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Post by Spartan 999 on Jan 16, 2017 5:30:52 GMT
Silence reigned in the elevator. Mostly; there was some nice classical music playing from the speakers.
Sunlight shone into the car through the glass at the back, thanks to the elevator shaft being transparent on the outside. That gave the occupants a lovely descending view of Chicago in the afternoon.
Koschei, now in the guise of 'Cosmin Tchaikovsky', checked his wristwatch. “Ten past four. Not too bad.” He resumed holding the top of his spiraling metal cane with both hands.
“About what?,” asked the young wizard-in-training, Gerlach.
“There is still sufficient time to reach the anomaly,” Koschei replied. “Before others do.”
“Right...” Hakim crossed his arms over his chest and gave the immortal magician a skeptical look. “Interesting as that may be, we need to know what to do here: who to speak with for more information, and how to find them.”
“Patience, lad.” Koschei directed a sunny smile to him. “If I know anything about him, he will be there.”
“Who?”
“An old, very special acquaintance. I just hope he hasn't moved on; that would be terribly tedious.”
Ding went the elevator.
The doors slid open, and Koschei was already walking forward. They'd arrived on the first floor, and the lobby wasn't too far from them. However, almost immediately, a thin, chestnut-haired man at a nearby desk scrambled to his feet and scurried over to the sorcerer.
“U-uhm, M-M-Mr. Tchaik-kovsky, I d-didn't know y-you w-were here!,” the man stammered in what sounded like a soft Australian accent. “A-a-and w-with f-friends, t-too...,” he murmured, having noticed the others accompanying Koschei.
“William, meet friends. Friends, meet my secretary, William Dunn.” Koschei made two off-handed gestures at each introduction.
“H-hello...” William gave them a timid wave before looking back at Koschei. “D-do you need anything, s-sir? O-oh, and Mr. Hansen h-has been d-demanding to have a m-meeting with you, f-finally!”
“I do not, and I shall be in town for a few days, so feel free to book an appointment for later tonight or...whenever. I don't really care.”
As they entered the lobby proper, it became apparent that this place was a...bank of some kind, or a related financial institution.
“Now, I've urgent business of my own at the moment, so you may scamper on back to your desk.”
“So you-”
Koschei made a shooing gesture. “Go, schnell, skedaddle, bezhat!”
William skittered back to his desk near the private elevator.
“Wonderful guy, that William; kind, takes initiative, mind like a steel trap, secretly an internationally-skilled hitman...the works.” Koschei pushed open one of the front doors, crossed to the next set, opened one of those, and then finally stepped outside onto the sidewalk. “Chicago, friends. Friends, Chicago at ground level.”
The streets and sidewalks were packed with the cars and people that thronged them, respectively. Skyscrapers reached up high towards the sky, which was perfectly capable of inducing vertigo in some people who looked up at them. Sirens blared not too far away, and a particularly aggressive driver got honked at by the person they'd cut off just several meters away.
It really was Chicago.
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Post by Bippwatt on Jan 16, 2017 20:58:04 GMT
Eliora arched an eyebrow. "So...he's nice, but a murderer?", she asked dubiously. She was also skeptical of the assassin part, given his bumbling manner. But then again, she knew better than most that appearances could be deceiving.
She had traded in her typical garments for a high-quality professional business attire in, of course, whites and ice blues. The former lady-in-waiting had opted for pants as opposed to skirts because her range of motion was less impeded. Her scimitar, with a ripple of her magic, turned into a sword-cane. Similar activity occurred with her bow and arrows, as she turned the bow into a hair bow which pulled her long white tresses back into a low, loose ponytail and the quiver became a pocket watch, which came from her suit jacket's pocket, the chain linking to her belt.
To finish it off, she had kept her shoes, a pair of white five-inch heels...only she had removed the sheaths on the heels and they were now impressively sharp stilettos, though most wouldn't notice it...as least until said stilettos were piercing one's heart. How she moved with anything resembling speed on them was anyone's guess, but she managed it.
Deidre hadn't changed a thing, her attire already prepped for Chicago. But she did zip up her bomber jacket. When Bonnie gave her a look, she explained "It's cold outside. It's the middle of winter here." She also didn't need to hide her weapons. For one, the scabbard of her sword was enchanted to prevent it and the sword within it from being noticed. And for two, she held a concealed carry license in Illinois, so she wasn't too worried about open carrying. Besides, the police here knew her. She was friends with over half of them. It was her hometown, after all.
Mia hadn't had to change much to fit in. She just traded in french cocked hat in for fedora and her traveling cloak for what appeared to be a trenchcoat. Mia smiled. "I like this trenchcoat."
At that, Deidre had looked over and spewed the sip of water she'd been taking. "Uh, sorry. That's actually called a duster.", she said, wiping the water from her face. "...It looks good on you, Mia."
And Mia had kept it. She'd requested Eliora's assistance in disguising her weapons, pistol becoming a wristwatch on her left wrist, cutlass becoming a sword-cane, similar to Eliora's own and hook-and-chain becoming a length of black ribbon wrapped around her right forearm.
"So...who's this very old acquaintance?", Mia asked now.
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Post by recoveryfive on Jan 17, 2017 0:22:24 GMT
Jack looked down at his wrist crossbow, folded up and covered by the sleeve of the hoodie he was wearing. He felt his switchblade in one of his pockets, feeling well defended despite his more casual clothes. To his left, Bonnie and Cheshire were wearing a flannel jacket with pants and a long-sleeved blouse with slacks, respectively. Both had suitcases containing their weapons and were satisfied with this arrangement. Rosani and Kilroy were wearing matching business suits and shades, Gerlach in between them with a particularly warm-looking sweater (he had left his cloak and hat back at the arrival point) and his bag still on his back.
"This is quite the ensemble, isn't it?" Kilroy said dryly, thankful that he and his sister had found those enchanted amulets to disguise their demon forms. "I hope that groups this large are common in this 'Chicago'." He still looked fairly angry about having to tolerate Koschei, but had said nothing about it yet.
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Post by Spartan 999 on Jan 17, 2017 21:07:32 GMT
Hakim, wearing a simple set of dark casual attire with a backpack slung over his shoulder, frowned at Koschei's description of William. The problem was, he couldn't tell if the sorcerer was telling the truth or had just made it up as a joke. He didn't say anything for the moment, and naturally Koschei didn't feel the need to answer Eliora.
“...The main question I have is 'where',” the Ash Lad muttered after they reached the sidewalk. “But actually telling us 'who' would be nice, too.”
