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Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
November 2nd
The Art of Demon Summoning
Once John’s gauntlet is off, Vrell focuses on his mark. “That’s kiet’s magic!” she says as her eyes light up. She looks up at the magician’s face again, listening intently to his words.
When he asks her to come with him, she looks down at the non existent ground. The small demon’s hands grab her dress and worry the fabric. “I—”
“Don’t answer that, Vrell,” a feminine voice says from just behind John’s ear. Her tone is low and smoky, with same lilting accent as Zylas.
John feels the pressure of the point of her tail pressing into the soft underside of his chin.
“Kasi-Lazka!” Vrell says excitedly. Though she smiles and seems to want to run over, she stays in place.
“What you’ve done here is exceeding difficult, and exceptionally reckless,” Lazka says as she walks around into John’s field of view. She’s a few inches taller than the mage, with two pairs of horns that curve gently over her slightly pointed ears on each side. Her hair is pulled into a long braid that reaches to the small of her back and she’s dressed in black leathers, similar to what Zylas was wearing when John discovered him in the River King’s treasure trove. “I’ve shielded you from Jerek. For now.”
Her tail stays poised under his jaw as her maroon eyes bore into him, looking for any hint of dishonesty. “I’ve heard what you said. My brother entered into a ka’yal with you and he’s been recovering from injuries. You also said that our House has fallen.”
Vrell gazes up at Lazka’s back. “It’s true. Shern kept me safe for… I don’t know how long. But he said that I’m Extat now one night not too long after he took me out of the castle.”
The older demon’s eyes widen ever so slightly, though she keeps her gaze locked on John. “You said Zylas isn’t under contract to you. If he’s free, why can I not sense him?”
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Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
Quote:
Originally Posted by
InTheMachine
November 2nd
The Art of Demon Summoning
Once John’s gauntlet is off, Vrell focuses on his mark. “That’s kiet’s magic!” she says as her eyes light up. She looks up at the magician’s face again, listening intently to his words.
When he asks her to come with him, she looks down at the non existent ground. The small demon’s hands grab her dress and worry the fabric. “I—”
“Don’t answer that, Vrell,” a feminine voice says from just behind John’s ear. Her tone is low and smoky, with same lilting accent as Zylas.
John feels the pressure of the point of her tail pressing into the soft underside of his chin.
“Kasi-Lazka!” Vrell says excitedly. Though she smiles and seems to want to run over, she stays in place.
“What you’ve done here is exceeding difficult, and exceptionally reckless,” Lazka says as she walks around into John’s field of view. She’s a few inches taller than the mage, with two pairs of horns that curve gently over her slightly pointed ears on each side. Her hair is pulled into a long braid that reaches to the small of her back and she’s dressed in black leathers, similar to what Zylas was wearing when John discovered him in the River King’s treasure trove. “I’ve shielded you from Jerek. For now.”
Her tail stays poised under his jaw as her maroon eyes bore into him, looking for any hint of dishonesty. “I’ve heard what you said. My brother entered into a ka’yal with you and he’s been recovering from injuries. You also said that our House has fallen.”
Vrell gazes up at Lazka’s back. “It’s true. Shern kept me safe for… I don’t know how long. But he said that I’m Extat now one night not too long after he took me out of the castle.”
The older demon’s eyes widen ever so slightly, though she keeps her gaze locked on John. “You said Zylas isn’t under contract to you. If he’s free, why can I not sense him?”
“Greetings, Princess Lazka. As I mentioned earlier, I am known as Dee. From what I understand from a colleague of the scholar who holds your contract, the two of you are currently on retreat and incommunicado. Please permit me to bring you quickly up to speed.
He considered warning Lazka that he was recently accused of liking the sound of his own voice but felt certain she would figure it out for herself.
“The Stones of Vanuusha have begun to gather in Iron Station, a city in the United States. Several players, major and minor, are vying for them. Two to four of these groups are led by or associated with demons. One is the Cult of the Red Dawn, although I suspect they are being used as pawns by others as their sole purpose appears to be to summon demons badly and die in the process. Another group is led by a greater demon of Uvraan-et, the clan that has claimed your House, who broke free after a badly performed summoning by the Cult. He recently met with a woman named Rin, one of the individuals vying to be the heir of the Magatsuhi Empire. She appears to have Jerek under contract, as he was present for that meeting.
“I suspect that your elder brother either gave, or was forced to give, Zylas’s True Name to her. He had been summoned and was being drained of his blood to produce a street drug called Nova.
“I am the representative of another group—a team of provisional heroes under the supervision of AEGIS. We are attempting to prevent these demonic groups from claiming all of the Stones and using them to summon the reigning King of Hell and/or an army of demons to sack Iron Station.
“I am their occult consultant and the one who, alongside them, has gathered three of the Stones—one coming from the recently departed Rizaska Kishara.
“In addition to having determining how to, as you say, cast this difficult and reckless spell,” Dee observed with a small smile and very careful nod of his head before growing serious again, “I am the one who determined that the blood sacrifice of a prince or princess of sufficient rank could be enough to bridge the gap opened by missing Stones of Vanuusha. Given that your elder brother appears to be willing to sacrifice Zylas and that one of the other major players is of the House that destroyed yours, I did not wish to leave Vrell unattended and vulnerable—especially if Uvraan-et intends to use this as an opportunity to aim for something higher than your House.
“For what it is worth, I had hoped you would make an appearance as well, as you needed to be warned of all of this. In addition, Zylas was anxious for news of you following the fall of your House and I am pleased I will be able to tell him you are, as of yet, unharmed.
“As to why you cannot sense him, he is currently in a warded location following the swearing of our kay’al. When we met, he had been drained of blood repeatedly and needed to be helped to escape from the pocket dimension he had been trapped in.”
He raised his left hand until the glyph was at his eye level.
“So long as our agreement is in force, he is safe from my associates who have warded his space—as will be your sister should you permit her to travel with me. They, too respect my agreement with Zylas and do not wish to see me harmed by violating it. Feel free to extend your senses and test the glyph. You should be able to sense that he is unharmed by me or any of my companions.
“As a sign of my trust in you—a trust that I hope my honesty will inspire in you, I offer this full disclosure knowing well that your tail can pierce my skin in a manner I would find most uncomfortable and that arrangements of the kind we are discussing must be entered into freely and with full foreknowledge of all parties:
“The one warding his chambers is Elerhim.”
