penny slides the knife through the remaining tissue at the base of the skull. Carefully she presses until she can 'see' with the knife what she was looking for. Retracting the knife slowly, something not flesh and not bone begins to issue forth.
An implant of some kind.
"Careful with that,"Alex advices as Penny takes out the implant.
Abel frowns. "Are those Chases or did someone else put them there?" He looks a little sick.
Penny palms and pockets the implants, ah-ah-ahing at Alex with the gun "Back off. The Invisible College is the executor of Chase Kettle's last will and testament. If you can't respect the wishes of a dead man," letting it hang unsaid what she would hate to have to do.
"Piggy you maybe bring those bay leaves?" Never taking her eyes off Alex, her communication with Hiro is succinct and to the point.
"Show me the will,"Alex says pointedly as he stands slowly,"Because otherwise I am going to assume that you are mutalating and stealing from the dead....."
"Besides..."Alex adds,"You can not do much with those implants without special skills...."
"Fuckin' black box," mumbles Hiro, retreating to the workbench. He tears a garbage bag free from the roll, tucking it under his arm. A manilla envelope follows, embossed with six seperate post marks; a wide array of postagestamps. Mostly european, by the look of them. He passes it off to Penny, shooting a look back over his shoulder to Alex. "Don't fuck about with the affairs of collegates, for they are blatant and very fucking high on drugs," he advises.
Gandalf would not exactly be proud.
Abel shakes his head but remains back. He doesn't know anything about this techno stuff anyway.
"Well, if you want to see what happened when Chase was killed, I have it on DVD," Alex states with a bit of a smirk. He then turns to face Hiro,"Be careful who you say shit like that to," he says reaching up to remove his shades. As he does so, his right eye and the curcuitry tattoos flash a bright blue.
You say, "See boyo? Special skills," indicating for Hiro with a half-nod she tosses the envelope lefty at Alex. There other important things to concentrate on. Dickwaving never did hold her interest. She looks at Hiro again. Well, maybe. But other important things - like how to pick up the head with a gun in her hand. "Little help here, hey?"
Alex frowns slightly as he catches the envelope. Opening it he checks inside.
"I ain't threatening anyone, man. 'm just here for m'fuckin friend."
Shaking the black garbage bag out, Hiro stuffs his arm down inside, gripping Chase's severed head through the plastic. He turns the bag inside out around it; twisting it around several times, reverse double-bagging, and fixing the top with a knot. "Let's go, Penny. We can get the body later."
Abel sighs a bit and heads out of the room. He isn't doing any good in here anyway.
Alex takes a smaller envelope out of the envelope and proceeds to open that one.
Pig Boy (Saturday) says, "You paged Alex with 'It's full of crushed bay leaves.'."
Alex pours out the content of the envelope on the floor, leaves of some kind, and then tosses away the envelope. He seems about to say something, but when Hiro speaks he just shrugs instead.
Abel leaves by way of the double doors, entering the Main Hall.
Abel has left.
Penny picks up her cellphone, presses two buttons and starts texting something with one hand, murmuring "Please don't let anyone move his body," gesturing around the lab with the gun "this place is just fine." Eerie, this disaffected notion in her voice. So brisk, so formal all this time. She looks up at Hiro and collects her personal effects. "Alright. I'm ready."
"You shouldn't litter. Those make excellent seasoning," Hiro says, stuffing the bagged head into his record bag, and repacking the remainder of the contents. The strap goes over his shoulder, and he gives Penny a curt nod.
"When he tells us, we'll let you know," he informs Alex, brushing past.
Abel leaves the hall, headed back to the Earth.
Abel opens the two double doors leading out to the plains, leaving to enter the plains beyond.
Abel has left.
Connelly looks at the people coming out of the lab...and keeps back from the door...
Hiro steps out of the laboratory ahead of Penny. His record bag bulges oddly. Another flashed 'peace' at Connelly, and he heads for the exit.
Penny follows Hiro at the same pace, her gun holstered. "Y'think he'll maybe share a cab with us?" nodding up ahead at the doors. "Fuck if I've even got change for the bus.."
Alex enters the Hall from the Laboratory.
Alex has arrived.
Alex steps out of the lab, when he sees Penny and Hiro still in the main chamber he stops. Doesn't do any. Doesn't say a word. Just watches them.
"No bus," Hiro mumbles around the filter of his fresh cigarette, butane flaring between his cupped palms. His tread is the confident, heavy steps of the incredibly coked up. "We walk him home." And exeunt.
It's a pretty day. The sun is shining. Penny sits indian-style at the peak of a hill, her back to the fields, her back to the tall swaying grasses and the peace that might come in quiet contemplation. She watches the forest, hands in her pockets. It's possible she hasn't showered since she got here. It's been days.
Days since that day.
It's a pretty day. The sky is blue and the sun is shining.
Cresting the hill, Pig-boy comes shuffling down the embarkment; footing unsure; stumbling, really. No master of stealth, he makes a great deal of noise in his approach - grass rustling, dirt and rocks cascading ahead of him.
"Hey, uh -- Penny," he calls, or perhaps mumbles.
//.etro: Penny rolls "arete" at diff 4
For a total of 2 success(es).
In the area are familiar looking things. It's the partial contents of Penny's bag - sharpie markers, slips of paper, tampons, keys, a gun. You walked into this area, this little circle and the slide guy interrupts your vision, your sense of self. It feels like Penny in there and Penny wants to kill.
Everything.
Easy to recognize, it's adrenaline and mescaline. It's pressure risen. It's blood in the veins and a tightness in the fists.
"I don't understand," she says with a distant tongue.
"...nothing to understand," answers Hiro, crossing the invisible line between rolling elysian fields and Penny's personal hemisphere. The sun doesn't shine so brightly, here. The birds, untroubled and singing, a little more difficult to hear. He keeps his hands balled up in his pockets, stubbornly; a key element to his perpetual slouch. "He's dead. Motherfuckers killed'm. Thassit, right. And the people we're supposed to answer to, who're supposed to protect us and help us don't give a shit, as usual. They care about number one. As usual. Nothing new."
"Right," slow and contemplative "right." Decisive. "Grab those keys, hey?" And the markers, she probably means, too.
Good mescaline comes on slow. At present time Penny has no problem getting up, picking up things, dissolving that felt-presence. But things linger - the crisp sound of paper crumpling in her hand, the feel of cold metal in her hand, your hand.
Penny holds the gun. Safety on. Finger threaded through the trigger and around the handle. Little click.
"We're taking it out of here."
It. "You mean the body," Hiro observes, bending down to retrieve Penny's keys from the grass; a fistful of sharpies next. These things are held uselessly; offered up, as if an alternative to the gun. "We can't lug a corpse out of here, Penny."
Penny starts tramping down the hill, wading through the hip-deep grasses toward the big building over there. The only building, as it happens. Consider it a march; on the move with Penny. "They brought it in here. We're taking it out of here." An unspoken 'why not?' punctuating her reasoning. "It's got a sheet on it," like a sheet's enough. "It was enough for Caesar, it's enough for him. I have a plan."
Her stance, her posture is a challenge to the building itself. "We can't leave him here. Not with these cowards. They do him wrong."
Arriving at the doors of the Novus Valnastium Penny declares quietly "We're taking him out of here. Today is the sixteenth and the first day. On the ninth day we will celebrate him. The ninth day is the Bacchanalia."
Hiro falls into place behind Penny, his record bag jostling as he makes his way, stumbling, through the field. Whatever's in there, it's heavy. He lights a cigarette as he walks; hands cupped around the tip, butane continually going out in the artifical climate. He lights it only at considerable length.
This place wasn't designed for smokers; it was designed for throwbacks. Pig-Boy's expression attests this opinion; scowling around the filter.
"We can't just cart a corpse out of here, Penny," he insists.
"It's the end of the feast, Piggy."
She raises the gun, grips it with both hands and aims it at the doors. There's a good chance she doesn't know what she's doing, what she's aiming at.