“The where is easy.” Koschei lazily pointed across the street and a little to their right. “Three blocks that way, assuming he's still in Chicago. That is, if he hasn't already gone out to investigate the anomaly further. Which, oh...,” he tapped his glasses, “...has currently come to a stop on the outskirts of town. Near the shore of the lake.” A soft chuckle escaped him. “But not after causing a little property damage in the heart of downtown on the way.” He lifted his hand, put his fingers to his lips, and whistled.
Mere moments later, a sleek limousine pulled up next to the sidewalk. It was high-end but not ostentatious, and looked to be made more for practicality than outward displays of extravagance. A chauffeur hopped out to open the back doors for them.
“As for the 'who', that is an altogether much more complicated answer. Personally, I think it better if you just wait to meet him. I guarantee that it will be a...novel experience.” Koschei grinned and held a hand out towards the limo. “After you.”
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Post by Bippwatt on Jan 18, 2017 1:47:04 GMT
"Soooo...what is this anomaly?", Deidre hedged.
"I must confess a certain amount of curiosity on the subject.", Mia said.
"In other words, tell us what the fuck is going on and where you're dragging us before I kidney punch you repeatedly.", Eliora said, clearly fed up now.
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Post by recoveryfive on Jan 18, 2017 4:08:49 GMT
"And I will help." Kilroy growled, directing a glare Koschei's way. If the sorcerer cared about this, he gave no such indication, although the demon didn't really seem to care if he cared. "M- maybe we should save the punching for when we're not in this thing, yes?" Gerlach spoke up, fixing his glasses for what felt like the hundredth time now. "But I agree, I think this cryptic business has gone on a bit too far." "Agreed." Rosani said, hands behind her head as she relaxed in her seat. "This isn't boring in the slightest, but it's starting to get there." - - - - - - Meanwhile, in a building a good distance away, a young man was awakening to the sounds of both Chicago and the phone currently sitting on his nightstand. The bedroom he was in was somewhat lavish, although not overly so. It was certainly the room one would expect of a particularly wealthy member of society. This young man, with his dark hair and rather beautiful face, looked almost like a demigod as he sat up and glanced at the alarm clock. 11:30 A.M. What a lovely time of day. he thought, looking to his right at the girl laying next to him. Miyako is undoubtably going to give me hell for this as per usual...but then again, I stopped caring what she thought a long time ago, didn't I?Taking a few seconds to confirm that the girl was indeed dead, the young man covered her with the blankets. He would deal with the corpse in a bit. Right now, he had a routine to complete. Getting out of bed, he grabbed the phone and went straight to the music section as he headed towards the closet. He selected a particular song that he liked very much before beginning his search, slightly nodding his head to the rhythm as he picked out a nice shirt and pants. We can dance if we want to, We can leave your friends behind He picked up the phone and made his way to the bathroom, smiling a disturbingly serene smile. 'Cause your friends don't dance, and if they don't dance, Well, they're no friends of mine Closing the door behind him, he pulled out his toothpaste and toothbrush. Say, we can go where we want to, A place that they will never find When that was done, he turned on the shower and hopped in, leaving his phone on the sink countertop. And we can act like we come from out of this world, Leave the real one far behind The young man found himself whistling along with the lyrics, cleaning himself as thoroughly as he could. When he was sure he was done, he stepped out while drying himself off. He shut off the phone as the song finally ended, finally feeling refreshed and ready for a new day. Putting on his clothes and stepping out of the bathroom, he was greeted with a knock on the door. And there she is: The Queen Bitch herself. he thought, rolling his eyes. He would never say such vulgar things out loud, of course, but it felt good to think them. He walked to the door, ready to greet the knocker with the usual banter. Little did he know that today was going to be very special for a lot of people. |
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Post by Spartan 999 on Jan 18, 2017 23:20:31 GMT
Koschei stepped into the limousine after the others and lounged comfortably against the seat. “As amusing as that may be for all parties...” He grinned wickedly, but that faded back into a small smile after a few moments. “...Like I said before, I don't know what it is. Only that it exists: a planar anomaly that I've been tracking for a few weeks now. It originated from far outside the range of my, ah, 'sensors', and made its way here, traveling through Faerie and Validor beforehand--just to name a couple places. That is why I am curious, because it is likely something new.”
The sorcerer shrugged and tapped the handle of his cane. “That being said, there will be others that sensed its presence. We may not be alone--but if everything goes right, that may be to our benefit. Ah, and I nearly forgot!” He whipped out a cellphone, dialed a number, and held it up to his ear. “...Yes, William? Please get in touch with my contacts; I need to know where Sid is. Thanks, love you too!” Koschei hung up and slipped the phone back into his pocket.
Near the shore of Lake Michigan
“You're late.”
“Unlike some people here, I can't throw money at traffic to make it go away. Rubble's not easy to get around either.”
The first speaker, a man with an ambiguously-brown skin tone, turned his head to look at the second: one Harper Drake, Chicago's resident Wizard For Hire. Dull grey-brown and seaglass-green eyes met and passed an unspoken agreement between the two.
“...So has it moved?” Harper came to a stop next to the first speaker and folded her arms across her chest.
“No.” Silas Benedict shook his head slightly. “It's been inert for...,” he checked his wristwatch, “one hour and eighteen minutes. Since then, it's shown no sign of...further distortion or mobility.”
“I dunno if that's good or bad...” After all, that...thing, whatever it was, had torn through three buildings downtown, damaged several cars, and injured at least thirty people. And that was just what she knew about. Sure, it wasn't currently wreaking havoc as a traveling distortion in space, but if it was alive, it could prove to be an even worse threat when awake in the same way a bomb would probably be worse than a wrecking ball.
“I'll take the positives for now.” Silas then nodded at the 'landing' site. “Miss Ragna is almost done assessing it. I don't suppose you can lend your experienced eye for it too?”
“Using my Sight's out of the question,” grunted Harper. Nonetheless, she adjusted her hat before stepping down the incline and onto the sandy shore.
“Do be careful, Ms. Drake.”
Harper lazily saluted with two fingers. It was a good thing she'd gotten over the crime boss' insistence of calling her Ms. Drake over the past few years, and not just Drake or Harper.
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Post by Bippwatt on Jan 19, 2017 2:16:12 GMT
"Who is...Sid?", Eliora asked acerbically, clearly annoyed and fed up with the situation.
Mia contented herself with fixing the collar on her newly-acquired duster, while Deidre leaned kinda away from everyone else, head propped on her open hand, elbow resting on the armrest, looking out the window as she looked around her home city.
Suddenly, Deidre sat bolt upright. "Uh...what was that?", the wizard asked. "Was I the only one who felt that...ripple?"