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Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
November 1st
Movie Night
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mimi
“If you are referring to Ryker and Sidney,” Mimi replies, “they are currently in the lounge watching a movie.”
"You know me so well. Thanks Mimi." Louis replies with an appreciative smile.
Quote:
When Louis makes his way there, the original Blade Runner movie is playing on the screen. Ryker quickly sits up from where he’d been laying on Sidney’s lap. His hair is tousled, like she’d been running her fingers through it.
Sidney pauses the the movie. “Hey Louis, Mimi said you might want to talk about something?”
Ryker grumbles a little and settles back into the couch, crossing his arms.
Louis stands in the doorway and leans against the frame. "Sorry, wasn't trying to interrupt movie night or anything. Just wanted to know what plans you two had this week?" His eyes shift to the screen with interest for a second or two before returning to the couple. "What're you watching by the way? Seems old."
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Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
November 1st
Movie Night
Ryker glances over at Sidney for a moment before he shakes his head. “What kinda plans do ya think two criminals under house arrest would have?”
Sidney rolls her eyes at her boyfriend. “I think what he’s trying to say, Ryker, is that he might have some plans for us. He knows we can’t go anywhere.”
“Sure sure,” Ryker replies. “He’s tryin’ to be funny. I know.”
She looks over the back of the couch at Louis. “It is old,” she admits. “It’s the original Blade Runner. It came out in the early 80s. My papa loves it.” She gives him a sad smile. “We would watch stuff like this and B-horror movies on Mondays after we closed up the shop.”
Ryker wordlessly reaches over and takes one of her hands, his thumb rubbing soothingly across her knuckles.
Sidney blinks, clearing her thoughts. She squeezes Ryker’s hand before looking back up at Louis, waiting for his reply.
November 2nd
The Art of Demon Summoning
Lazka’s tail slowly withdraws from the underside of John’s jaw. It lashes behind her once before she stills it, still looking intently at the magician.
She gestures at Vrell, waving her hand at hip height at the younger demon. “Something to keep her from hearing,” she explains.
Vrell crosses her arms and pouts, looking up at the two of the them.
Lazka puts up one finger without even looking at her sister— Give me a minute. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Jerek willingly gave up Zylas’ Name. He’s always been ambitious, and he’s never gotten along with Zylas. As far as I know, he was summoned about thirty years ago into the human realm, and after that I lost all contact with him.”
“It follows that he would probably give up Vrell to complete whatever plans he has. I’d have my contractor summon her so that I could protect her myself, but it takes too much magic and blood to summon a Greater Demon, even one as young as my sister.”
She sighs slightly. “You have yet to tell a lie, Dee. My brother trusted you with his life. As long as you can swear to me that the Erelim will let you both go when the ka’yal is complete, I’ll allow her to go with you.”
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Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
Quote:
Originally Posted by
InTheMachine
November 2nd
The Art of Demon Summoning
Lazka’s tail slowly withdraws from the underside of John’s jaw. It lashes behind her once before she stills it, still looking intently at the magician.
She gestures at Vrell, waving her hand at hip height at the younger demon. “Something to keep her from hearing,” she explains.
Vrell crosses her arms and pouts, looking up at the two of the them.
Lazka puts up one finger without even looking at her sister— Give me a minute. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Jerek willingly gave up Zylas’ Name. He’s always been ambitious, and he’s never gotten along with Zylas. As far as I know, he was summoned about thirty years ago into the human realm, and after that I lost all contact with him.”
“It follows that he would probably give up Vrell to complete whatever plans he has. I’d have my contractor summon her so that I could protect her myself, but it takes too much magic and blood to summon a Greater Demon, even one as young as my sister.”
She sighs slightly. “You have yet to tell a lie, Dee. My brother trusted you with his life. As long as you can swear to me that the Erelim will let you both go when the ka’yal is complete, I’ll allow her to go with you.”
“That is a part of the kay’al,” Dee assured her. “The Elerim may not like it, but they are as aware of the necessity as I am. Were Zylas and Vrell to linger on our doorstep for a week after the kay’al is complete, I might not be able to assure you of their safety but I cannot believe they would be foolish enough to to do that.
“I am glad that she is free to come with me.
“At the risk of sounding absurd and trying your patience further, Lazka, I have a quick question: Would Vrell have had what humans call stuffed animals? I prepared one for her as a comfort and a kind of welcome—a good faith gesture towards one so young, but many of my assumptions were based on human children and I did not know if she would find it insulting or inappropriate.”
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Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
November 2nd
The Art of Demon Summoning
The demoness raises an eyebrow and her expression softens slightly. “You can think of my sister like any human child. She is young enough that her natural haughtiness as a princess of Vanuusha has yet to emerge,” Lazka says with a ghost of a smile.
“She will love a stuffed animal. Anything soft, really. And, if it’s possible, she would love to see her brother. Zylas has always been her favorite sibling. He would read her stories until she fell asleep every night before mother decided that Zylas was going to start heading our diplomatic missions to other planes.”
Lazka turns and ends her spell, breaking eye contact with John for the first time, and kneels in front of Vrell. She hugs her sister tightly and speaks to her in Demonic, seeming to explain some things before she stands again.
Vrell walks a few steps closer to John until she’s standing just in front of him and looks up before offering a hand for him to take.
“Thank you, Dee, for being willing to risk yourself for my sister and brother,” Lazka says, bowing from the waist. “I will speak to my contractor and update him on the situation. I have no guarantee that he will allow me to assist you, but I will do what I can.”
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Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
Quote:
Originally Posted by
InTheMachine
November 2nd
The Art of Demon Summoning
The demoness raises an eyebrow and her expression softens slightly. “You can think of my sister like any human child. She is young enough that her natural haughtiness as a princess of Vanuusha has yet to emerge,” Lazka says with a ghost of a smile.
“She will love a stuffed animal. Anything soft, really. And, if it’s possible, she would love to see her brother. Zylas has always been her favorite sibling. He would read her stories until she fell asleep every night before mother decided that Zylas was going to start heading our diplomatic missions to other planes.”
Lazka turns and ends her spell, breaking eye contact with John for the first time, and kneels in front of Vrell. She hugs her sister tightly and speaks to her in Demonic, seeming to explain some things before she stands again.