"Our fasting begins right fucking now." Thumbing the safety off, she pulls the trigger. The bullet ricohets off the stones of the building, the distinctive smell of scorched air orbits and she walks into the building.
There is a certain instinctive response to gunfire, one you don't see in movies. The hard-asses never cringe at the report, at the explosion of cordite, the sharp sound of a bullet ricocheting off of stone, or the zip as it passes through the air.
Pig-Boy is no hard-ass; he ducks instinctively, as if this would save him from a stray round. "Fuck, Penny," is all he says. He still follows -- just gives himself a little more distance.
Connelly 's sitting on the floor in a corner of the room, reading some sort of
book...
A few seconds earlier a gunshot pierced the quiet.
Moments later comes the former statue-on-the-hill that was Penny. In her hands is a large gun and in her wake is Hiro armed only, somewhat impotently, with sharpie markers. She is making great strides across the hall toward the council chambers, offering the troops no quarter moving onward.
Abel arrives from the forward doors.
Abel has arrived.
Abel comes out of the council Chambers, heading to ward the exit.
As if just now realizing his hands are full of sharpies, Hiro stuffs them away into a pocket of his labcoat; following suit with a set of keys. The cigarette, then, is plucked from between his lips; ashed on the ground.
In passing, he flashes an ironic 'peace' sign -- index and middle fingers extended -- in Connelly's direction.
Connelly stands up as she sees the two people coming in...and blinks.."What the..." She says her words hanging in the air as she sees the women with the rifle come into the main hall....
Abel goes still when he see's Penny. "What in the One's name?"
Penny doesn't stop amid the protests but keeps moving for the doors over there. It's not a rifle. It's a gun.
A Colt .45 in Penny's hand.
She isn't aiming it at anyone in particular but has it in her right hand. Her grip loosens and blows past Connelly, past Abel She says, in Enochian, "It's nothing to you. Stay out of my way."
-- and Hiro remains just a few feet behind her, keeping pace. His record bag creaks and jangles with his movement, the heavy load thumping against his back.
Connelly does what anyone who has seen armed people moving like that would do...she drops the book she was hold(a Medical Examiners procedural book) and presses her back against the wall.....
Abel calls out, trying to warn the people in the other room....
Abel shouts, "Incoming!"
You open the double doors, heading into the Main Hall beyond.
Novus Valnastium -- Council Chamber
This room is mostly empty, even more vast in some ways than the hall outside. Only three things mar its granite perfection; an immense marble table at the head of the room with nine chairs, each marked with a single Sphere glyph, an intricately inscribed Certamen circle in the center of the room, and perhaps forty seats at the back of the room, for observers and audience. A single door to the left glows a soft gold.
The great marble table seems to be carved from a single piece of stone. Polished and pristine, the table stands as if it had stood here for an eternity, its circle unbroken and complete. Each seat surrounding it is spaced evenly, as if meticulous care has been given toward seeking this state of equality.
The room is lit by a multitude of dim fires which rest in recessed pits along the walls. Here and there, candelabras stand, adding additional light to the chamber through their infinitely burning candles.
<< +views and places here >>
Contents:
Alex
Niko
Supplies
Obvious exits:
Left Door
Hiro enters the Council Chambers from the Main Hall outside.
Hiro has arrived.
Niko read your description.
Alex is seated in the Seat of Correspondence, slightly slouched, and with his fingers folded together in his lap.
Niko walks across the line and enters The Certamen Circle.
Penny-with-the-gun comes through the doors to the chamber, glassy-eyed and radiating that kind of level-headed calm people with guns tend to have. It is not raised or aimed at anyone in particular, it rests there in her right hand.
An extension.
She looks left, looks right and then begins to move at a reduced clip into the room "Where is it." Her voice is a thin, hard line.
Abel enters the Council Chambers from the Main Hall outside.
Abel has arrived.
Behind Penny, Hiro pauses at the chamber's threshold; standing in the shadow of the enormous oaken door. He says nothing: expression carefully neutral, only his eyes -- fixed nervously on Penny, lacking their usual narcotic placidity -- giving his state away. The cigarette rises to his lips, cherry flaring bright orange-red.
Abel comes running into the room a moment after Hiro and Penny.
"Where is what?..."Alex queries calmly with a raised eyebrow.
"The body. THE BODY," when she repeats the words, they carry upward. They echo. They reverberate and shuttle quickly back into the void. Still not pointing the gun, Penny watches Niko moves deliberately into the circle. Perhaps it's an involuntary reflex that moves her to say "I don't want to fight you, I just came for the body."
Alex hrms softly and gives a single nod,"...And what do you intend to do with the body?...
Niko settles into the circle, cross-legged and looks to Penny, "This is just where I think...chill out.."
Abel stays back for now... not wanting to get shot.
"They're fucking you about," Hiro murmurs, matter-of-factly. He still shadows the doorway; eyes flicking sideways to Abel as he materializes beside him, then back to Penny, to Alex. "Cough it up, man. He doesn't belong here."
"Oh... And I am sure that you know better than anyone else where the body belongs,"Alex comments casually,"...So why do not you enlighten us with your brillance?..."
Penny fingers the trigger of the gun. Tilting her head to the side, like maybe
she doesn't understand english, Penny squints at Alex. She holds this pose for
one, maybe two minutes before turning and walking back out of the chamber.
"Keene was right."
"...you think they ate him?" Hiro asks, quietly, as Penny draws near. Did he just insinuate... A sideways look at Alex -- a silent stare held for several seconds -- and he turns to follow Penny out.
Novus Valnastium -- Main Chamber
The main hall of Novus Valnastium is a wide, stone area, with arching buttresses and columns framing windows that stream with bright, comfortable light. Several circles of chairs and old-fashioned divans and davenports are scattered around the room, conversational areas if you will, and a center hearth flickers with a warm, comfortable flame. A set of stairs on the left leads up to a balcony that rings the area, several doors leading off it, and great double doors lead forward and to the left, right, and behind you. Two armored figures, silent as the grave, flank the doors ahead of you, as well as two others flanking the doors to the rear, which lead back out onto the open plains.
Contents:
Connelly
Obvious exits:
Out to Fields O Laboratory Doors RD Library Doors LD Council Chambers FD
Penny returns almost as quickly as she left this area "Where is it, where's the body. You /tell/ me where the body is right now." The gun is still in her hand and she seems less stable, less patient than when she left.
Hiro arrives from the forward doors.
Hiro has arrived.
"Yes, the body."
Connelly ums.."Who's body?"
Alex arrives from the forward doors.
Alex has arrived.
Abel arrives from the forward doors.
Abel has arrived.
Abel follows Alex out of the room.
Alex casually wanders into the main chamber, stopping just through the door. His head doesn't turn, but one would assume that his eyes are moving about behind the shades.
Hiro doesn't travel far into the corridor. While Penny is interrogating Connelly, Pig-boy is fitting the foam ear-beads of a minidisc player into his ears; thumb held down on the fast-forward button.
Connelly 's stqanding, like she is waiting on something...she is definately watching the gun in Penny's hand..
//.etro: Connelly rolls "perception + awareness" at diff 8
For a total of 1 success(es).
Huh? (Type "help" for help.)
//.etro: Alex rolls "awareness + per" at diff 8
For a total of 1 success(es).
You paged Cassius with 'True ..and the last time I did it was with a cabal
member that had matter 2. Rats.'.
//.etro: Penny rolls "awareness+perception" at diff 8
For a total of 2 success(es).
//.etro: Abel rolls "6" at diff 8
For a total of 2 success(es).
Hiro pages Abel, Penny, Alex, and Connelly: The air is atingle. -_-
Dropping the minidisc player into his labcoat's breast pocket, Hiro takes a hesitant step across the corridor. Then another, and another. "Penny," he says, quietly; as if ignoring the presence of the other mages. "Come on then." A few more steps down the corridor, and he's pushing open the door to the laboratory.
Abel turns to Alex questioningly.
