[Nexus] Riverside 11

[happyturtle]

Westside

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Westside

Neither of us intended to die, Evangeline. You fought well, and I still love you.

Now, what we need right now are allies. Stooges, patsies, minions. Disposable peons with no real understanding of who we really are. As much as I'd treasure having arms to hold you in once more, it would be like a beacon to Dionysus, an unmistakable sign of past troubles rising once more. I cannot allow you to restore me until we're ready.

The amulet pauses to collect its thoughts. It then speaks with absolute conviction, as if its word were law. Of course, to Evangeline, it might as well be.

We need to frame Dionysus for something, or frame others for a crime against Dionysus, or both. Pit him and some organization against one another. I saw how he responded to the capture of his disciple; he sent Zeus in as an enforcer to smash their prison to pieces. With the thunder god dead, he no longer has an absolute advantage against the ruling powers of Riverside.

Of course the amulet is law to Evangeline, but she sets aside the last part for now, to focus on the most important part. But I will be able to restore you? Someday? I will. Whatever it takes. No matter how long it takes. You know I'm your angel. I'll fight for you. The moving wall glows just at the edges of her peripheral vision.

[Shadowcaller]

Outside Exbourne

Astrana blinks and shakes her head, trying to check twice if it's really there or just some hallucination. She knew that sometimes the crystal containers could have lasting effects on your mind.

[Lost_Deep]

Outside Exbourne

It's there all right; it stays still just long enough for Astrana to be sure it's real before it turns and runs into the darkness of the alley. Astrana will see the fluttering of a cloak of some kind before the form round a corner not too far away. She could probably chase and catch it if she wanted to!

[Shadowcaller]

Outside Exbourne

No, that was probably what the darkness wanted. Whatever it was she didn't trust it. After it had tricked her that one time she didn't think it would let itself be caught so easily.

Instead she makes haste towards northside, if anyone could deal with this it was the fourth tower.

[Flying Horse Inn]

"Nah, we can handle it ourselves. Just the room numbers and keys will do." Indro says.

[Flying Horse Inn]

"Okay, that will be seventy five gold pieces please. Enjoy your stay." The lizard woman replies before handing over two keys placed just underneath the bar.

[Gullara]

[Flying Horse Inn]

"Thank you very much." Indro snags the keys. When he sees the others enter, he tosses the keys to them and waves them upstairs. "We got a couple rooms for the night. Bring the bags up." They go to do just that.

Indro, meanwhile, turns back to the reptilian woman. "I was wondering if I could bother you for a bit longer. I was curious about the man with the bat's ears. Strikes me as an odd sort." He looks at her expectantly.

[Astrana's Room]

Cynthia crosses her arms and looks very much like she wants to argue. "Fine." Her fat little lower lip sticks out as she pouts up at Eadelain. How could she say no? Cynthia really really wants to follow her.

[Lost_Deep]

Astrana's Room

"I won't stop you," Eadelain says as she heads for the library, "But I won't participate myself."

Outside Exbourne

A few minutes later, a black panel van rounds a corner and beings shadowing Astrana obviously.

Well, they're trying to be inconspicuous, but they're failing. The fact that they used the wrong paint on the panel van doesn't help... they used house paint, so it looks like a black mottled mess. Whoever is in the van is presumably supposed to be stealthy but is very bad at it.

Some places the paint is chipped and you can see through to the old paint job... which is bright pink?

[Gullara]

[Astrana's Room]

Cynthia follows her, each fall of her foot being a bit harder than it needs to be. She wants to make her displeasure known. "Where are you going now?"

[Shadowcaller]

Westside street

Oh geez, another trick or something else? In either case she had to lose it before she headed to northside. She wasn't prone on stepping inside a dark alley however, instead she heads inside a cloth shop to see how the people inside the van reacted to that.

[Flying Horse Inn]

"The one that just went upside? Yeah, he and three others of his kind have been staying here for about a week now. I heard they are connected to the flying castle somehow." She replies. "Why are you asking exactly?" Just being strange didn't really seem enough for her. This was the nexus after all, there were a lot stranger things then bat men.

[Lost_Deep]

Westside street

The suspicious van stops a bit away, not really visible from inside the store but obviously able to see if Astrana leaves. Through the front, anyway. If this store has some kind of back entrance that Astrana can sneak out by, that might be a good idea.

Astrana's Room

"To the library. I want to do something more but I don't know what to do; I've just been going through some of the interesting books in the library in my free time."

Presumably that free time spent not sleeping...

[Gullara]

[Flying Horse Inn]

"You must not have seen the look he gave us when we walked in. Odd that." Indro produces a few bills from his jacket and discretely slides them across the bar to the woman. "I like to keep on top of things, but let's keep our little chat here on the down low, you dig?"

[Astrana's Room]

"What happened to going for a walk?" Cynthia demands. Going to the library is a boring plan!

[Lord Magtok]

Westside

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Westside

Of course the amulet is law to Evangeline, but she sets aside the last part for now, to focus on the most important part. But I will be able to restore you? Someday? I will. Whatever it takes. No matter how long it takes. You know I'm your angel. I'll fight for you. The moving wall glows just at the edges of her peripheral vision.