Vrell walks a few steps closer to John until she’s standing just in front of him and looks up before offering a hand for him to take.
“Thank you, Dee, for being willing to risk yourself for my sister and brother,” Lazka says, bowing from the waist. “I will speak to my contractor and update him on the situation. I have no guarantee that he will allow me to assist you, but I will do what I can.”
“Your sister will be staying with Zylas,” Dee assured Lazka as he took Vrell’s hand and smiled at the little greater demon, “unless I am greatly mistaken. I will do what I can to keep them safe. I am flattered by your trust in me.
“I am grateful for your offer of help and hope you stay safe as well, Lazka,” John observed earnestly. “There are too many missing pieces to this puzzle than I would care to count right now. “
Dee looked down at Vrell, who appeared terribly vulnerable for a greater demon. “Are you ready to meet my companions? They may appear frightening to you but they will do you no harm as long as you do nothing threatening. Don’t be afraid of them when you see them. You are under my protection there.”
Dee glanced back up at Lazka before he began to fade back into reality, bringing Vrell with him. “Fare thee well.”
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Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
November 2nd
The Art of Demon Summoning
The circle flares with one final burst of power before the light gutters out. Standing in the center is a small girl with deep plum skin in a tattered gray and white long sleeved dress. Her hair is the same gray-white as Zylas’ and she has two small nubs where her horns will grow in are present on each side of her forehead. Wide red and black eyes look around at those assembled before settling on John and giving him a small nervous smile.
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Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
Quote:
Originally Posted by
InTheMachine
November 2nd
The Art of Demon Summoning
The circle flares with one final burst of power before the light gutters out. Standing in the center is a small girl with deep plum skin in a tattered gray and white long sleeved dress. Her hair is the same gray-white as Zylas’ and she has two small nubs where her horns will grow in are present on each side of her forehead. Wide red and black eyes look around at those assembled before settling on John and giving him a small nervous smile.
“Welcome, Princess Vrell,” Dee offered, dropping to one knew so that he would be at eye level. “Please permit me to introduce my friends. This is Seraph. This is Nightgaunt. This is Crowe and Stolas, his familiar. And this is Mercury.
“Everyone, this is the Extat Princess Vrell,” John said as he stood and took a step back so that he could reach through the doorway and into his workshop, “the younger sister of Zylas. While bringing her here, I spoke with their elder sister, who is under contract with a colleague of Dr. Riviera and she consented to Vrell joining us here for a time.
“And this one,” he said drawing the stuffed demon/animal from out of the doorway stepping towards Vrell, “does not have a name yet. As it is yours, if you would like to have it, giving it a name will be up to you. It bears a close resemblance to one I have met elsewhere. I thought having a friend to hold on to might make coming to a strange place a little easier for you.
“Have you seen such a creature before?” Dee asked as he knelt down to hand Vrell the stuffed animal.
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Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
Quote:
Originally Posted by
InTheMachine
November 2nd
The Art of Demon Summoning
The circle flares with one final burst of power before the light gutters out. Standing in the center is a small girl with deep plum skin in a tattered gray and white long sleeved dress. Her hair is the same gray-white as Zylas’ and she has two small nubs where her horns will grow in are present on each side of her forehead. Wide red and black eyes look around at those assembled before settling on John and giving him a small nervous smile.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
mmdeforrest
“Welcome, Princess Vrell,” Dee offered, dropping to one knew so that he would be at eye level. “Please permit me to introduce my friends. This is Seraph. This is Nightgaunt. This is Crowe and Stolas, his familiar. And this is Mercury.
“Everyone, this is the Extat Princess Vrell,” John said as he stood and took a step back so that he could reach through the doorway and into his workshop, “the younger sister of Zylas. While bringing her here, I spoke with their elder sister, who is under contract with a colleague of Dr. Riviera and she consented to Vrell joining us here for a time.
“And this one,” he said drawing the stuffed demon/animal from out of the doorway stepping towards Vrell, “does not have a name yet. As it is yours, if you would like to have it, giving it a name will be up to you. It bears a close resemblance to one I have met elsewhere. I thought having a friend to hold on to might make coming to a strange place a little easier for you.
“Have you seen such a creature before?” Dee asked as he knelt down to hand Vrell the stuffed animal.
As the smaller demon girl appeared, Crowe's eyes widened and he watched for a moment. As nothing else was coming through at this time, he eased up a bit, and offered a comforting smile as Dee introduced them all. Both he and Stolas bowed a little, as was custom to royalty.
"A pleasure to meet you, and see you safe, Princess Vrell." He then looked at Dee a bit quizzically. "She confirmed that? Good. I'd worried she would been stuck with someone in the Empire." He sighed in relief.
Stolas projected to Vrell. "Should there be anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask."
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Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
November 2nd
The Art of Demon Summoning
When introduced the small demon gives everyone a small curtsy.
“Hi Mr. Crow and Mr. Raven,” she replies softly before John pulls out his stuffed animal. Her eyes light up as she takes it and hugs it close. “It’s a kita’vai!” she says excitedly, holding it out to look at it. “We had one at the castle. It looks just like her.”
Seraph watches the demon for a moment. Smoke still coils up from the scabbard of his sword until he mutters something in Angelic. The sword seems to calm after his words.
Spoiler: John- Notice TN 4
Show
<“She’s not a threat. She’s just a little girl.”>
The angel takes a deep breath, drawing Vrell’s attention. She hugs her stuffed demon close to her chest as Seraph enters the spent circle. He tucks his wings in as close as possible as he kneels in front of the demon. “Hi Vrell,” he says gently. “Like Dee said, my name is Seraph. You know what I am, right?”
Vrell gives him a small nod. “Kasi said not to be scared… but it’s hard not to be.”
“You’re kasi’s right. You don’t have to worry. I’m not going to hurt you,” the angel replies with a kind smile. He continues in the same gentle tone. “I’m going to keep you and your brother safe from others that might want to cause you harm, just like Dee. You trust him, right?”
The demon glances over at John and gives a firmer nod before looking back at Seraph.
“Good. Are you ready to go see your brother?” Seraph asks.
“Yes!” Vrell says with a wide grin. She transfers the stuffed demon to one arm and offers her hand to John again.
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Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
Quote:
Originally Posted by
InTheMachine
November 2nd
The Art of Demon Summoning
When introduced the small demon gives everyone a small curtsy.