Penny falls back a step from Connelly. If looks could kill. If they could even maim. If she really wanted it to. But Penny just doesn't have time for stupidity. Clearly there are other doors, other venues to pursue here. She looks toward Hiro and gestures with the gun She says, in Enochian, "They have nothing in them but fear. If any man is able to convince me and show me that I do not think or act right, I will gladly change; for I seek the truth by which no man was ever injured," spitting to the ground She says, in Enochian, "But he is injured who abides in his error and ignorance."
Alex sighs and shakes his head following after Hiro.
Hiro opens and moves through the door marked 'Laboratory.'
Hiro has left.
You head to the doors marked 'Laboratory' and head through into the room
beyond.
Novus Valnastium -- Workspace
This room is bare, save the inclusion of several seats, benches, tables, and other miscellaneous lab equipment. Even with this equipment, the room itself is fairly empty, left to made into whatever is needed at the time. As a lab, it seems poorly equipped; however, should one consider the makeup of the room, it would become clear that the lab was built as such to better align it with any who might use it, as opposed to fitting it to any specific paradigm.
Contents:
Hiro
Obvious exits:
Out
Alex enters the Laboratory from the Main Hall.
Alex has arrived.
Abel enters the Laboratory from the Main Hall.
Abel has arrived.
In the corner of the room, where Alex's computer system has been setup, is his gang. They appear to be working on something on one of the computers, but when people enter the lab they look up. The sight of Penny's gun has them all on their feet in an instance. However, they take no action, but probably only because Alex holds a hand up to stop them as he enters the lab.
Hiro pushes his way into the library, the tinny rattle from his earbeads growing cacophanous, almost deafening. The Misfits? He fixes his attention on the body lain out on it's gurney; tapping his breast pocket to kill the music. Somehow, he never even looks at the gang of bikers. "Your show, Pence," is all he has to say, unshouldering his record bag, and dropping it down onto a workbench.
You paged Cassius with 'Can I roll at you and can you tell me what the result of a matter scan of the body reveals?'.
Cassius pages: Are you looking for something in particular?
From afar, Cassius warns he will be logging momentarily.
Long distance to Cassius: Penny wants to know if it's booby-trapped or if it's just flesh and bone we're dealing with here. Cally wasn't exactly forthcoming with info. In order to perform this ritual in nine days we're going to have to prepare the body and I don't want any surprises.
Cassius pages: Aside from a small implant that looks inactive, the corpse is an ordinary embalmed corpse.
One hand occupied with the gun. The other hand begins pulling things from her bag, that bottomless bag. She begins to deposit these things one after another onto the sheet that covers the body. A sewing kit from The Holiday Inn, her
cellphone, a swiss army knife, a Stickies notepad. "Sharp, Piggy." She holds out her free hand to him but not her full attention. That, the audience will notice, is fixed quite specifically on the head.
Contents of the record bag. white-jacketed records, unlabelled. Black plastic garbage bags. Zip ties. Cylinder of minidiscs. Wire cutters. Bag of cocaine-- that's what he was looking for. He's already got a largish quantity tapped out, narowed down to a three inch long, pencil lead-thin line. It goes up his nose with the hollow cylinder of a mechanical pencil.
"That's some spicy guacamole," he declares, straightening bolt-upright. Sharp sniff. He turns; tosses a sharpie to Penny, underhand.
Alex frowns as he makes his way to a stool next to one of the workbenches. The gang watches with idle curiousity.
//.etro: Hiro rolls "perception+awareness" at diff 8
For a total of 0 success(es).
//.etro: Abel rolls "7" at diff 8
For a total of 1 success(es).
Long distance to Hiro: Penny just got ammo.
Alex frowns as he makes his way to a stool next to one of the workbenches. The
gang watches with idle curiousity.
//.etro: Alex rolls "awareness + per" at diff 8
For a total of 2 success(es).
You paged (blind) Alex and Abel with 'Huge energy centered around Penny as she makes a move toward the head.'.
Alex sits on the stool, leaning an elbow on the workbench. His head tilts slightly as Penny moves toward the head, but he doesn't do anything to stop her.
Abel says, "Penny, what are you doing?"
Hiro cuts out a second line with the edge of a public library card. He seals the bag, dropping it into a labcoat pocket, and leans forward. "And one for my dead homie," he murmurs, before huffing the entirety up his left nostril.
Penny has the ability to do two or more things at once. She catches the marker and moves the sheet at the same time, uncovering the lump that was Chase's head. "Son of a bitch," she remarks, her hands turning the appendage, eyes wide ..maybe more dilated than they should be "son of a /bitch/. You fucking assholes," a remark for the group. "Knife, Piggy."
Penny says it again, insistant "Piggy, KNIFE."
How is it that people consuming cocaine, irregardless of other tendencies and paraphenalia choices, always seem to carry a bladed weapon? Who would have guessed that Hiro kept a gleaming, polished kitchen knife -- wicked looking bugger, fine swedish craftmanship -- in his record bag? He brandishes it briefly, turns it in his hand to grip it by the back of the blade, and offers it to Penny handle-first.
"Don't gotta be a howling cunt about it," he replies. Sniff.
Abel seems very unsure about what's going on, like he wants to interfere, but he doesn't, though he makes a few moves to.
Alex tilts his head little in Abel's direction without looking away from what Penny is doing. "Maybe she is trying to get inside Chase's head?..."
Penny responds with a quick "You don't know what I'm looking at," to justify the howling. Looking back over her shoulder at the gang of geeks Penny advises "You might want to step back," bending over the head she rests the knife on the gurney's edge "You, too" kind of waggling the gun toward the door at Alex and Abel implying that 'step back' means 'leave.'
Appearantly Alex isn't about to leave. He remains seated on the stool, elbow leaning on the workbench. He seems totally unfazed by what Penny is doing or is planning on doing.
"Motherfucker looks like he could use one," Hiro comments, sniffing again. He does not step back; he leans forward to stare glassy-eyed at the gap between head and neck. "Fuck. They really did him, didn't they?"
Abel looks at Alex and back at Penny. He hesitates but doesn't leave either. He stays back and out of the way though.
"Yeah they did," she asides to Hiro, her voice quiet and contained, possessed of the strangest calm. "Suit yourself, just don't blame me .." Already embalmed there's no gore, no blood when Penny slides the knife through the remaining tissue at the base of the skull. Carefully she presses until she can 'see' with the knife what she was looking for. Retracting the knife slowly, something not flesh and not bone begins to issue forth.
An implant of some kind.
"Careful with that,"Alex advices as Penny takes out the implant.
Abel frowns. "Are those Chases or did someone else put them there?" He looks a little sick.
Penny palms and pockets the implants, ah-ah-ahing at Alex with the gun "Back off. The Invisible College is the executor of Chase Kettle's last will and testament. If you can't respect the wishes of a dead man," letting it hang unsaid what she would hate to have to do.
"Piggy you maybe bring those bay leaves?" Never taking her eyes off Alex, her communication with Hiro is succinct and to the point.
"Show me the will,"Alex says pointedly as he stands slowly,"Because otherwise I am going to assume that you are mutalating and stealing from the dead....."
"Besides..."Alex adds,"You can not do much with those implants without special skills...."
"Fuckin' black box," mumbles Hiro, retreating to the workbench. He tears a garbage bag free from the roll, tucking it under his arm. A manilla envelope follows, embossed with six seperate post marks; a wide array of postagestamps. Mostly european, by the look of them. He passes it off to Penny, shooting a look back over his shoulder to Alex. "Don't fuck about with the affairs of collegates, for they are blatant and very fucking high on drugs," he advises.
Gandalf would not exactly be proud.
Abel shakes his head but remains back. He doesn't know anything about this techno stuff anyway.
"Well, if you want to see what happened when Chase was killed, I have it on DVD," Alex states with a bit of a smirk. He then turns to face Hiro,"Be careful who you say shit like that to," he says reaching up to remove his shades. As he does so, his right eye and the curcuitry tattoos flash a bright blue.
You say, "See boyo? Special skills," indicating for Hiro with a half-nod she tosses the envelope lefty at Alex. There other important things to concentrate on. Dickwaving never did hold her interest. She looks at Hiro again. Well, maybe. But other important things - like how to pick up the head with a gun in her hand. "Little help here, hey?"