As soon as the door opened, the woman standing there smiled. "Knew I'd find you still at home, brother. Say, Iago, how did you sleep? You do know that it's quarter past four, right?" At her raised eyebrow, the young man she had called Iago let her in, seemingly not caring that he was letting her in when he had a dead body in the other room.
Which was not unexpected, since, more than likely, Miyako Raith, sister to Iago Raith, had more than likely woken up with another dead body, most likely male, next to her.
"So, dear brother. How have you been? I feel like it's been months since I last saw you. Which is probably because it has been. Three, in point of fact."
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Post by recoveryfive on Jan 19, 2017 2:49:31 GMT
"In the paraphrased words of a rather famous human, dear sister, I have been having myself a real good time." A rather toothy and almost smug grin adorned Iago's face. "And I feel very much alive." His sister chuckled at the reference, and he gestured over to the bed. "Although I am lucky to be, because I believe that fine young lady over there was a Hunter. Lucy, her name was." he added, looking quite satisfied at what had happened. "Did she find out what you were?" "Unfortunately, she did. But by then, it was much too late." A small shudder of pleasure wracked his body, barely noticeable. "You should have seen the look on her face, Sister. It was utterly splendid." Without further ado, the young man set into motion his plan to dispose of the body. "But enough about me. How have you fared while we were apart?" he asked politely, as if he had not just privately gloated about murdering someone. - - - - - - "Nope, I didn't feel anything..." Bonnie said, looking at Deidre with concern. "Maybe you have to go take a crap or something?" "Bonnibel Scarlet!" Eliora said, almost mortified at her friend's blunt suggestion, while Gerlach made a surprised half-choking noise and turned to face her in shock. "Don't 'full name' me, Ellie. Everyone in this chariot thing's done it at least once. I'm not breaking some sort of sacred law by mentioning one of the basic human needs." "I know, but-" Eliora shook her head. "Whatever, it doesn't matter. You mentioned a ripple, Deidre?" "I think I may have felt something like that." Gerlach chimed in, slowly getting over his shock. "It seemed somewhat powerful, whatever it was." Cheshire looked over at Jack. "No magic and monsters in Chicago, eh?" she remarked, amused at the irony in his earlier words. "Hey, don't look at me like that. I left here before crazy ripple bullshit apparently started happening, not after." |
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Post by Spartan 999 on Jan 21, 2017 0:25:28 GMT
“Sid is...,” Koschei's lips pursed like he'd just eaten something mildly sour, “another friend. I mentioned him earlier as the one that I would have to 'put feelers out to locate'. I don't know where he is or what he's up to these days, but the old methods will still work in finding him. Probably,” he added after a second.
At Deidre's little outburst, the old sorcerer shifted and coughed into his fist. “Apologies, I tried to wait 'til we'd exited the car.” He grinned toothily at his joke.
Hakim just pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “...'Magic and monsters' are not common knowledge among the mundane human population here,” he muttered, deciding to speak on another subject. “But there is an underground supernatural community of sorts.”
About a minute later, the limo slowed and came to a stop. Outside the windows, they could see that the skyscrapers and congested roads of downtown Chicago had fallen behind them as they traveled towards the outskirts. Directly ahead were several black cars arranged in a way to block traffic, and some men wearing suits stood guard there. Most of them had telltale bulges under their jackets that indicated the presence of a firearm.
One of the men approached the driver's side window, one hand under his coat and presumably resting on the gun there. “Turn back,” he grunted to the limo driver. “This area's closed. Restricted area.”
The driver mutely handed the man what looked like an ID.
“...” The guard pulled out his phone and made a quick call. “Yeah, we got a limo here. Guy's name is...Tchaikovsky.” A pause. “...Yeah. Yeah. 'Kay boss.” The guard tucked his phone back into his pocket and walked back to the car roadblock. “Boss says to let 'em through.”
The other guards exchanged looks, but they dutifully got into two of the cars and pulled aside, giving the limo a gap to drive through.
Koschei just smiled and tapped the top of his cane happily.
“I'm guessing this 'boss' is your first friend?,” asked Hakim flatly.
That made the sorcerer show teeth in his grin. “All of you, please remember that while these men are professionals, they are still professional mobsters.”
“...Mobsters?” Bonnie's eyebrow quirked up.
“You can't be serious,” Hakim muttered.
“Uh...” Jack was taken aback by that, and maybe a little uncomfortable, but he didn't look he like was outright planning to jump from the limo and make a break for it.
Deidre rolled her eyes and let out a groaning sigh. “...Of course. It's Chicago. Why wouldn't there be mobsters involved...”
“Organized criminals, I am serious, aaaand...we have arrived,” said Koschei moments before the limousine came to a stop again.
The driver got out and hurried around to open their doors, allowing the group to file out of the car, Koschei being the first to do so.
They now stood at the top of an incline that overlooked Lake Michigan, as well as the sandy beach that was its shore. It was a remote place, relatively speaking, with few roads and buildings or houses nearby. Most of them looked fairly low-end, too, so it wasn't a better part of the city either.
Just up ahead was a man standing at the top of the incline, looking down at what was on the beach; he was flanked by a couple mobster bodyguards who alternated between looking at the same thing he was and observing the newcomers. The readers had already met Mr. Silas Benedict, but the main adventuring group--most of them, anyway--hadn't. He struck a...not quite imposing figure, per se, but he very much had an air of authority and command about him, and one look in his eyes was enough to tell that this was not a man to take lightly.
“Silas Ramsey Benedict.” Koschei grinned as he approached the crime boss. “You're sure moving up in the world, I see.”
“Cosmin.” Silas didn't turn around to face the sorcerer. “I find myself unsurprised at your presence here.”
“What can I say? Curiosity's pull on me is so very alluring.” Koschei stopped next to Silas, planted his cane in front of himself, and cast his gaze down at the “landing” site.
“Instead, I find myself surprised that you are actually accompanied by others who are not your lackeys.” The crime boss slowly turned his head to look at Koschei. His entire demeanor made their height difference seem nonexistent.
“I've made a deal with them.”
“I see.” Silas' head faced forward once again. “And you wish for my help.”
“On their behalf, yes.”
“I'll think about it. After we've dealt with this...anomaly.”
Koschei tilted his head. “...Honestly, looks a lot like a boat to me. Most of one, anyway.”
“Your powers of observation are unmatched.”
Down on the beach, at the end of a two hundred-foot long scar-like furrow in the sand and earth, was a crater that held what looked like a large boat in it. In its prime it must've looked sleek, with jade and gold the most prominent colors on its hull, and a few sails of light pink color. However, it'd been severely damaged, with parts of the boat torn and crumpled and scorched by the crash-landing and...whatever resulted in its appearing here. That being said, they could tell that it had a distinctive style of craftmanship that evoked Indian and Chinese styles, among a few other Asiatic ones.