“Hi Mr. Crow and Mr. Raven,” she replies softly before John pulls out his stuffed animal. Her eyes light up as she takes it and hugs it close. “It’s a
kita’vai!” she says excitedly, holding it out to look at it. “We had one at the castle. It looks just like her.”
Seraph watches the demon for a moment. Smoke still coils up from the scabbard of his sword until he mutters something in Angelic. The sword seems to calm after his words.
Spoiler: John- Notice TN 4
Show
<“She’s not a threat. She’s just a little girl.”>
The angel takes a deep breath, drawing Vrell’s attention. She hugs her stuffed demon close to her chest as Seraph enters the spent circle. He tucks his wings in as close as possible as he kneels in front of the demon. “Hi Vrell,” he says gently. “Like Dee said, my name is Seraph. You know what I am, right?”
Vrell gives him a small nod. “
Kasi said not to be scared… but it’s hard not to be.”
“You’re
kasi’s right. You don’t have to worry. I’m not going to hurt you,” the angel replies with a kind smile. He continues in the same gentle tone. “I’m going to keep you and your brother safe from others that might want to cause you harm, just like Dee. You trust him, right?”
The demon glances over at John and gives a firmer nod before looking back at Seraph.
“Good. Are you ready to go see your brother?” Seraph asks.
“Yes!” Vrell says with a wide grin. She transfers the stuffed demon to one arm and offers her hand to John again.
Spoiler: Noticing the Angelic Conversation
Show
It concerned Dee somewhat that Zaphriel was angered at the presence of Vrell—although his apparent calming at the reassurance that she was just a little girl was some comfort. Zaphriel would not be able to see, in a traditional sense, so he may just have sensed the native power Vrell possessed.
If his calming at the thought of Vrell being a little child was reassuring, the thought of her presence being sufficient to be perceived as a potential threat balanced out whatever relief he might have felt, as it represented a potential danger that he had brought into their base.
Not that he had had much of a choice, he reminded himself as he watched Seraph’s conversation with Vrell carefully. She was, as Seraph had told Zaphriel, just a little girl.
Spoiler: Basic Demonic
Show
“Does kasi mean older sister, Vrell?” John asked with a smile as he took her hand and fell in behind Seraph. “I know many languages but yours is not one of them.”
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Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
Have it than need it:
Raphael stood, as he had throughout the summoning process, in a shadowed corner. He'd eschewed his costume for a long hemmed, hooded robe with golden trim. He'd left the big hood up, hiding his features in shadow.
He'd watched John's efforts with smouldering eyes, a tight reign on his competing senses of disgust, ownership, and protectiveness.
He kept a tighter grip on the leash of the predator, and the tenuous grasp of his powers.
Raphael was grateful for the hood as Seraph welcomed the tiny demonette into their midst. The vampire's poker face slipped, eyes widening. He hissed a breath out through his nose, shrugged, and headed for the stairs.
"Well. That went well." He deadpanned.
As he climbed the stairs, he pulled the garment over his head, revealing black jeans, black boots, and a black tank. The robe, an echo pulled forth from the manse for the occasion, was already beginning to wisp and fade away in his hands, and had returned to the memories it was by the time he reached the main hallway.
He glanced around, shrugged again, and swung by the kitchen to sneak some more blood bags to Laura.
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Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
November 2nd
John
“Older sister is kasi’alta,” Vrell replies. “Kiet’alta is older brother. That’s a lot to say all the time, so I just use sister and brother.”
While they walk, Vrell keeps a careful watch on Seraph. Her eyes occasionally drift down to the angel’s sword, but mostly stay focused on his back.
The golden wards on on the door to Zylas’ room blink visible for a moment as Seraph strengthens them. He opens the door to reveal Zylas waiting at attention. The demon’s eyes widen in surprise as he sees Vrell.
She releases John’s hand and rushes into the room, dropping her stuffed demon as she hugs her brother.
Zylas drops to one knee and holds her tightly. Vrell’s shoulder shake, and the three of them can hear small sobs as she presses her face into Zylas’ shoulder.
“When I told you of the spell yesterday, I just expected news of Vrell,” Zylas says as strokes Vrell’s hair to comfort her. “I didn’t think that you would summon her.”
He looks at the animal Vrell dropped and reaches forward to pick up. “A kita’vai,” he says quietly before offering it back to Vrell.
“Thank you, Dee, Seraph,” Zylas says. “You’ve done more for me than I ever could have asked.”
Seraph gives the demon a curt nod before he takes his leave, shutting the door behind him.
Raphael
When Raphael enters Laura’s room, she looks up at him with a small smile from the bed, where she’s sitting watching TV. He can smell a small amount of blood, and the source is immediately apparent.
Laura’s left arm is red and raw, like she’s been scratching it. A few small black scales are popped out of her skin.
She looks away in embarrassment. “I don’t know what’s going on with it. It started being weird like thirty minutes ago.”
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Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
Quote:
Originally Posted by
InTheMachine
November 2nd
John
“Older sister is kasi’alta,” Vrell replies. “Kiet’alta is older brother. That’s a lot to say all the time, so I just use sister and brother.”
While they walk, Vrell keeps a careful watch on Seraph. Her eyes occasionally drift down to the angel’s sword, but mostly stay focused on his back.
Dee gave Vrell’s tiny hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze as her eyes drifted to Seraph’s sword. While he knew Seraph would not draw it in anger, he was equally aware that part of taking Vrell under his protection involved her emotional security along with her physical security.
It was also comforting for him. He had managed the next to impossible by bringing her her and preventing her from being sacrificed to the ambitions of her brother, the Emipre, and Uvraan-et. Yes, it was a burden and had been more dangerous than most of the team understood, but it had been necessary if he intended to live up to the task set before him.
Explaining that to Montcrieff, whose morning message seemed to indicate the Occult Division in City of London—and perhaps elsewhere—were still debating whether it could be done, let alone if it should be done.
Doubtless Dr. Pearson would put something else in his file about hubris to assuage the hit to his ego that Dee had continued to succeed.
He was free to do so, John thought somewhat more smugly than he knew he should.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
InTheMachine
The golden wards on on the door to Zylas’ room blink visible for a moment as Seraph strengthens them. He opens the door to reveal Zylas waiting at attention. The demon’s eyes widen in surprise as he sees Vrell.