Alex frowns slightly as he catches the envelope. Opening it he checks inside.
"I ain't threatening anyone, man. 'm just here for m'fuckin friend."
Shaking the black garbage bag out, Hiro stuffs his arm down inside, gripping Chase's severed head through the plastic. He turns the bag inside out around it; twisting it around several times, reverse double-bagging, and fixing the top with a knot. "Let's go, Penny. We can get the body later."
Abel sighs a bit and heads out of the room. He isn't doing any good in here anyway.
Alex takes a smaller envelope out of the envelope and proceeds to open that one.
Pig Boy (Saturday) says, "You paged Alex with 'It's full of crushed bay leaves.'."
Alex pours out the content of the envelope on the floor, leaves of some kind, and then tosses away the envelope. He seems about to say something, but when Hiro speaks he just shrugs instead.
Abel leaves by way of the double doors, entering the Main Hall.
Abel has left.
Penny picks up her cellphone, presses two buttons and starts texting something with one hand, murmuring "Please don't let anyone move his body," gesturing around the lab with the gun "this place is just fine." Eerie, this disaffected notion in her voice. So brisk, so formal all this time. She looks up at Hiro and collects her personal effects. "Alright. I'm ready."
"You shouldn't litter. Those make excellent seasoning," Hiro says, stuffing the bagged head into his record bag, and repacking the remainder of the contents. The strap goes over his shoulder, and he gives Penny a curt nod.
"When he tells us, we'll let you know," he informs Alex, brushing past.
Abel leaves the hall, headed back to the Earth.
Abel opens the two double doors leading out to the plains, leaving to enter the plains beyond.
Abel has left.
Connelly looks at the people coming out of the lab...and keeps back from the door...
Hiro steps out of the laboratory ahead of Penny. His record bag bulges oddly. Another flashed 'peace' at Connelly, and he heads for the exit.
Penny follows Hiro at the same pace, her gun holstered. "Y'think he'll maybe share a cab with us?" nodding up ahead at the doors. "Fuck if I've even got change for the bus.."
Alex enters the Hall from the Laboratory.
Alex has arrived.
Alex steps out of the lab, when he sees Penny and Hiro still in the main chamber he stops. Doesn't do any. Doesn't say a word. Just watches them.
"No bus," Hiro mumbles around the filter of his fresh cigarette, butane flaring between his cupped palms. His tread is the confident, heavy steps of the incredibly coked up. "We walk him home." And exeunt.
Tuesday, July 01, 2003
Aftermath... So, I diddn't see any of the sabbat poses but I thought I'd leave 'em in for humor value.
Absently Chase hands over the kicker, still some red fluid to inject. "Hit that. Main line it, cabrone. We'll get... we'll get... the rest a you lot over..." Starting to get woozy, eyes close. His other nostril starts bleeding.
Wether its the sound of his name, or that scent in the air.. Dave scampers back and forth on the Dr's lap. The monkey takes the shot and injects the willing Dr, then suckles at the wound briefly. Its electrifying, the Monkey falling back onto the floor with a thump where he starts convulsing and shaking with the grin of one who is terrifyingly euphoric.
More twitching. A smirk shows Chase's coffee stained teeth even as his bloodshot eyes are closed to remain together. Something else is grabbed automatically within arm's reach, as if greedy fingers knew just where it was. A yellow pill for plain lips. "Sub... Subspactial ward. Walls." It's popped back to fend for it's self in with the gum. And duly, Chase nudges you to take more. "Crunch up, Doc. 'S final.... final piece."
Pobble kicks back, twitching and nudging the monkey with his foot. Dave doesn't seem to care, lost in some unholy caress. The empty shot is placed on a nearby surface and the last drag of the cigarette is taken down. "So. He have any chums left in the trads?"
Pobble says "P - Reaching into the ashtray, Pobble possibly continues to stare at Chase waiting for a response while thumbing out some Ash. Mixing this with the blood seeping from his palm he grabs a nearby book and trails the thin ooze over the cover in a twisting pattern. It's not terribly viscous so this takes a while, but Chase is otherwise occupied so.. Once the pictogram is complete its not even really recognizable, just a smear. Still. The chemicals in his head elevate the illusion somewhat and he mouths a single word in a language Chase doesn't understand. "Walls." says the Dr, in Enochian.
A - Mind 1. Shield.
T - The image and the word, reverberate inside the psyche of the Dr, dragging along the psychotropic drug effects and twisting them into upperplane clouds across the subconscious. Blocking the mind from outside influences as a thunderstorm blocks the sun. Not terribly accurate or stylish, but perhaps worth the effort."
//.etro: Pobble rolls "arete" at diff 3
For a total of 1 success(es).
//.etro: Pobble rolls "arete" at diff 3
For a total of 3 success(es) including 1 ten(s).
//.etro: Pobble rolls "arete" at diff 3
For a total of 2 success(es) including 1 ten(s).
Dr Steve leans forward and inexplicably licks the markings off the book before settling back once more with a somewhat perplexed smile and once more nuding the monkey with his foot.
Chase is still in the zone, eyes closed tight like they were keeping out bright sunlight. *Pop* Chewing in the same robotic pace. "Yeahhh. Right. Just under there." That didn't answer the Doc's question very well, but it's all he could muster at the moment.
P - Chase stands languidly, pushing himself up with lazy effort. His red eyes finally opens and he takes this moment to adjust his nuts. A look about the room, he's nodding something to himself. A canister is grabbed from the chem tins, looks akin to a smoke grenade. It's walked to the center of the room and the pin is pulled whilst Chase scratches his scalp. The faint smell of oranges start to permeate the air as a colorless gas leaks out.
Cor 4 (remove room from the spacial continuum for a duration.)
T - The gas is a conduit for the Cor foci Chase has already ingested, it's gonna draw his avatar out into the air, and dislocate this room from the rest of the world, creating their own special pocket of reality."
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim comes in from the street beyond.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim has arrived.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Simon comes in from the street beyond.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Simon has arrived.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Karl comes in from the street beyond.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Karl has arrived.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Dean comes in from the street beyond.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Dean has arrived.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Vulture comes in from the street beyond.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Vulture has arrived.
Chase says "Heh."
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah comes in from the street beyond.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah has arrived.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim slips into the shadows, obsuring himself from others sight and mind.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim has left.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Takes a few steps into the shadows, and doesnt seem to step back out...
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah has left.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, You all manage to arrive inside the derelict home rather easily. It seems someone has left the door unlocked. It doesn't look like anyone's at home just now.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, It all seems too easy, doesn't it? Vulture voices his opinion as he pulls a pair of knives from within the long folds of his hakama. They're a pair of wicked looking devices, "Feels like a trap." The Birdman mutters under his breath as he follows the group.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Dean is unseen for all intents and purposes, not here, nah uh.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim has arrived.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, There is a rustle, and the sound of footsteps as Micah steps out from the shadows...
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah has arrived.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Karl has left.
Absently Chase hands over the kicker, still some red fluid to inject. "Hit that. Main line it, cabrone. We'll get... we'll get... the rest a you lot over..." Starting to get woozy, eyes close. His other nostril starts bleeding.
Wether its the sound of his name, or that scent in the air.. Dave scampers back and forth on the Dr's lap. The monkey takes the shot and injects the willing Dr, then suckles at the wound briefly. Its electrifying, the Monkey falling back onto the floor with a thump where he starts convulsing and shaking with the grin of one who is terrifyingly euphoric.
More twitching. A smirk shows Chase's coffee stained teeth even as his bloodshot eyes are closed to remain together. Something else is grabbed automatically within arm's reach, as if greedy fingers knew just where it was. A yellow pill for plain lips. "Sub... Subspactial ward. Walls." It's popped back to fend for it's self in with the gum. And duly, Chase nudges you to take more. "Crunch up, Doc. 'S final.... final piece."
Pobble kicks back, twitching and nudging the monkey with his foot. Dave doesn't seem to care, lost in some unholy caress. The empty shot is placed on a nearby surface and the last drag of the cigarette is taken down. "So. He have any chums left in the trads?"