That being said, it was unique in the way that it didn't look like any kind of earthly boat; if anything, it resembled the skyships of Validor or Faerie. But...even that wasn't quite accurate, as its design seemed to have a more...refined, even futuristic look, about it. It definitely didn't have any engines or obvious outward form of locomotion apart from the sails--some of said sails looked like they might have even been wing-like, extending from either side of the boat. Really, it wouldn't be amiss to think of it as a boat playing at being a spaceship.
There were already two people on the beach that were at work examining the wreck, one being a grumpy-looking woman wearing a duster and hat who was working amidst a few different circles in the sand, and the second being a woman in a simple business suit with cold, severe features and platinum-blonde hair pulled back into a bun. The latter also had a Norse-style bearded axe slung across her back.
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Post by Bippwatt on Jan 21, 2017 9:19:41 GMT
"Oh, you know. The uzhe. Making people drool with envy...and then draining every last bit of life from them. Mixed with a bit of political derring-do. Then some subterfuge. And, the family favorite, assassination!"
Miyako shook her head. "Frankly, I was almost getting bored in Phoenix. So glad to be back to Chicago where I ought to be. This place is clearly the best. Though, it's hard to argue with Arizona's winters."
She bent down and picked up the bit of cloth she'd spied that was poking out from under the bed. As she straightened, she cocked an eyebrow, the bra in her hand dangling from it's strap, caught on her crooked index finger. It was black and very lacy. If it actually hid much with all that lace, Miyako would have been surprised.
"Well, brother. I guess she certainly was prepared for...a night to die for."
"A boat? Looks kinda like an exotic solar sail spaceship to me.", Eliora said. When everyone looked at her askance, she kinda looked around with an expression that said "What!? Leave me alone." This expression paired well with her next comment. "What?! I spent a while in the Fey realms. I learned alot of esoteric shit, okay? I'm not just a wilting little princess with ice powers to be locked away in a castle."
Deidre shook her head. "Nobody is saying that." She looked at Koschei. "Okay, nobody but maybe Kosc-, erm, Cosmin is saying that."
Mia looked rather amused at it all. Looking down the slope to the beach, she saw the grumpy-looking woman in a duster and hat. "Huh. I guess I picked out my apparel well. I was worried the duster might be too old timey."
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Post by recoveryfive on Jan 22, 2017 21:28:19 GMT
"That human looks like a troll." Kilroy said immediately, pointing out the woman with the axe. "That human is absolutely a troll." "How can you tell?" "The way she carries the axe, the size, and the weight. And that's without getting into her facial expression." the demon explained, looking rather proud of himself. "All traits of a troll." "...Kilroy, I really don't think that's a troll." "Now is not the time, Rosani! I'm busy being right about something for once!" "But you're not right, because that's not a troll." "Why don't we just ask her then?" "Because I'm quite sure a female human wouldn't take kindly to being asked if she were a giant hideous man-eating monster in disguise." She turned to look at the other ladies of the group. "You guys don't, right?" - - - - - - "Oh, how I missed our silly jests." Iago said, taking the bra before putting it into the bundle he was currently making. He had been impressed at how long it had taken Lucy to remove it. Most of the women he associated himself with didn't need as much persuasion. "Was there anyone special in Arizona, or was it just the usual?" |
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Post by Spartan 999 on Jan 27, 2017 22:49:52 GMT
“But it's not quite like a solar sail.” Hakim tilted his head as he examined the wreckage. “...The sails themselves and the materials composing the hull are different from pretty much all other solar sails that I've seen or heard about. I mean, that's not saying much, but...” He shrugged.
“Don't worry, you both look ridiculous,” Koschei shot over his shoulder to Mia. “...Honestly though, where did you pick up such a woman?,” he inquired of the crime boss, twitching his chin at Harper. “I don't recognize her.”
Silas made no comment on Kilroy's troll remark. “Ms. Drake is a consultant, not part of my organization,” he stated. “Without knowing what the anomaly is, I could take no chances.”
“Smart.” Koschei nodded. “What's she like, though?”
“A smartass. Crude at times, but intelligent and extraordinarily resourceful.”
Ragna, the “troll lady” with an axe, put a few small items into a pouch, which she slipped into her inside jacket pocket. She rose to her feet and strode up to her boss.
“Analysis?,” asked Silas once she'd gotten close enough.
“I have no idea what to make of it.” Ragna didn't so much as glance at the newcomers. If they were here, then Silas was okay with them hearing. “The materials it's made out of are unlike anything I've seen before, and whatever...magic drives it,” though she hesitated a little on the word 'magic', “is unfamiliar to me.” She looked back at the wreckage. “...But whatever it is, it seems to be inert right now. It has nothing powering it, and there's no signs that space is still distorted around it.”
“So the anomaly has fully manifested here?”
“Probably. If there's any risk of it becoming mobile again like before, it's very small.”
Silas exhaled slowly through his nose. “...Ms. Drake, what have you found?,” he called to the grumpy-looking woman, who was down on one knee and still examining the wreck in her own way.
“Hell if I know,” the professional wizard called back, taking a momentary break to look up at the crime boss. “It looks like a freaking spaceship! Even the Fey don't have things like this, whatever it is.” She squinted and looked at the newcomers currently loitering near Silas. One of them looked...vaguely familiar. Weird. Harper shook her head slightly and looked back at the wreck.
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Post by Bippwatt on Jan 28, 2017 19:36:43 GMT
"As have I, brother." She smiled at his question. "There was one. She seemed to be cut of a similar cloth as your Lucy here. Her name was Gale. Lovely girl. She almost managed to kill me. But I had her well in hand."
Mia smiled. "Excellent. That's exactly the look I was going for."
Deidre just rolled her eyes. But there was something Silas had said...something that pinged a memory. What was it?
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Post by recoveryfive on Jan 31, 2017 15:37:50 GMT
"Hello, tall human. Are you by any chance a troll in disguise?" Kilroy asked Ragna.
The tall woman looked down at the 5'2 newcomer with a blank look. "...Excuse me?" "I can tell you are definitely a member of one of the Fey Courts, but I can't tell which one. You appear to be similar in size and stature to a troll, and I want to know if I am correct in my assumption." Meanwhile, Jack glanced at Silas. For some reason, the man seemed familiar to him, although he couldn't figure out why. - - - - - - "Oh, what splendid lives we lead..." Iago responded, finishing the bundle. "So, what would be on the agenda for today?" |
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Post by Spartan 999 on Feb 5, 2017 3:01:30 GMT
Ragna's eyes flicked over to Silas. The crime boss nodded almost imperceptibly.