She releases John’s hand and rushes into the room, dropping her stuffed demon as she hugs her brother.
Zylas drops to one knee and holds her tightly. Vrell’s shoulder shake, and the three of them can hear small sobs as she presses her face into Zylas’ shoulder.
“When I told you of the spell yesterday, I just expected news of Vrell,” Zylas says as strokes Vrell’s hair to comfort her. “I didn’t think that you would summon her.”
He looks at the animal Vrell dropped and reaches forward to pick up. “A kita’vai,” he says quietly before offering it back to Vrell.
“Thank you, Dee, Seraph,” Zylas says. “You’ve done more for me than I ever could have asked.”
Seraph gives the demon a curt nod before he takes his leave, shutting the door behind him.
“It seemed both imprudent and heartless to leave her vulnerable and alone,” Dee replied to Zylas with a tired smile. “I spoke to your older sister—your kasi’alta, if I am not embarrassing my language instructor by pronouncing it incorrectly. I told her of the fall of your House, about your brother, and the potential danger she is in. She spoke well of you and your care of Vrell when she was deciding between trying to kill me and permitting me to bring Vrell here. Quite understandable, given he situation.”
“I wasn’t able to get the patterns on the kita’vai to exactly match the model—Dr. Riviera has one—but I think its coloration still falls within the natural variance and I thought something familiar would be better than a panda or something else she may or may not recognize.
“Speaking of which, I’ll try to get out a little later today to provide the two of you with another Kindle and with some clothes for her and some appropriate toys and games. Is there anything in particular you would prefer, Vrell?
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Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
November 1st
Movie Night
Quote:
Ryker glances over at Sidney for a moment before he shakes his head. “What kinda plans do ya think two criminals under house arrest would have?”
Sidney rolls her eyes at her boyfriend. “I think what he’s trying to say, Ryker, is that he might have some plans for us. He knows we can’t go anywhere.”
“Sure sure,” Ryker replies. “He’s tryin’ to be funny. I know.”
"Trying?", Louis mouths as he glances to the side.
"Okay just so we're clear, I am funny. I don't need to try." He replies smugly as he looks back to the couple. "And that was a legitimate question."
Quote:
She looks over the back of the couch at Louis. “It is old,” she admits. “It’s the original Blade Runner. It came out in the early 80s. My papa loves it.” She gives him a sad smile. “We would watch stuff like this and B-horror movies on Mondays after we closed up the shop.”
Ryker wordlessly reaches over and takes one of her hands, his thumb rubbing soothingly across her knuckles.
Sidney blinks, clearing her thoughts. She squeezes RykerÂ’s hand before looking back up at Louis, waiting for his reply.
Louis' expression softens as he listens to Sidney recall the time spent with her father. "Well... maybe movie night can be a regular thing again? I know you're still in the middle of your redesigns so I didn't wanna pull you onto another project full time. But if we can get the protoype working then there's the possibility I could take the two of you out for field tests and the occasional coffee run."
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Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
Well, well, well....
Raphael plants his hands on his hips and does his best reproving parent impression, "Don't pick at it."
He walks over to Laura and hands her one of the blood bags and takes her corrupted arm. "About thirty minutes ago huh?"
Raphael blinks twice, consciously trying to look past reality and see The Truth of the matter underneath it. He examines Laura's corrupted essence closely, hoping to discern if the corruption is spreading or worsening, or if it's simply been agitated by John's self righteous attempts to reunite demonic siblings.
Spoiler: OOC/Mechanics/Whatnot
Show
Unleash my powers! 10
Raphael is extending his senses to examine Laura on a metaphysical level and learn as much as he can about her condition's status in this moment.
After a few moments, the vampire sighs and digs his phone out of his pocket.
Spoiler: text to John:
Show
Today, class, we're going to learn about the law of unintended consequences! :D
When you get free of the nickel tour, come have a look at Laura's arm.
slipping his phone back in his pocket, "So aside from the obvious, how're you doing?" He glances at the TV. "Catch up on all your shows yet?"
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Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
Quote:
Originally Posted by
big teej
After a few moments, the vampire sighs and digs his phone out of his pocket.
Spoiler: text to John:
Show
Today, class, we're going to learn about the law of unintended consequences! :D
When you get free of the nickel tour, come have a look at Laura's arm.
Dee frowned as he read Nightgaunt’s text on his visor’s HUD. His annoyance was twofold.
First, there never seemed to be a pause. Even yesterday, when all he wanted to do was watch a movie cuddled up with Emi, he was dragged away by the consequences of Valèdir’s actions—actions that eventually forced him to rearrange his schedule so that Grayson could be informed of what his other half was up to.
At least Mr. Shaw had sent him down to heal himself rather than having Emi patch him up. Again.
Be charitable, John. They’re friends.
Dee had to concede, however, that the greater sense of irritation was due to his having left Laura’s arm out of his calculations. Given the spells he was weaving together and her proximity, he should have foreseen that as a potential complication—especially after his experiments had confirmed the ichor used had been drawn from Jerek.
He selected “On my way” from the quick responses as he turned back to their resident greater demons.
“I’ll give the two of you some time to think about what you would like me to pick up for the two of you and to catch up,” Dee continued. “Should something occur to you, please let Mimi know and she can begin to compile a list that I can reference.
“If you’ll excuse me.”
Dee made one quick detour to retrieve the Spirit Jar he had created from his workshop before heading to Laura’s room. Nightgaunt’s flair for understatement left a wide range of possibilities for what he might encounter there and, if he had inadvertently triggered something that was causing her transformation to progress, he wanted to be ready.
Of course, an additional day or two with Dr. Issac’s journal would have improved his readiness but it was increasingly clear he was not going to be operating under ideal circumstances today.
He knocked politely on the door before entering, trying to get an immediate sense of things.
“Good morning, Miss Scovil,” he said with concern. “Nightgaunt suggested there was a problem with your arm. What has happened?”
Spoiler: So: What is the nature of the DRAMA—interpersonal or metaphysical?
Show
John Attempts to Assess the Situation:
2d6+3 6
John spends +1 he is holding with Raphael.
7
What here is in the greatest danger? (Specifically, focusing on her arm—Is this an emergency?).
Because of John’s Scientific Insight into things Occult, he can ask a follow up question.