Pobble says "P - Reaching into the ashtray, Pobble possibly continues to stare at Chase waiting for a response while thumbing out some Ash. Mixing this with the blood seeping from his palm he grabs a nearby book and trails the thin ooze over the cover in a twisting pattern. It's not terribly viscous so this takes a while, but Chase is otherwise occupied so.. Once the pictogram is complete its not even really recognizable, just a smear. Still. The chemicals in his head elevate the illusion somewhat and he mouths a single word in a language Chase doesn't understand. "Walls." says the Dr, in Enochian.
A - Mind 1. Shield.
T - The image and the word, reverberate inside the psyche of the Dr, dragging along the psychotropic drug effects and twisting them into upperplane clouds across the subconscious. Blocking the mind from outside influences as a thunderstorm blocks the sun. Not terribly accurate or stylish, but perhaps worth the effort."
//.etro: Pobble rolls "arete" at diff 3
For a total of 1 success(es).
//.etro: Pobble rolls "arete" at diff 3
For a total of 3 success(es) including 1 ten(s).
//.etro: Pobble rolls "arete" at diff 3
For a total of 2 success(es) including 1 ten(s).
Dr Steve leans forward and inexplicably licks the markings off the book before settling back once more with a somewhat perplexed smile and once more nuding the monkey with his foot.
Chase is still in the zone, eyes closed tight like they were keeping out bright sunlight. *Pop* Chewing in the same robotic pace. "Yeahhh. Right. Just under there." That didn't answer the Doc's question very well, but it's all he could muster at the moment.
P - Chase stands languidly, pushing himself up with lazy effort. His red eyes finally opens and he takes this moment to adjust his nuts. A look about the room, he's nodding something to himself. A canister is grabbed from the chem tins, looks akin to a smoke grenade. It's walked to the center of the room and the pin is pulled whilst Chase scratches his scalp. The faint smell of oranges start to permeate the air as a colorless gas leaks out.
Cor 4 (remove room from the spacial continuum for a duration.)
T - The gas is a conduit for the Cor foci Chase has already ingested, it's gonna draw his avatar out into the air, and dislocate this room from the rest of the world, creating their own special pocket of reality."
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim comes in from the street beyond.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim has arrived.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Simon comes in from the street beyond.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Simon has arrived.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Karl comes in from the street beyond.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Karl has arrived.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Dean comes in from the street beyond.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Dean has arrived.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Vulture comes in from the street beyond.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Vulture has arrived.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah comes in from the street beyond.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah has arrived.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim slips into the shadows, obsuring himself from others sight and mind.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim has left.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Takes a few steps into the shadows, and doesnt seem to step back out...
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah has left.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, You all manage to arrive inside the derelict home rather easily. It seems someone has left the door unlocked. It doesn't look like anyone's at home just now.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, It all seems too easy, doesn't it? Vulture voices his opinion as he pulls a pair of knives from within the long folds of his hakama. They're a pair of wicked looking devices, "Feels like a trap." The Birdman mutters under his breath as he follows the group.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Dean is unseen for all intents and purposes, not here, nah uh.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim has arrived.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, There is a rustle, and the sound of footsteps as Micah steps out from the shadows...
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah has arrived.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Karl has left.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah says simply "We don't need to talk do we? I mean, to communicate, we can talk with our hands right?"
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Keeping his voice low Dar glances over the party, looking over to Micah once and nodding, "These Mages. They use spells and such?" He makes a motion to his lips as if thinking about them speaking these 'spells'.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Dean has left.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah nods
From Derelict Home - Main Room, "They fuck shit up." Vulture hisses low, flooding blood into his veins to strengthen his limbs and his skin. Both knives are held easily at his sides, "Can bring fire'n sunlight without even wavin' a wand." Wow, how does he know all this cool stuff.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Simon slips quietly and discretly into the building from the second story, descending from the roof into the building with a practiced ease. The room is pitch black and dark (I'm assuming. No one is setting the scene here) but his small glowing eyes reveal everything behind his sunglasses, and he moves to press himself flag against the wall. (I'm assuming ALOT here)
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim looks to Micah, nods, and the idea passes clearly between the two clan mates. Quiet will be the word of the day.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim slips into the shadows, obsuring himself from others sight and mind.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim has left.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Takes a few steps into the shadows, and doesnt seem to step back out...
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah has left.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Dichotic eyes slip back and forth as Vulture watches his comrades disappear. Yup, he's left in plain sight. Gripping the handles of the knives tighter, he lets out a whispered sound of exasperation, "Fuuuuuuuuuck."
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Simon slides along the wall to the edge of the door frame. He waits there for a while, listening carefully. Not having to breathe comes in handy in these sort of situations, to pick out those who do. Not hearing anything (I'm assuming again), He slowly pokes his head around, and takes stock of the very empty hallway. Its very empty alright. He slides into the hallway, crouching low along the ground and slowly stalks to the next room, every muscle twitched. His strnage furry ears twitch a bit when he hears some cussing from down below, and he takes note of it. God damn scrub.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Into his own form of stealth mode, the Birdman crouches low to the floor of the room. His eyes scan the corners and he swallows, perhaps for the last time, before he holds his breath - no point in doing anything in the slightest... well... besides what he's done... to make noise. Arms cocked, knives pointing out the bottom of his grip, he advances towards the stairwell. Nice and slow. Of course, he doesn't know where anyone else is, which gives his movements a lack of definition. Almost seeming nervous.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Simon slowly rights himself, and moves over to the next closed door in the hallway, pressing up flat against the wall yet again. His powers of deception aren't as advanced some, but if remains still enough he becomes practicly invisible. He uses this to his advantage as he listens to any sounds from beyond the next door. Nothing (Assumption!). He waits even longer, and then ever so slowly taps the door open. It makes a slow creeking sound as it opens, and reveals more nothing.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, At the creak that whispers down from upstairs, the Toreador shifts his position. He doesn't have animal ears, but damn is his hearing sharp. For a moment he just looks up at the ceiling - then remembers where Simon went. Centering himself he looks down the stairs and then lets out his breath nice and slow. With one tenative step he puts his foot on the first stair - preparing to descend into what could be the gates of hell for all he knows. Wicked blades held at the ready.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Simon suddenly appears creeping down the stairwell, quiet as a mouse, but highly visable to anyone who can see. Well, if you can see in the dark. He holds up a hand to Vulture, and motions to him that the upstairs is clear. Sabbat hand signals are alot like the ones the Navy Seals use, just alot cooler. His eyes scan the room, and then he signs, "Clear?"
From Derelict Home - Main Room, One good hand signal; Vulture pops two big thumbs up after he manages to avoid shitting his pants at Simon's appearance. Of course, he's not quite able to have a bowel movement... but the look in his eyes says 'Simon, you utter BASTARD!'. Then he points with both index fingers down the stairs and gives a shrug of his shoulders - Should I go down? Seems to be his question.
Back to the comfort of the leather chair. Chase returns, more goodies. He's going scar-face tonight, eh? Another handful of capsules are procured from a tin on the lab table and they get crunched right after the punk spits his green gum out. He's need his jaw muscles for a few minutes. Crunch, munch, bunch, a yellowy foam builds at the side of his lips. Eyes roll back, he wipes his lips.
After a moment or two of steady delirium, "Oi. Cheeky, rude little faggots. Got a few foxes 'n the hen house... Dead ones."
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Simon motions for the big brute to hold. He then does the feasibly insane, and slowly creeps down to the door to the basement and repeats the same proceedure as up above. He attempts to take notice of any tripwires and what not, but you can never prepare enough for this sort of thing. When he arrives at the bottom of the stairs, he pauses and holds completely still. If you weren't stairing at him before, you don't see him now. And he listens.
Pobble sits up, ears almost twitching. "Crapweasels." he murmers hazily. Again the foot to the Monkey. "Oi. Dave. Maybe you should pop sideways and tell the other cunts to get the hell out of Dodge. But away from here." He smirks, sitting up and wobbling a little, tapping his silver fingernails together with a metallic 'thwink'.