Whack. “AH!” The next thing Kilroy knew, pain flared through his nose like someone had just slugged him in the face. Which was accurate, considering one of Ragna's arms had blurred into motion for a half-second, only for her to return to normal immediately afterwords as if nothing had happened.
“What...the...” Tears welling in his eyes, the bound Demon glared up at Ragna. “Y-you punched me in the fa-!” Whack. “AHH!” Kilroy doubled over in pain. “I knew it, you are a tro-!” Whack. “AAHH! WHYYY!?”
“Brother, I think you should stop saying that,” Rosani deadpanned. “Mostly because she's not a troll.”
Meanwhile, Silas stilled, his eyes narrowed. He looked in the direction of the wreck and Harper, paying Jack absolutely no mind.
Just then, the Wizard-For-Hire herself stood up and took several quick steps back. “Uh...guys?!,” she shouted to the others. “There's something or someone inside!”
Silas shot Ragna a sharp look. His bodyguard just shrugged and shook her head. “Could you tell what it's doing?,” he inquired, raising his voice so Harper could hear.
“I didn't exactly poke my head inside to-!”
The sound of metal being bent cut her sentence short.
At the wreck, on a side where it was damaged, there was no a sizable dent.
Another dent appeared right next to it, expanding the first in the process. Naturally, this too made that screeching sound of metal rapidly bending.
Then that piece of the hull began to groan as it was slowly pushed outward. The broken sides made a horrific grinding against another part of the hull, but it ended after only a few moments. Once that small bit of the hull had been pushed open, a figure stumbled out and onto the beach. Now partly covered in sand, the figure scrambled to its feet and looked around wildly.
By that point, Harper had pulled her wand out and aimed it at the...person. He did look like a normal person, only with attire that was reminiscent of Eastern styles. He had dark skin, dark curly hair pulled back into a ponytail, and honey-colored eyes.
Unfortunately for Harper, as soon as those eyes fell upon her, they assessed her body language and poise. The stranger's body blurred into motion, shooting towards the Wizard so fast she wasn't even able to get out the first syllable of her spell before she found herself flipped and slammed face-first into the sand, the tip of her wand pressed against the side of her throat.
“...” The stranger's eyebrows knitted. He lifted the wand and looked at it in bewilderment. Apparently, he'd been expecting it to be a knife of some sort, or at least more than just a short piece of wood.
Up on the hill, Koschei raised a hand, silently bidding everyone else to stand down. “Let us just watch for now, hm? See whether this newcomer really is a threat.”
Ragna kept a hand on the grip of her axe despite Koschei's request. Silas, meanwhile, hadn't reacted overtly since the stranger's appearance; he just stared at him.
“...Look, 'm sorry for pointing my wand at you, but if you could stop breaking my neck, that'd be real nice,” Harper groaned, one eye shut so she didn't get sand in it.
The stranger's eyes left the group to stare down at her blankly. He said something in a foreign language that she hadn't heard before, which was saying something.
“Sorry man, don't know what you're saying.”
The stranger grunted and stabbed the wand into the sand next to Harper's head. He rose to his feet and stepped back a couple feet, gaze flicking back up to look at the others, almost daring them to do something.
Koschei beckoned Hakim closer. “Could you understand him?,” he quietly asked.
“...Yeah, I think so.” The Ash Lad nodded.
“Good. Then go and be our diplomat.” Koschei patted him on the back, sending Hakim sliding down the hill and to the beach. “Oh, and tell him that I'm going to cast a spell that will allow us to understand one another.”
“Got it.” Hakim nodded and carefully made his way down the beach to Harper and the stranger. He made sure to appear as nonthreatening as he could.
Harper, meanwhile, had pushed herself into a sitting position, brushed some sand off, and was now wiping her wand clean. “Now I'm never gonna get sand out of these clothes...,” she muttered under her breath.
The stranger eyed Hakim warily, but made no move to attack. Yet.
When Hakim spoke, foreign words were said. The stranger's back straightened, and he replied. They spoke a few short sentences to one another, afterwhich the stranger narrowed his eyes and stared at Koschei. He shook his head, said something else, and walked up to Hakim.
The stranger touched his fingers to Hakim's face with the thumb resting in the center of his forehead...and then he lowered it after a few seconds.
“Now I speak as you do,” he stated. “And sorcery need not be used on me.” His eyes warily studied Koschei again before returning to Hakim.
“Do you not trust magic, then?,” Hakim inquired.
“I do not trust you,” he said bluntly. “Any of you.”
“...That's fair.” Hakim nodded. “But, uh...well, we...do have questions about why you're here. And how.”
“Maybe not on the beach?” Harper got to her feet and grumpily jerked her chin up at the others, then winced and rubbed her neck a bit. “...You won't have to repeat stuff, and we don't have to stay here on this damn sand.”
Hakim turned his head to follow the wizard's progress as she trudged up the beach. “...She does have a point.”
“I suppose.” The stranger reluctantly began to follow Harper and Hakim.
Ragna released the handle of her axe and lowered her hand again once the imminent threat wasn't so imminent any longer.
“Everyone, this is Ori.” Hakim introduced the group to the stranger. “Ori, these are my allies.”
The stranger, Ori, nodded sharply. Arms folded across his chest, his eyes slid across each person in turn, intently scrutinizing them.
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Post by Bippwatt on Feb 7, 2017 2:30:13 GMT
"Yeah, you were asking for that.", Deidre said to Kilroy. "Don't be such a bitchface, kay?"
Then shit went sideways and the stranger made his appearance.
Eliora just pinched the bridge of her nose. "Can't we, just once, not have something crazy as fucking shit happen?!", she asked as Hakim began speaking to the man. When the man touched Hakim, she bristled, a quick, almost imperceptible gust of power swirling around her fists as she readied to fly at the stranger. But when nothing happened and the man simply began speaking English, she settled down.
Bonnie, who had most definitely noticed her BFF's reaction (they wouldn't be very good BFF's if she hadn't), rose an eyebrow at her soul sister.
Eliora gave an eloquent shrug that basically said "Hakim is a friend. No one hurts a friend. If they do, they get rekt."
"Hello, Ori. I'm Eliora."
"Mia Fukku, at your service."
"You...didn't hit your head did you?" Deidre was sharply elbowed by Eliora at this. "Oh, sorry. Deidre Callahan. Wizard. Paralegal."
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Post by recoveryfive on Feb 7, 2017 2:47:07 GMT
"Stupid humans punching things for asking questions..." Kilroy growled, tossing an offensive gesture Deidre's way. "I am Kilroy, formerly known as Helvetica."