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Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
Following Dee and Seraph leading Vrell to Zylas's room, Crowe nods as they all pass and thinks better of it than to follow along and interrupt the family reunion. As much as he would want to talk with Zylas right now, he knew the demon prince needed some time alone. He let his costume fall back into his shadow as he climbed the stairs out of the basement workshop and made his way into the living room, just in time to see the others coming back from their walk.
Keith waved at the trio of Stella, Ryker, and Yuki as they came back in. "Welcome back, and success was had. John's leading the family reunion now. How was the walk?"
Following their answer, and after whatever questions were asked, he would look at Ryker. "Got a couple minutes? Dunno if Drake mentioned anythin' we learned yesterday after Marrow to ya or not but a bit curious if you recognize a name or know a connection."
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Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
November 1st
Movie Night
Quote:
Originally Posted by Louis
Louis' expression softens as he listens to Sidney recall the time spent with her father. "Well... maybe movie night can be a regular thing again? I know you're still in the middle of your redesigns so I didn't wanna pull you onto another project full time. But if we can get the protoype working then there's the possibility I could take the two of you out for field tests and the occasional coffee run."
Sidney’s eyes brighten considerably. “Is that… actually something we could do? I don’t mind putting everything else aside if it is.”
Ryker looks at Louis with a slightly raised eyebrow, but stays silent. He glances back at Sidney and smiles at her when she meets his eyes. “So what’cha think? You can have that thing done by what? Thursday?”
“At the latest,” Sidney replies confidently. “Me and Louis 2 can work on it while the real Louis is at school.” She glances up at the high octane hero. “As long as you’re okay with that.”
November 2nd
Laura’s Room
As Raphael looks at Laura’s arm, he sees that the corruption doesn’t seem to be spreading, but just looks irritated. It seems to have reacted to Vrell’s summoning.
“Mostly,” she replies with a small smile. “There isn’t much else to do, and I’m trying not be drawn into watching some of the garbage that’s on TV these days.” She pops the top on the blood bag that the other vampire offered her and takes a long sip.
She gets noticeably more withdrawn as John enters the room, but answers, “About 30 minutes ago, my arm started to hurt really bad. It felt like it wanted to transform on its own, but it never got that far. Just what you see. I can’t seem to make it go back to normal right now either.”
Spoiler: John’s Assess
Show
This isn’t an emergency. Jerek’s blood seems to have reacted to the spell that John used, but nothing seems to be getting worse.
Keith
Yuki and Stella say their good mornings to Keith and head into the kitchen to see what Aeryn’s cooking up for breakfast before the meeting.
“All I have is time,” Ryker says. He looks around and sees that the living room is empty for now and moves to lean agains the back of the couch. “I saw you and Drake fightin’ Marrow on the news. I’m glad you guys got out of it with only the injuries you had. He coulda killed you both if more of North Side hadn’t shown up.”
“I was paired up with Wolf and Aeryn last night for patrol, so I haven’t really talked to Drake since yesterday morning. I caught a little about what Yuki an’ Stella were sayin’ while we were out. Sounds like Yuki and Drake made up over somethin’,” he says with a smirk. “Yuki’s face was bright red while she was havin’ her ‘girl talk’ with Stella.”
“Anyway, you wanted to ask me about a name?”
-
Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
Quote:
Originally Posted by
InTheMachine
November 1st
November 2nd
Laura’s Room
As Raphael
looks at Laura’s arm, he sees that the corruption doesn’t seem to be spreading, but just looks irritated. It seems to have reacted to Vrell’s summoning.
“Mostly,” she replies with a small smile. “There isn’t much else to do, and I’m trying not be drawn into watching some of the garbage that’s on TV these days.” She pops the top on the blood bag that the other vampire offered her and takes a long sip.
She gets noticeably more withdrawn as John enters the room, but answers, “About 30 minutes ago, my arm started to hurt really bad. It felt like it wanted to transform on its own, but it never got that far. Just what you see. I can’t seem to make it go back to normal right now either.”
Spoiler: John’s Assess
Show
This isn’t an emergency. Jerek’s blood seems to have reacted to the spell that John used, but nothing seems to be getting worse.
———
Dee sighed and shook his head as he studied her arm. “I cast a very elaborate and complicated spell related to the demonic bloodline that infected you at about that time,” he explained. “I had shielded it as best I could but that doesn’t appear to have been enough. The good news is that the effect should only last a few hours at most and then it will subside. If it lasts any longer than that, ask Mimi to send for me and I will do what I can to fix it.”
He looked up into Laura’s eyes, making as much eye contact as his visor permitted. “I am sorry that the shielding I wove into the spell was insufficient and that, as a result, it caused you discomfort.”
He glanced at Raphael before he spoke again, remembering the ring that needed to be delivered and wondering if and when Raphael would disclose everything to Feris. “The good news is that we managed to crack the code Dr. Issac used to keep his journal secret. It’s slow going, given the number of references to genetics, but I hope to be able to release you from this condition before Friday—assuming that there aren’t more complications involving greater demons.”
He offered a weak smile. “Is there anything you wanted to ask before I leave? My presence appears to still cause you some discomfort and I have no desire to make things any worse for you than I already have.”
-
Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
Quote:
Originally Posted by
InTheMachine
November 2nd
Keith
Yuki and Stella say their good mornings to Keith and head into the kitchen to see what Aeryn’s cooking up for breakfast before the meeting.
“All I have is time,” Ryker says. He looks around and sees that the living room is empty for now and moves to lean agains the back of the couch. “I saw you and Drake fightin’ Marrow on the news. I’m glad you guys got out of it with only the injuries you had. He coulda killed you both if more of North Side hadn’t shown up.”
“I was paired up with Wolf and Aeryn last night for patrol, so I haven’t really talked to Drake since yesterday morning. I caught a little about what Yuki an’ Stella were sayin’ while we were out. Sounds like Yuki and Drake made up over somethin’,” he says with a smirk. “Yuki’s face was bright red while she was havin’ her ‘girl talk’ with Stella.”
“Anyway, you wanted to ask me about a name?”
Keith responded to the good mornings with a smile and his own before returning his attention to Ryker. Chuckling a bit hearing that all he had was time. What else did he expect? "Think I'd learn eventually." He shook his head with a grin.