Shifting of the surfaces could indicate that Dr Steve is looking about, for something maybe.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Vulture wanted to be the first one to go down! The huffy look he gets on his face says so. Resigned to being the less cool of the pair that are visible, the Birdman begins his descent behind his Packmate, blades held at the ready; set to rend flesh with his sharp, metal, instruments. Not surgeon's steel... but he's going to do some damage if he manages to hit someone. Each step is calculated as he places it on each stair. Slowly slipping down behind Simon without a peep.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Simon doesn't hear anything (Assumption). He then holds up 3 fingers in the air, initating a simple countdown. He then slowly grabs ahold of the door nob, and looks up the stairwell at Vulture. The last thing he does before he starts the countdown is wink, fangs and red eyes gleaming. Yeeeeehaw!
"Got some Windex and Lysol mate?" says Dr Steve after a second.
"Mmmmmm." Chase starts to look around as his eyes open again. "Yeah. Prolly. Somewhere... mebbe I should just give all a mental nudge, eh Dave don't gotta worry his furry lil' ass over this..."
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Taking note of the three count, Vulture almost seems to vibrate with excitement. Women all over the world would... uh... nevermind. Flowing his vitae into his nerve centres he prepares to move quick as a whip. Blades held at the ready. Its GO time.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Keeping his voice low Dar glances over the party, looking over to Micah once and nodding, "These Mages. They use spells and such?" He makes a motion to his lips as if thinking about them speaking these 'spells'.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Dean has left.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah nods
From Derelict Home - Main Room, "They fuck shit up." Vulture hisses low, flooding blood into his veins to strengthen his limbs and his skin. Both knives are held easily at his sides, "Can bring fire'n sunlight without even wavin' a wand." Wow, how does he know all this cool stuff.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Simon slips quietly and discretly into the building from the second story, descending from the roof into the building with a practiced ease. The room is pitch black and dark (I'm assuming. No one is setting the scene here) but his small glowing eyes reveal everything behind his sunglasses, and he moves to press himself flag against the wall. (I'm assuming ALOT here)
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim looks to Micah, nods, and the idea passes clearly between the two clan mates. Quiet will be the word of the day.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim slips into the shadows, obsuring himself from others sight and mind.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim has left.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Takes a few steps into the shadows, and doesnt seem to step back out...
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah has left.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Dichotic eyes slip back and forth as Vulture watches his comrades disappear. Yup, he's left in plain sight. Gripping the handles of the knives tighter, he lets out a whispered sound of exasperation, "Fuuuuuuuuuck."
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Simon slides along the wall to the edge of the door frame. He waits there for a while, listening carefully. Not having to breathe comes in handy in these sort of situations, to pick out those who do. Not hearing anything (I'm assuming again), He slowly pokes his head around, and takes stock of the very empty hallway. Its very empty alright. He slides into the hallway, crouching low along the ground and slowly stalks to the next room, every muscle twitched. His strnage furry ears twitch a bit when he hears some cussing from down below, and he takes note of it. God damn scrub.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Into his own form of stealth mode, the Birdman crouches low to the floor of the room. His eyes scan the corners and he swallows, perhaps for the last time, before he holds his breath - no point in doing anything in the slightest... well... besides what he's done... to make noise. Arms cocked, knives pointing out the bottom of his grip, he advances towards the stairwell. Nice and slow. Of course, he doesn't know where anyone else is, which gives his movements a lack of definition. Almost seeming nervous.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Simon slowly rights himself, and moves over to the next closed door in the hallway, pressing up flat against the wall yet again. His powers of deception aren't as advanced some, but if remains still enough he becomes practicly invisible. He uses this to his advantage as he listens to any sounds from beyond the next door. Nothing (Assumption!). He waits even longer, and then ever so slowly taps the door open. It makes a slow creeking sound as it opens, and reveals more nothing.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, At the creak that whispers down from upstairs, the Toreador shifts his position. He doesn't have animal ears, but damn is his hearing sharp. For a moment he just looks up at the ceiling - then remembers where Simon went. Centering himself he looks down the stairs and then lets out his breath nice and slow. With one tenative step he puts his foot on the first stair - preparing to descend into what could be the gates of hell for all he knows. Wicked blades held at the ready.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Simon suddenly appears creeping down the stairwell, quiet as a mouse, but highly visable to anyone who can see. Well, if you can see in the dark. He holds up a hand to Vulture, and motions to him that the upstairs is clear. Sabbat hand signals are alot like the ones the Navy Seals use, just alot cooler. His eyes scan the room, and then he signs, "Clear?"
From Derelict Home - Main Room, One good hand signal; Vulture pops two big thumbs up after he manages to avoid shitting his pants at Simon's appearance. Of course, he's not quite able to have a bowel movement... but the look in his eyes says 'Simon, you utter BASTARD!'. Then he points with both index fingers down the stairs and gives a shrug of his shoulders - Should I go down? Seems to be his question.
Back to the comfort of the leather chair. Chase returns, more goodies. He's going scar-face tonight, eh? Another handful of capsules are procured from a tin on the lab table and they get crunched right after the punk spits his green gum out. He's need his jaw muscles for a few minutes. Crunch, munch, bunch, a yellowy foam builds at the side of his lips. Eyes roll back, he wipes his lips.
After a moment or two of steady delirium, "Oi. Cheeky, rude little faggots. Got a few foxes 'n the hen house... Dead ones."
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Simon motions for the big brute to hold. He then does the feasibly insane, and slowly creeps down to the door to the basement and repeats the same proceedure as up above. He attempts to take notice of any tripwires and what not, but you can never prepare enough for this sort of thing. When he arrives at the bottom of the stairs, he pauses and holds completely still. If you weren't stairing at him before, you don't see him now. And he listens.
Pobble sits up, ears almost twitching. "Crapweasels." he murmers hazily. Again the foot to the Monkey. "Oi. Dave. Maybe you should pop sideways and tell the other cunts to get the hell out of Dodge. But away from here." He smirks, sitting up and wobbling a little, tapping his silver fingernails together with a metallic 'thwink'.
Shifting of the surfaces could indicate that Dr Steve is looking about, for something maybe.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Vulture wanted to be the first one to go down! The huffy look he gets on his face says so. Resigned to being the less cool of the pair that are visible, the Birdman begins his descent behind his Packmate, blades held at the ready; set to rend flesh with his sharp, metal, instruments. Not surgeon's steel... but he's going to do some damage if he manages to hit someone. Each step is calculated as he places it on each stair. Slowly slipping down behind Simon without a peep.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Simon doesn't hear anything (Assumption). He then holds up 3 fingers in the air, initating a simple countdown. He then slowly grabs ahold of the door nob, and looks up the stairwell at Vulture. The last thing he does before he starts the countdown is wink, fangs and red eyes gleaming. Yeeeeehaw!
"Got some Windex and Lysol mate?" says Dr Steve after a second.
"Mmmmmm." Chase starts to look around as his eyes open again. "Yeah. Prolly. Somewhere... mebbe I should just give all a mental nudge, eh Dave don't gotta worry his furry lil' ass over this..."
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Taking note of the three count, Vulture almost seems to vibrate with excitement. Women all over the world would... uh... nevermind. Flowing his vitae into his nerve centres he prepares to move quick as a whip. Blades held at the ready. Its GO time.
Part 3. Wouldn't let me do it as one.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, There is a rustle, and the sound of footsteps as Micah steps out from the shadows...
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah has arrived.
Chase turns his head before a response is forthcoming. "Oi. The bunker. There's a spirit in there, eh? That's how they found this pad. Doc Steve." The punk gains a moment of froathy clearity. "Yer good with them spirit types, right?"
Pobble moves to his feet, ignorant of the new arrivals and mozies over to the kitchen area. Fumbling about underneath he grabs a bucket, places it upright next to the cupboard. "Not a clue mate, That'd be Penny.." Looking into the cupboard he queries, "Think we can drop off a present?"