"I'm Rosani, and I'm his sister." Rosani introduced herself, taking a brief drink as she rubbed her brother's hurt nose with the other hand. "Don't do that next time, ya little goofball."
"I'm Bonnie." the red-hooded girl introduced herself. "This is Jack, Gerlach, and Cheshire." She took a look at the mysterious man, deciding not to reach for her weapons as much as she wanted to try her luck. "Where are you from, Ori?"
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Post by Spartan 999 on Feb 17, 2017 3:33:30 GMT
“Cosmin Tchaikovsky,” said Koschei, inclining his head once to the newcomer.
Silas, looking as unimpressed and unsurprised as always, said, “Silas Benedict.”
“Ragna,” his axe-wielding bodyguard said tersely.
“Harper Drake, Wizard-For-Hire,” the grumpy woman grunted, still working on getting sand out of her boots. She started upon realizing something, eyes locking onto Deidre. Out of consideration for Ori, she just gave the other wizard a look of surprise and a wave.
Ori simply gave a small nod to everyone as they introduced themselves. “...I hail from Kelstros, but I was last in the mountains adjacent to the Imperial City of Manu-Jin.” And, preempting the imminent questions, he went on to say, “I am unsure why I am...here,” his eyes flicked over to the Chicago skyline, “but I believe it occurred at some point during my battle with my two deadliest adversaries. Likely as a result of one's sorcery.”
The newcomer took a breath and shifted where he stood. “Now, where am I? What is this place? I recognize nothing here--not the buildings, not the tongue, not the attire.”
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Post by Bippwatt on Feb 17, 2017 18:35:09 GMT
"You're in Chicago, Illinois. On Sol 3, aka Earth, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group Cluster, Virgo Supercluster, Laniakea Supercluster. Though that last should really be like Ultracluster or Hypercluster.", Eliora said.
"You are a super-nerd, Ellie. Super-Nerd. Capital S. Captial N. Super Nerd."
"Hey, I can't help knowing things, okay? It's not my fault that Eris forced me to read like five thousand books..." She suddenly got a lot quieter and muttered her next sentence. Virtually no one could make out what she said. But Bonnie, who knew her too well, grinned like a Cheshire cat.
"What was that, Eliora?" More muttering. "Sorry, still couldn't hear that."
"I didn't mind reading them, okay! I found them very interesting and read them quickly! Happy now?"
"Like I said. Super. Nerd."
Something caught Deidre's attention and she saw the taller wizard looking at her with surprise and waving. Why was she surprised? And why was she waving? What had she said her name was? Harper, wasn't it...Harper...what?
Harper Drake, Wizard-For-Hire
Her eyes narrowed. With a twitch of her head, she indicated for this "Harper" to follow her. With that, she courteously withdrew without causing a scene. She did it well. Hardly anyone noticed she was gone.
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Post by recoveryfive on Feb 20, 2017 20:55:49 GMT
"Sssooo..." Gerlach said, looking again at the damaged boat and back to Ori. "We've found the anomaly's source. What happens next?"
"We should find him a place to stay for the time being. I'd imagine the guy's a bit overwhelmed right now." Jack offered, eyes moving over to Ori as well. "That sound like a good idea, Ori?"
Cheshire happened to notice Deidre walk off with Harper. The two seemed like there was history between them, or at least that they recognized each other. In any event, it was none of her business. Shrugging to herself, she turned her attention back to the matter at hand.
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Post by Spartan 999 on Feb 23, 2017 7:44:48 GMT
“You missed 'United States of America',” Hakim pointed out to Eliora. “Which is the country this city is located in,” he added for the newcomer's benefit.
Ori stared hard at Eliora, eyes only deviating to look at Hakim when he spoke up. The honey-colored orbs barely twitched when he noticed Harper follow after Deidre in a...considerably less subtle way than the latter when she'd slipped away. “...Many of your words are meaningless to me.” He huffed an annoyed sigh and looked around at the skyline again. “...Chicago, Illinois...,” he murmured, running the names over his tongue. “I suppose I must learn more about this place, seeing as how I am grounded for the time being.”
Another sigh escaped Ori as his gaze fell upon the wreckage of the ship. His head swiveled to face Jack upon being addressed by him. “Shelter and sustenance would be appreciated, yes. Until I have repaired my wingship.”
“Yes, yes, that is a wonderful idea.” Koschei beamed and tapped his cane on the ground a couple times in what seemed to be excitement, both hands clasped on the top of it. “We are all too happy to provide accommodations where you may rest, relax, eat, and repair your vessel in peace and safety.”
“You have my thanks,” said Ori. His tone was so even that it was almost flat; it wasn't terribly difficult to figure out that he was still wary of them all.
Koschei inclined his head before looking to Gerlach. “And once we have seen to Mr. Ori's arrangements, your group and Mr. Benedict will finally have that sit down I promised.”
“So he's your 'special acquaintance' here?” Hakim looked from Silas to Koschei.
“Indeed he is.” The sorcerer nodded once.
“...Alright then.” The Ash Lad returned his attention to Ori after that. “But first priority should be your temporary housing.”
Once again, Koschei piped up. “My tower possesses a great many rooms in which he may stay, in addition to a large private garage that his vessel may be stored in.”
A fair distance from the main crowd, Harper slowed and came to a stop near Deidre. “...So, uh...” She shrugged and mustered up a small, awkward smile. “Long time no see, I guess?”
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Post by Bippwatt on Feb 23, 2017 8:32:34 GMT
"Eh, still not used to the concept of multiple nations in a single realm. Validor has been united for almost longer than recorded history."
"I don't know who you think you are, Harper Drake, but you are a terrible...I don't even know what to call you. A shapeshifter would do a better job. An identity thief would at least make sure they were the same gender. So whatever game you're playing you can stop it right now. You are not Harper Drake. One, Harper Drake would never associate with Silas Benedict. Two, Harper Drake is a goddamn man!"
Miyako dusted her hands as she and her brother finished disposing of Lucy and her...belongings.
"So...Iago. What shall we do now? I dare say we might take to the beach of the lake, perhaps? I hear there are a number of...facinating things to do in such places."