As Ryker mentioned the entire fight with Marrow though, Keith couldn't help but nod. Raph's comment about no one else being allowed to die from West Side rang in the back of his head.
"Yeah, honestly still not sure how I got up after that last hit. I know I felt at least three ribs break but....." Keith's hand moved to his side. "Nothing afterwards, like it just.... disappeared."
Hopefully she doesn't just disappear after that too. He thought to himself, wondering how Maeve's coursework had gone yesterday with everything. "We got lucky they arrived when they did."
He tilted his head at Ryker's remark of Yuki and Stella's girl talk. "Well, that explains why he was out on his own yesterday then." Keith chuckled. "Glad that y'all got to patrol with Wolf for a bit at least. Wouldn't mind working with him again."
When the question of the name came up, Keith nodded again. "Yeah, ties into the kid Marrow was after yesterday too. Does the name Gears ring any bells? Kid said that's who was trying to recruit him into the Rooks, and the reason Marrow was after him was he went after the wrong girl of Lady Orchid's. Dunno who the girl was but they put the hit on him after that. Wasn't sure if that was usual or not either."
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Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
November 2nd
Laura’s Room
Laura’s gaze doesn’t meet John’s, but instead stays in her lap. “You couldn’t have known that this would happen. It’s not like you did it on purpose.”
She does give him a hint of a smile as he tell her that Dr. Issac’s notebook has been decoded. “Friday, hmm? I guess I can stick around that long,” she says. She glances up at Raphael and gives him a wider smile.
“As long as you think it’ll go away on its own, I don’t think I have any questions right now. You’ll let me know the plan to get rid of all this on Friday, right?”
Keith
“Gears?” Ryker says, crossing his arms. “He’s small time. A recruiter, like you said, for the Palisades set. I don’t know much more than that about him. I didn’t spend much time on that side of town. Most of the time I was assigned to central and East Side.”
He narrows his eyes at the next piece of information. “Marrow was out on a hit for Lady Orchid? Who was the girl? You said you don’t know her name, but do you know what she looked like?”
“Vi’s usually the one that handles hits if someone hurts one of the girls,” he explains. “Marrow was way out of the Palisades territory. It had to have been personal.”
-
Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
Quote:
Originally Posted by
InTheMachine
November 2nd
Keith
“Gears?” Ryker says, crossing his arms. “He’s small time. A recruiter, like you said, for the Palisades set. I don’t know much more than that about him. I didn’t spend much time on that side of town. Most of the time I was assigned to central and East Side.”
He narrows his eyes at the next piece of information. “Marrow was out on a hit for Lady Orchid? Who was the girl? You said you don’t know her name, but do you know what she looked like?”
“Vi’s usually the one that handles hits if someone hurts one of the girls,” he explains. “Marrow was way out of the Palisades territory. It had to have been personal.”
Keith nodded and leaned against the couch as well. "That makes sense. He would have been a ways out of your way." As Ryker mentioned looks, Keith thought back to what the boy had said.
"Yeah, seemed like he tried to mug her, got her purse, didn't realize she was one of Lady Orchid's, and hit her with his knife then bolted. Even dumped the purse without taking anything." Keith tilted his head trying to remember the description. "Didn't get much outta the kid other than pretty green eyes and long blonde hair. Didn't even know she was one of them either."
At Ryker's mention of Vi, Keith tilts his head again trying to think of who it was.
Spoiler: Does that sound familiar?
Show
CCM Knowledge:
1d6o6-2 0 1d6o6-2 2
OOC: Right, should have talked to Seraph about healing first.
"Don't recognize the name Vi. I figured it must have been personal, seemed odd for the second in command to go after the kid himself." Keith shook his head. "Have a feelin' Marrow's gonna go back after him with all that."
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Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
Idiom Sir?
"For what it's worth, I think he's right, it doesn't seem to be spreading or intensifying. You're just as much 'you' as when we found ya." Raphael says, rubbing at underneath his eye.
"He'll keep you informed, whether you like it or not." The vampire continues with a smile.
"whatever the specifics are, I'm sure it'll involve some mumbo jumbo talk and ninja hand signs, and then 'poof'--" Raphael pantomimes an explosion with his hands. "--You'll be all better."
-
Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
Quote:
Originally Posted by
InTheMachine
November 2nd
Laura’s Room
Laura’s gaze doesn’t meet John’s, but instead stays in her lap. “You couldn’t have known that this would happen. It’s not like you did it on purpose.”
She does give him a hint of a smile as he tell her that Dr. Issac’s notebook has been decoded. “Friday, hmm? I guess I can stick around that long,” she says. She glances up at Raphael and gives him a wider smile.
“As long as you think it’ll go away on its own, I don’t think I have any questions right now. You’ll let me know the plan to get rid of all this on Friday, right?”
“Before, if I can manage it,” Dee assured her. “It all depends on how much genetics I have to learn.
“Speaking of which,” he said as he glanced at Raphael. “I’ll leave the two of you to continue your conversation and get back to it. Let me know if you need anything.”
After leaving Laura’s room, he made his way back to his room in order to change into a pair of black pants and one of his Salve Regina tee shirts. “Mimi:” he requested as he sat down with his translation Dr. Issac’s journal and turned to the page with his wife’s address, “can you show me this location on a map of Iron Station, once I find it?
“Oh,” he added, trying and failing to sound casual or disinterested. “Has there been a press conference or the like scheduled to announce il Dragone Veloce’s arrival in Iron Station? I’d imagine Myriad is going to want to help reassure the public with their high profile but inappropriately powered hero’s arrival in town.”
He glanced up at one of the cameras.
“Sorry, Mimi. That was perhaps a little more catty than it should have been. I’m trying to keep a brave public face but you’ve done nothing to bear the burden of my private snide commentary—especially if you are going to be my genetics study buddy.”
He wanted to reach out to Emi—to let hew know the summoning was a success. But it was still well before 8AM and she had had a rough day yesterday. Best to let her rest—assuming Valèdir wasn’t conspiring to arrange something as he spoke.
Thought.
He shook his head and began considering the journal.
-
Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
November 2nd
Keith
“Violet,” Ryker clarifies. “She’s Lady Orchid’s daughter. Also goes by UltraViolet. She can make things out of light solid enough to mess you up.”
He considers Keith’s description of the woman again, but shakes his head. “There’s a lot of blonde girls with the Lady. I need a little more than that to give you a name.”