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Eventually, Karl appears, coming in from back outside. "Somehow, they've... escaped. Or hidden themselves. We may as well go home."
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah shrugs "Course we could always burn this sucker down...that way the night wasn't a total waste"
Chase makes a face, and turns to the bunker door again, fingering his cleft chin. "What ta do, eh?"
From Derelict Home - Main Room, A sillouetted outline appears at first. Fuzzy, indistinct, as if your mind is attempting to wrap itself around the existance of whatever it is. The cobwebs of the Obfuscate are shaken from the mind as Darjims hold on the blood is released, giving him shape and form.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim has arrived.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Slightly behind and beside Karl comes a gigantic swirling mass of obtenebration, the head is translucent so determining who it is might be more then alittle difficult, arms of blackness writhing and twitching like snakes as they remain at his, it's, sides. One could safely assume the shadow monster is Dean.
Pobble waggles his fingernails. "Nitro G." he says, and begins to pour random household products into the bucket.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, "I don't think they'd notice, honestly," Karl notes, with a shrug. "I have my ideas. We may just tell their friends a few more things about them, and what they did tonight, and see if that gets them dealt with. But me, I'm going home."
From Derelict Home - Main Room, A frown flows over the lips of the Birdman, "What... you mean, they aren't downstairs at all?" His hands twirl the blades he's carrying around a couple of times. His eyes slip from Karl, to shadowy Dean, back to Karl again, "So... like... this whole thing was for nothing?" Yup, that's disappointment, folks. Another twirl, and he slides the blades into hidden sheathes on his legs.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah puts his Kukri back in his pants, and says "Well, fuck it, I aint all for messing with things I don't understand anyway." He looks around to his packmates "Whatdaya say we go chase one of those rickshaw thingies down and do something wrong with it?"
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim glances around the room carefully after coming out of the shadows, his own blade getting replaced in it's sheath around his back. He says nothing, his eyes scanning the room slowly before they fall on the exit. It would appear that it is time to leave then.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Simon is right by the door to the basement, counting down 3 fingers. Appearantly the kids were still in the process of clearing the building. He frowns, and stands upright. He removes his hand from the knob, and moves up the stairs with a sulk. His claws remain extended, and he glances over at Vultrue. "Pup, what are you doing? Someone is going to die tonight for all this trouble. I don't care who anymore." His voice is more on a growl, and with that he stalks out the door. You get the sense he's going to kill the first 3 people he sees. Its been that sort of night, and conversation isn't going to sate this bloodlust.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, "They moved, somehow. They were there, and then they were not there." That is all Karl has to say. "And they're probably beyond our reach now. I'm simply going home. I'll deal with the later." That said, he simply starts on his way out.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim shrugs and as well moves out of the house.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim leaves the house.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim has left.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah just shakes his head "Im going to get a fucking cup of coffee...and throw it at someone..."
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah leaves the house.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah has left.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, "Pup?" Vulture mutters indignantly as Simon stalks away. With a frown on his lips he gives the Gangrel a nickname, too, "Cock!" Then he lets out a snarl, and notes his whole pack is buggering off, and heads out after them with a brisk movements, "Guys... hang on... I got an idea..." Oh yeah, like the punk has anything worthwhile in his head.
You say, "Its the perfect gift." He stops, looking into the bucket and pondering. This doesn't last as Windex and Lyson have a somewhat overpowering smell, causing him to step back. Wobbly. Looking over to see Dave still lying on the floor, Dr Steve sighs. "You useless fuck.""
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Vulture leaves the house.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Vulture has left.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Simon leaves the house.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Simon has left.
Chase says, "Airy thingy... just whispin' about in the bunker still. Mebbe we should give P-Diddy a call, eh? 'Fore we come out. Get her to banish this lil' bugger."
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Karl leaves the house.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Karl has left.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Dean leaves the house.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Dean has left.
Pobble is still recoiling from the noxious clean smell of the bucket, and just manages to lift it up and pour the contents down the sink. No one seems overly impressed with his drug addled plan and it sucks the motivation out of him. He stands there, bucket upturned and wobbling for a few moments. "Go 'head" he mumbles, dropping the bucket noisily and lighting up a new smoke.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, There is a rustle, and the sound of footsteps as Micah steps out from the shadows...
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah has arrived.
Chase turns his head before a response is forthcoming. "Oi. The bunker. There's a spirit in there, eh? That's how they found this pad. Doc Steve." The punk gains a moment of froathy clearity. "Yer good with them spirit types, right?"
Pobble moves to his feet, ignorant of the new arrivals and mozies over to the kitchen area. Fumbling about underneath he grabs a bucket, places it upright next to the cupboard. "Not a clue mate, That'd be Penny.." Looking into the cupboard he queries, "Think we can drop off a present?"
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Eventually, Karl appears, coming in from back outside. "Somehow, they've... escaped. Or hidden themselves. We may as well go home."
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah shrugs "Course we could always burn this sucker down...that way the night wasn't a total waste"
Chase makes a face, and turns to the bunker door again, fingering his cleft chin. "What ta do, eh?"
From Derelict Home - Main Room, A sillouetted outline appears at first. Fuzzy, indistinct, as if your mind is attempting to wrap itself around the existance of whatever it is. The cobwebs of the Obfuscate are shaken from the mind as Darjims hold on the blood is released, giving him shape and form.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim has arrived.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Slightly behind and beside Karl comes a gigantic swirling mass of obtenebration, the head is translucent so determining who it is might be more then alittle difficult, arms of blackness writhing and twitching like snakes as they remain at his, it's, sides. One could safely assume the shadow monster is Dean.
Pobble waggles his fingernails. "Nitro G." he says, and begins to pour random household products into the bucket.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, "I don't think they'd notice, honestly," Karl notes, with a shrug. "I have my ideas. We may just tell their friends a few more things about them, and what they did tonight, and see if that gets them dealt with. But me, I'm going home."
From Derelict Home - Main Room, A frown flows over the lips of the Birdman, "What... you mean, they aren't downstairs at all?" His hands twirl the blades he's carrying around a couple of times. His eyes slip from Karl, to shadowy Dean, back to Karl again, "So... like... this whole thing was for nothing?" Yup, that's disappointment, folks. Another twirl, and he slides the blades into hidden sheathes on his legs.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah puts his Kukri back in his pants, and says "Well, fuck it, I aint all for messing with things I don't understand anyway." He looks around to his packmates "Whatdaya say we go chase one of those rickshaw thingies down and do something wrong with it?"
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim glances around the room carefully after coming out of the shadows, his own blade getting replaced in it's sheath around his back. He says nothing, his eyes scanning the room slowly before they fall on the exit. It would appear that it is time to leave then.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Simon is right by the door to the basement, counting down 3 fingers. Appearantly the kids were still in the process of clearing the building. He frowns, and stands upright. He removes his hand from the knob, and moves up the stairs with a sulk. His claws remain extended, and he glances over at Vultrue. "Pup, what are you doing? Someone is going to die tonight for all this trouble. I don't care who anymore." His voice is more on a growl, and with that he stalks out the door. You get the sense he's going to kill the first 3 people he sees. Its been that sort of night, and conversation isn't going to sate this bloodlust.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, "They moved, somehow. They were there, and then they were not there." That is all Karl has to say. "And they're probably beyond our reach now. I'm simply going home. I'll deal with the later." That said, he simply starts on his way out.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim shrugs and as well moves out of the house.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim leaves the house.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Darjim has left.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah just shakes his head "Im going to get a fucking cup of coffee...and throw it at someone..."
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah leaves the house.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Micah has left.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, "Pup?" Vulture mutters indignantly as Simon stalks away. With a frown on his lips he gives the Gangrel a nickname, too, "Cock!" Then he lets out a snarl, and notes his whole pack is buggering off, and heads out after them with a brisk movements, "Guys... hang on... I got an idea..." Oh yeah, like the punk has anything worthwhile in his head.
You say, "Its the perfect gift." He stops, looking into the bucket and pondering. This doesn't last as Windex and Lyson have a somewhat overpowering smell, causing him to step back. Wobbly. Looking over to see Dave still lying on the floor, Dr Steve sighs. "You useless fuck.""