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Post by recoveryfive on Feb 25, 2017 3:45:37 GMT
"The beach sounds wonderful." Iago mused, the images of the sand and the waves being oddly appealing to him. "I'd very much like to be reacquainted with Chicago's less dreary areas. And who knows, something interesting might happen." "Your 'sixth sense' again, Brother?" Miyako quipped, making finger quotes on the appropriate words. "Something like that. Now, then...shall we be off?" - - - - - - "Sit down..." Bonnie muttered, regarding the words with some kind of amusement. "It feels kinda goofy to name a business arrangement after a common thing people do. It's like calling a vote a fork because it can be for one of many things." She blinked in confusion. "Wait, what? That doesn't make any sense...or does it? Was that too weird of an analogy for anybody?" |
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Post by Spartan 999 on Feb 28, 2017 19:32:31 GMT
Ori blinked blankly at Eliora; trepidation about Koschei's offer in particular aside, Bonnie didn't really earn that much attention at the moment. “What is Validor?”
“It's another world,” Hakim stated, “existing...near this one. Except it's not physically close in the sense that you can't look up into the sky and see it. But if you imagine a coin where each side is a world and the coin itself is the...the 'dimensional curtain', so to speak, that would be Earth and Validor.”
Automatically, Ori looked up. If the sun hurt his eyes at all, he didn't show it. Not a wince, not a twitch, not a bat of the eyes. He looked back down at them. “...Indeed. It would be strange if one could see other worlds in the sky,” he murmured.
Harper, meanwhile, sighed and facepalmed. Of course, the whole business with the Pushuu had happened after Deidre left Chicago.
“Alright,” said the Wizard-For-Hire. “First of all, I did associate with Silas before you left. Grudgingly, and we were never friends or talked much, but we did. And when an extradimensional anomaly comes crashing through downtown, generally speaking it's a better idea to work together against whatever horror beyond the stars might have just landed in the city instead of bitching at one another.” She shrugged. “I still managed to bitch at him anyway, but you get the point.”
Harper then started to check herself, going from her hat to her duster to her enchanted equipment, but she settled for just pulling out the amulet she wore around her neck. Bronze, small and thin, polished to a mirror sheen. “Now, before you gut me for 'stealing a precious family heirloom from the real Harper', just hear me out.”
She took a breath and started again. “I don't know if you have any knowledge about a creature or creatures known as 'The Pushuu', but I ran into one. About three and a half years ago, now. It, uh...” Harper's feet kicked and she sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. “...Well, I was partly responsible for the loss of its last 'Champion', and since it needed a new one it was like 'Hey, there's a wizard here with a lotta magical juice and a wicked duster'. So, in the middle of a fight that I was losing badly, I...struck a bargain with it.
“Yes, I know, that was irresponsible and stupid, but have you even met me? Those might as well be my middle names along with 'stubborn'.” She shook her head. “Anyway, I struck the bargain. But since the Pushuu's 'Champions' are Puella Magi--I know, I didn't believe it at first either--and I'd, uh...annoyed it with my fine and not-sarcastic-at-all wit, it...changed me.” Harper looked down at her chest, then back up at Deidre. “Y'know, so that I could be a proper Puella Magi.”
She grumbled under her breath, which sounded something like 'sexist douchecanoe' at one point. “Anyway, point is, that's the cliff notes of the complicated and embarrassing event that led to me losing several inches and getting tits.”
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Post by Bippwatt on Mar 1, 2017 0:52:55 GMT
Deidre stared blankly for a moment. Then smirked.
"You didn't have several inches to lose, Harper." Her smirk turned a little evil.
It was Harper's turn to stare blankly. And then she rolled her eyes and groaned, realizing what Deidre was getting at. "That's not what I meant and you know it."
"Maybe. But it was funny."
"So...you believe me now?"
"Mostly. I mean, that stuff about Puella Magi is bunk. You're either lying, pulling my chain or insane. Puella Magi don't exist."
"Humans believe we don't exist. Does that make it true?"
"No, of course not. That's different. There is absolutely no documentation of Puella Magi."
"So? There are plenty of things out there that we know nothing about."
Deidre thought about that. Then, suddenly... "You don't mean...Outsiders, do you? Harper Blackwood Constantin Drake, if you made a deal with an Outsider, you know what will happen! The Magus Circle does not look kindly on such things! The Rangers will come for you and they will put you down."
"Yes, Bonnie. That analogy was way too weird.", Eliora said.
As Ori mentioned how weird it would be to see other worlds in the sky, Eliora shook her head.
"Don't go to the Fey realms then.", she muttered to herself.
They began trooping away from the beach line, gathering up Deidre and Harper at the same time. As they approached, a car pulled up and two people stepped out, one male, the other female. The woman, dressed in what seemed to be a white sundress, though it was more elegant than a simple sundress. The man wore dress pants and a suit jacket over a fine white dress shirt.
Mia waved at the strangers. "Hello. Lovely day for a beach trip, isn't it?"
"Yes...yes it is.", the woman said.
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Post by Spartan 999 on Mar 2, 2017 0:08:58 GMT
“What? No!” Harper vehemently shook her head, and she barely managed to suppress a small shiver at Deidre's usage of her full name. “No, that's not what I meant, and you know it! The Pushuu was a dick, sure,” she glared pointedly at Deidre to ward off any joke she might make, “but it wasn't evil. Its 'Champions' do help people, especially against otherworldly threats.”
Harper quieted down once the larger group approached and scooped herself and Deidre into its midst. She didn't want the wrong ears to overhear what she had to say on that subject.
“What of Sublime Spark of Wind?,” Ori inquired, nodding to his wingship as they walked away from the beach. 'Sublime Spark of Wind' is evidently what the vessel was called.
“A sophisticated illusion shall conceal it from the general public,” Koschei told him, idly gesturing with one hand to make it so. “When the time is right--which will be soon--then I shall have it transported to my tower.”
Ori was about to ask which tower out of the apparent-hundreds he could see on the horizon the sorcerer meant when the unknown car pulled up. He stared at it warily as he melded into the back of the group where he would be concealed better.
Silas and Ragna exchanged a look. The latter stepped forward; she didn't reach for her axe yet, but it would only take a single quick action to draw it. That being said, she did make sure to keep her distance.
“This area is restricted,” Ragna stated coolly. She withdrew an ID and badge that marked her as a member of the FBI. To all observers, it actually did appear genuine. “However you got past the checkpoint, you'll need to leave immediately.” Unless they had 'authorization', but that went without saying.
Silas appeared calm and unflappable as always, though his dull grey-brown eyes assessed the man and woman carefully.
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Post by recoveryfive on Mar 7, 2017 1:53:02 GMT
Iago and Miyako held up badges in return as if on cue. "Chief Special Agents Raith and Raith, ma'am. We're with the Supernatural Pursuit and Intelligence Reconnaissance Infiltration Taskforce." Iago replied to the woman cooly, his own badge also quite genuine-looking. His only regret was that he wasn't wearing shades at the moment.
"Yes, we're related." Miyako (who was in fact wearing shades at the moment) chimed in.