Drake emerges from the hallway to kitchen, a mug of coffee clutched his hand. “She goes by Dahlia,” he says, joining the conversation. “Mimi found a match this morning— admitted to the hospital three days ago, blonde hair, green eyes, knife wound. It looks like somebody paid to keep it off the record, which is why Mimi had a hard time finding something. That name mean anything, Ryker?”
“Oh,” the former villain says with a furrowed brow. “Yeah. She’s one of Lady Orchid’s top girls, and Marrow’s favorite. Where was she hurt?”
Drake takes a swig of his drink before he answers. “Knife wound to the face. Her cheek and forehead were totally opened up.”
Ryker’s eyes narrow. “Damn. No wonder Marrow was after the kid. He hurt his girl. If someone did that to Sid I don’t know if I could stop myself from huntin’ him down either,” he admits in a low voice.
Laura’s Room
Laura smiles at Raphael’s description of John’s magic. “Hopefully it’s that easy.”
Once John leaves, the vampire looks at Raphael. Her left arm trembles a little and it looks like she gives serious effort to not scratch at it with her right hand. She sighs a little. “I don’t know what to make of that guy. He left me for dead, but now he’s trying his hardest to help me.”
John
A map projects onto on of John’s wall with a point highlighted. It looks like a house not too far from East Side, close to the center of the city just before downtown proper begins.
“There is a Myriad press conference scheduled for 9am today,” Mimi replies. He can hear a hint of amusement in her voice. “I don’t mind John. I’ve heard much worse from several people.”
“Don’t get too absorbed in the journal. The morning meeting starts in ten minutes.”
-
Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
Quote:
Originally Posted by
InTheMachine
November 2nd
John
A map projects onto on of John’s wall with a point highlighted. It looks like a house not too far from East Side, close to the center of the city just before downtown proper begins.
“There is a Myriad press conference scheduled for 9am today,” Mimi replies. He can hear a hint of amusement in her voice. “I don’t mind John. I’ve heard much worse from several people.”
“Don’t get too absorbed in the journal. The morning meeting starts in ten minutes.”
As Mimi’s projection appeared on his wall, John stood and considered the complications inherent in the location. Yes, it put him in striking distance for more wooing and would help justify another in-person briefing of Dr. Riviera—although since Harbinger pointed out he could be doing those via teleconference as well as by phone indicated he wan’t fooling any of the Directors.
Not that he had really expected to.
Of course, after this morning, there was an increased chance of encountering more than one rival there, as Mastroianni was no less likely to be able to calculate that in-person briefings gave him a justification for visiting East Side.
Those calculations aside, however, were secondary to his concern that Emi was close to a supernatural threat. It was an absurd concern, given how many demons were roving about the city and her proximity to Valèdir, but it was something to consider.
John frowned, however, as Mimi continued.
“Please add the press conference to my calendar, Mimi. It will be worth noting the difference in coverage he gets as compared to West Side.
“Speaking of which,” he continued, changing his shirt in preparation for the meeting, “I haven’t had a chance to look at this morning’s papers. What has the Inquisitor accused West Side of this morning? Aimee’s scoop about the rescue of the Mayor and his daughter at least blunted the possibility for making it out like we destroyed the area. Given how quiet yesterday was, I’d imagine Anton A. Abernathy, ‘crusading editor and devotee of the truth’, had to stretch his range.”
-
Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
November 2nd
John
Mimi launches into the Inquisitor’s disparaging headline and the article that cites their lack of assistance to citizens in the aftermath of the Bull demon’s rampage. It points out that an unknown vigilante had to assist Redline with several people trapped in cars and general evacuation. There’s a separate article that belittles both Mercury and Crowe for letting Marrow get away earlier in the day. That article praises North Side for their assistance, however.
Once Mimi finishes, there’s a quiet knock on John’s door. If he opens it, a gray feather drifts into the mage’s room as Harbinger is revealed.
“Mornin’ John,” the angel says. He looks to be keeping a tight grip on his feeling of concern, but his shoulders are tight and some is showing through his eyes. “Just a quick question. How did last night go?”
-
Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
Quote:
Originally Posted by
InTheMachine
November 2nd
Keith
“Violet,” Ryker clarifies. “She’s Lady Orchid’s daughter. Also goes by UltraViolet. She can make things out of light solid enough to mess you up.”
He considers Keith’s description of the woman again, but shakes his head. “There’s a lot of blonde girls with the Lady. I need a little more than that to give you a name.”
Drake emerges from the hallway to kitchen, a mug of coffee clutched his hand. “She goes by Dahlia,” he says, joining the conversation. “Mimi found a match this morning— admitted to the hospital three days ago, blonde hair, green eyes, knife wound. It looks like somebody paid to keep it off the record, which is why Mimi had a hard time finding something. That name mean anything, Ryker?”
“Oh,” the former villain says with a furrowed brow. “Yeah. She’s one of Lady Orchid’s top girls, and Marrow’s favorite. Where was she hurt?”
Drake takes a swig of his drink before he answers. “Knife wound to the face. Her cheek and forehead were totally opened up.”
Ryker’s eyes narrow. “Damn. No wonder Marrow was after the kid. He hurt his girl. If someone did that to Sid I don’t know if I could stop myself from hunting him down either,” he admits in a low voice.
At the clarification about Vi, Keith nodded. "Ok that makes more sense. Wait do her powers looks kinda, pixelated or something like that? Might be the bird we saw helpin' Marrow out too."
As Drake emerged from the kitchen, Keith waved, and immediately realized what time it about was. At this point, he just kinda hoped things would be alright moving forward. "Had to have paid a good bit for that then. Then again, not like anything gets past Mimi." He grins looking at one of the cameras.
At the rest of the conversation, Keith looked at the ground for a moment. He knew about exactly what Ryker would have done. Gone right back out there and found payback. It's what most anyone would do. Hell, he figured even this early, granted it would have been too soon, he'd want the same if someone got Maeve. Not that it seemed to matter much now, but he hoped that would be something that could happen. Not that she got hurt but that they could keep getting to know each other for him to warrant the thought.
Yeah, if I could be so lucky. He found himself thinking.
"Yeah....." Keith just manages at Ryker's admission. It felt like there wasn't much they could really do for the kid at this point. "**** man. Can be sure Marrow won't stop either until he's got some payback too."