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Vulture leaves the house.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Vulture has left.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Simon leaves the house.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Simon has left.
Chase says, "Airy thingy... just whispin' about in the bunker still. Mebbe we should give P-Diddy a call, eh? 'Fore we come out. Get her to banish this lil' bugger."
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Karl leaves the house.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Karl has left.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Dean leaves the house.
From Derelict Home - Main Room, Dean has left.
Pobble is still recoiling from the noxious clean smell of the bucket, and just manages to lift it up and pour the contents down the sink. No one seems overly impressed with his drug addled plan and it sucks the motivation out of him. He stands there, bucket upturned and wobbling for a few moments. "Go 'head" he mumbles, dropping the bucket noisily and lighting up a new smoke.
P - Well, since Chase is the lead in this particular dance, he'll be concocting a special
brew of new fun chemi-yummies for Pobs to taste. There's gonna kick back, turn on the TV,
smoke sblue colored powder and think about shit -real- hard.
A - Cor 2/Prime 2 (Plasma Death)
T - Chase is opening Pobs up to a new path of Avatar relations, one not steeped in his
particular hermetic style. It's a self attunement that's rather baseless, but seems to tap
into the core just the same. Only nonspecific methods, none charted by previous magi.
Still chemical foci, as Pobs uses, just going about it's business in roads. Chase will
take Pob's avatar energy with him via the Cor foci, showing him distance and spacial
relatives. Then, the prime kicker will activate, and we'll send over plasma bolts into his
fuckin' brain."
Cassius says "17 total... hmm, minus the four... carry the 87... comes out to
about... 26 health levels."
Pobble sits back, chews and repeatedly drags on an unlit cigarette. The repetition seems
to calm him and he stares off into the distance, with an expression that seems to be
slowly melting. The monkey on his lap looks up at him with sad blue eyes, holding onto one
of his hands and gently poking at the holes in his hands, as if trying to remind the
missing Deity of where to go to unleash its holy wrath on the crossfucking nonbeliever.
This is the zone Chase was telling you about. Static hissing in the background,
meth-sulfate mix hitting your spine. The thick man's in his plush chair in much the same
spell Pobs is. Some sweat beading upon his shaved scalp and gum chewing to some internal
clockwise beat. Every five point seven seconds, he remembers to breath and blink all at
once. Veins straining on his horse neck,he finally blows a bubble. *POP*
"You feel, it eh. Como que no. Dios."
A single bead of sweat drips from Pobble's nose onto the monkey who scratches at his head
and goes to say something but thinks the better of it. Something in the air causes its fur
to bristle just a touch and an expectant grin begins to form on its lips. The smell of
paradox on the wind, the smell of the mother of all highs.
"Indubidably." murmers the good Doctor, silver fingernails glinting as he continues the
motion with precise timing. Sucking the cigarette, sucking the essence of Yahwe back to
his oh so hollow skull and a non lonely place. Angsty longing for the missing godhead
causes a twitch on his lip between drags, but it vanishes, succumbing to a merry sigh and
a moment with closed eyes.
Twitches start, like a cink in the system, one of Chase's lazy eyes squints up and
releases. "Yeah. Fuckin' yeah." Chin up when he looks to the skies, obscured by layers of
earth, concrete and mortar. "I just keep chewing." To nothing in particular as callused
hands shake up a glass vile containing reddish liquid. He inserts it into an air injection
unit and raises it behind his ear. "Grounded kicker. It's the universe's spike, cabrone."
The unit bites his skin with a hiss.
"Dave gotta stay with me next week....p... pu.... puto." Chase let's out a whisper.
A lighter is drawn from somewhere, its chrome muddied with blood from Steve's hand. He has
'em and he'll smoke em. Eyes that would be bloodshot if they weren't purest white flutter
and the man lets out a sigh as he exhales that first sweet drag. "I'm not heading anyplace
anytime soon fucker. Not safe outside by my reakoning."
Absently Chase hands over the kicker, still some red fluid to inject. "Hit that. Main line
it, cabrone. We'll get... we'll get... the rest a you lot over..." Starting to get woozy,
eyes close. His other nostril starts bleeding.
Wether its the sound of his name, or that scent in the air.. Dave scampers back and forth
on the Dr's lap. The monkey takes the shot and injects the willing Dr, then suckles at the
wound briefly. Its electrifying, the Monkey falling back onto the floor with a thump where
he starts convulsing and shaking with the grin of one who is terrifyingly euphoric.
brew of new fun chemi-yummies for Pobs to taste. There's gonna kick back, turn on the TV,
smoke sblue colored powder and think about shit -real- hard.
A - Cor 2/Prime 2 (Plasma Death)
T - Chase is opening Pobs up to a new path of Avatar relations, one not steeped in his
particular hermetic style. It's a self attunement that's rather baseless, but seems to tap
into the core just the same. Only nonspecific methods, none charted by previous magi.
Still chemical foci, as Pobs uses, just going about it's business in roads. Chase will
take Pob's avatar energy with him via the Cor foci, showing him distance and spacial
relatives. Then, the prime kicker will activate, and we'll send over plasma bolts into his
fuckin' brain."
about... 26 health levels."
Pobble sits back, chews and repeatedly drags on an unlit cigarette. The repetition seems
to calm him and he stares off into the distance, with an expression that seems to be
slowly melting. The monkey on his lap looks up at him with sad blue eyes, holding onto one
of his hands and gently poking at the holes in his hands, as if trying to remind the
missing Deity of where to go to unleash its holy wrath on the crossfucking nonbeliever.
This is the zone Chase was telling you about. Static hissing in the background,
meth-sulfate mix hitting your spine. The thick man's in his plush chair in much the same
spell Pobs is. Some sweat beading upon his shaved scalp and gum chewing to some internal
clockwise beat. Every five point seven seconds, he remembers to breath and blink all at
once. Veins straining on his horse neck,he finally blows a bubble. *POP*
"You feel, it eh. Como que no. Dios."
A single bead of sweat drips from Pobble's nose onto the monkey who scratches at his head
and goes to say something but thinks the better of it. Something in the air causes its fur
to bristle just a touch and an expectant grin begins to form on its lips. The smell of
paradox on the wind, the smell of the mother of all highs.
"Indubidably." murmers the good Doctor, silver fingernails glinting as he continues the
motion with precise timing. Sucking the cigarette, sucking the essence of Yahwe back to
his oh so hollow skull and a non lonely place. Angsty longing for the missing godhead
causes a twitch on his lip between drags, but it vanishes, succumbing to a merry sigh and
a moment with closed eyes.
Twitches start, like a cink in the system, one of Chase's lazy eyes squints up and
releases. "Yeah. Fuckin' yeah." Chin up when he looks to the skies, obscured by layers of
earth, concrete and mortar. "I just keep chewing." To nothing in particular as callused
hands shake up a glass vile containing reddish liquid. He inserts it into an air injection
unit and raises it behind his ear. "Grounded kicker. It's the universe's spike, cabrone."
The unit bites his skin with a hiss.
"Dave gotta stay with me next week....p... pu.... puto." Chase let's out a whisper.
A lighter is drawn from somewhere, its chrome muddied with blood from Steve's hand. He has
'em and he'll smoke em. Eyes that would be bloodshot if they weren't purest white flutter
and the man lets out a sigh as he exhales that first sweet drag. "I'm not heading anyplace
anytime soon fucker. Not safe outside by my reakoning."
Absently Chase hands over the kicker, still some red fluid to inject. "Hit that. Main line
it, cabrone. We'll get... we'll get... the rest a you lot over..." Starting to get woozy,
eyes close. His other nostril starts bleeding.
Wether its the sound of his name, or that scent in the air.. Dave scampers back and forth
on the Dr's lap. The monkey takes the shot and injects the willing Dr, then suckles at the
wound briefly. Its electrifying, the Monkey falling back onto the floor with a thump where
he starts convulsing and shaking with the grin of one who is terrifyingly euphoric.
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