Jack stared at the two arrivals, looking very much skeptical of that claim. "You two look a little young to be with...who, now?"
"We're older than we look. And you can just call it Spirit. We all do. You may as well, Jack. It is Jack these days, yes? I swear you have more alias' than my boss."
Jack froze, not sure what to make of them knowing him.
Meanwhile, Gerlach merely stared at the two, not sure what to make of either of them. He was starting to regret leaving most of his potions and ingredients behind at the tower.
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Post by Bippwatt on Mar 7, 2017 7:45:42 GMT
Eliora sighed at the appearance if the two. She instantly pegged them for White House Vampires. Eris had spent a month doing nothing but drilling the seperate types of vampires into her brain, so she could easily identify a vampire's house at a glance. Which family, though? That was harder. Much harder. And by the time you knew, often it was a case of "too little, too late"
Of course, then Ragna challenged them and Eliora sighed again.
And then they identified themselves. And Eliora's eyes narrowed. Raiths. Oh, she hadn't liked them the moment she'd first read about them.
And as far as she knew, none of her companions had any true love to protect them. More importantly, from a more selfish perspective, she sure as shit didn't!
And then the rest of their introduction sunk in. "Chief Special Agents" of the "Supernatural Pursuit and Intelligence Reconnaissance Infiltration Taskforce"? Sounded made up to her. And she said as much.
"Well, now that sounds like the most hackneyed piece of bullshit I've been fed for a long while. How about you two try impersonating agents from a real agency?"
The female Raith turned and locked eyes with Eliora, who surreptitiously swallowed. Brilliant idea, Ellie. Draw the attention of the apex predator. Good job killing yourself, hero.
But the woman simply smiled. "I'm afraid you are simply underinformed. Spirit is indeed a real taskforce. We're staffed with FBI agents, CIA agents, military personnel, Interpol agents. The works. The best the world has to offer. Plus the foremost minds on all matters supernatural."
"Supernatural? What, like sentient trees?", Mia asked.
"To name one.", the man said then.
"Then how have I never heard of you?"
"Because, Lady White, we've gone to great lengths to keep our activities hidden from the fey.", the woman said.
Eliora's spine stiffened.
"Yes, I've read your file, Lady White. A most interesting case of what our scientists call 'spontaneous energy manipulation'. In other words, magic."
If her spine got any stiffer, it probably would freeze.
Deidre saved her though. "Then how have I never heard of you?"
"Because, Wizard Callahan, we also go to great lengths to avoid attention from the Magus Council. I trust we can count on your...discretion? It would be a shame to waste talents like yours.", the man replied, this last being directed towards both women.
"You are disturbing well informed about some of us...", Hakim said solemnly.
"Almost all of you, actually, Mister Aldebrandi.", Chief Special Agent Raith the woman said.
"Except him.", Chief Special Agent Raith the man finished, pointing causally toward Ori, who was still slinking around the back of the group.
"Well, if you think you're taking him, you are sorely mistaken.", Bonnie said.
"I'm afraid you don't have the authority to enforce that.", both Raith's said simultaneously.
"She might not. But I do." Eliora stepped foward. "Elendris calamarios velunious flinaroa Unseely kelnorm shaltor ruthal Ori morthuarl." A shiver of power gathered in. "Translation for those of you who don't know the fey tongue: By the power I hold in pact with the Unseely Court, I declare that upon the casting of my oath, this man who I know as Ori is under my personal protection." Eliora gave a toothy and faintly predatory smile. "And just in case you failed to grok the full meaning there, I would remind you that, as a squire of the Winter Court, I am an ambassador. Which, as written in the Grand Planar Accords, grants me, and those under my protection, diplomatic immunity."
"Then why have you not cast it?"
"Because I'm giving you a chance. Because me doing this with undoubtedly attract the Winter Court's attention. They will notice you. Withdraw and you can go on avoiding their notice."
The two Raiths looked at each other then shrugged. "We won't be able to stay out of their notice for much longer anyway. We'll risk it. And we did not sign the Grand Planar Accords. So, we'll be taking him now."
They were abruptly halted by a dull rumbling boom, as of something large hitting the ground.
Suddenly, a small crack appeared in the ground and everyone moved away from it as a thin line of magma bubbled up from it.
The line emanated from...the planted end of Deidre's staff. That line continued to move out, stop two feet from the siblings and then split, curved around them and encircled them. All the while, Deidre herself spoke.
"I, Wizard Deidre Callahan of the Second Circle of the Magus Council, do so swear on my power that upon the breaking of this circle, none shall lay hostile or unwanted hands upon the man I know as Ori. Those who do shall face the entirety of the Magus Council and be made to pay." Deidre glared dead ahead, into the eyes of the agents. "In the age old words of Clint Eastwood: Do you feel lucky, punk?"
The two looked at each other again. This time, concern was on their faces. Either the Fey Courts or the Magus Council learning of a new player could be managed. But both? No. That was too much.
"Perhaps we spoke...hastily.", the woman said. "Maybe we could just ask a few questions? If he were willing to answer?"
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Post by Spartan 999 on Mar 8, 2017 21:53:25 GMT
Ragna had pocketed her badge and shot Silas a look. He shook his head, and the Amazonian woman retreated to his side as Eliora and then Deidre took the stage. Neither of them seemed very surprised, if at all, about the existence of a mostly-mortal taskforce dedicated to learning about and observing the supernatural.
Koschei, in his guise of Cosmin, found everything terribly amusing for the most part. He wore a delighted smile as first Eliora, then Deidre placed Ori under their protection. It really was nice, having others do all your work for you.
Hakim had kept his hand near the hilt of his Ash Sword for a while, only allowing himself to relax a little when the circle was made and the vampires hesitated. Still, he knew what they were capable of, so he remained alert and on guard.
Honestly, Harper was a bit relieved. She'd been thinking of what to do and had come up with a similar idea as Deidre, buuut seeing as how she and the Council had always had a bit of a strained relationship...that probably wouldn't have worked out very well in he case. Still, she stood by in case things went further south--the Raith agents had hesitated, but that by no means meant that they were still harmless. Either to them or the newcomer they were so interested in.
As for Ori, he slowly made his way forward. He walked alongside the molten crack, all the way to where it encircled the Raith siblings. Brow furrowed, honey eyes regarding them warily, his nostrils flared as he neared. Finally he came to a stop just a couple meters away from them.
“You stink of death, creatures,” he said, bluntly and unsympathetically. “And a disgusting, sickly sweetness.” Ori folded his arms across his chest. “I will not answer any of your questions. If your Inquisition wishes answers of me, they must send others, for I shall not treat with the likes of you.”
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