Oh, that won't be hard. We'll just find a dead MagClone and pay a wizard to make the transfer or something, I dunno. And then bribe, blackmail, or bludgeon to keep him silent, of course. It shouldn't be-

The amulet abruptly takes on a scolding tone, and would probably snap a finger at Evangeline right now, had it any appendages to do so with.

Hey! Whoever or whatever you're looking at, now's hardly the time. We need a bathroom, or some other source of a mirror, so you can get a less television-famous face to hide behind. By your next fight, my last extension on your immortality will have run out, so you'll need to be ready for that, too. Your current tunic's got its uses, so we can't throw it out, but you can't expect a shapeshifted face disguise to work with that on, either. Clothes shopping, that's on the to-do list now. I'm leaning towards maybe something out of Che Guevara's closet, with purple armorweave undershirt and matching beret. Ultimately up to you though, what with me being a blind, deaf chunk of rock hanging against your chest.

Yike! Bad move there, amulet. Admitting that you have no idea what's going on, giving Evangeline freedom to interpret your commands however she thinks best. You know how faulty and unreliable her judgement's been in the past, don't you?

[happyturtle]

Westside

You don't see what I see? Evangeline asks. It's some sort of wall that glows and moves with me. Sometimes it gets closer and sometimes farther away, but I can't ever reach it. As she's relating this to the god in her mind, she makes her way to a gas station she remembers nearby. The toilets there smell horrible, but they open to the outside, so no one will see her approaching them - especially since she intends to break in rather than ask the cashier for the bathroom key.

[Shadowcaller]

Westside street

That's the reasons she picked this particular store actually. She slips out the back door and then continues to head for northside.

[Flying Horse Inn]

"Sure." She replies with an raised eyebrow at the money but accepts it none the less. "Just don't make any trouble while you're here and I'm happy."

[Gullara]

[Flying Horse Inn]

"Won't be a problem. And if you don't mind, what room are our bat faced friends in?" Indro asks, adding another bill to sweeten the deal a bit.

[Lost_Deep]

Exbourne Manor

"I don't have a winter coat, and it's too cold out to walk without one."

She's quiet for a minute.

"Actually, if I can borrow a coat for a bit, we can walk to a store and I can buy my own coat."

Westside street

The pursuers stay out front of the store, not guessing that Astrana escaped. She has successfully shaken them.

[Shadowcaller]

[Flying Horse Inn]

The inn keeper looks back at Indro with one eye. "You sure you're not going to make any trouble because I don't want my inn to get a bad reputation. Is that understood?" She asks while trying to take a grip around his arm.

Westside Street==>Malchenar

Valente will hear someone knocking on his door. "Valente?"

[Dreamscape]

"Rise and shine Nadia..." An all too familiar voice calls out to her within her dreamscape.

[Gullara]

[Flying Horse Inn]

"Listen, doll, there's going to be trouble if you don't give me that room number. You got that?" Indro says, the friendly smile leaving his face.

[Malchenar]

There seems to be no response for a moment. Maybe he's not in? Astrana doesn't have to wonder for long, however, because she'll see Valente hurrying down the corridor to greet her. "Hey Astrana." He tries to give her a brief hug and a peck on the cheek. "I'm sure glad to see you."

[Dreamscape]

Nadia sighs inwardly and opens her eyes. When would this ever stop? She sits up and looks around at the presumably familiar environment. "What do you want?"

[Exbourne Manor]

"Okay! Let's do that then." Cynthia says impatiently. If she missed her chance to follow Astrana, she sure isn't going to settle for sitting around here.

[The Bushranger]

[Eastside Disturbance]

"I think that will be all," Andromeda says politely, with a nod and a neutral smile.

[Lord Magtok]

Westside

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Westside

You don't see what I see? Evangeline asks. It's some sort of wall that glows and moves with me. Sometimes it gets closer and sometimes farther away, but I can't ever reach it. As she's relating this to the god in her mind, she makes her way to a gas station she remembers nearby. The toilets there smell horrible, but they open to the outside, so no one will see her approaching them - especially since she intends to break in rather than ask the cashier for the bathroom key.

The fourth wall, maybe? I've been aware of it, so maybe that came into you because the amulet business. I can't recall ever physically seeing the thing, however. But unless there's some sort of illusion that's been cast on your brain, that's my best guess.

Her deity stirs irritably. Something is happening, and he has no idea what it is. It's so dead and empty in here, with only whatever thoughts Evangeline feels like sharing with him as company. In the pauses between thoughts, he could easily be thrown to the bottom of the river this town is named after, for all he knows.

Eurgh. I can't see or hear or anything, but I do seem to get thoughts and stuff you project at me. Instead of words, can you see if you can send over images of what's around you?

[happyturtle]

Westside

I'll try, Master. By this time, Linda has broken into the filthy restroom. She stands with her hands gripping the edges of the sink to steady her, and tries to send an image of what she is seeing. She's looking into the mirror, and the glowing wall is a few feet behind her, visible in the mirror.

[Shadowcaller]

[Malchenar]

"So am I." She replies, returning the hug. "How are you? I hope they're treating you well?"

[Dreamscape]

The environment is indeed familiar but not the way Nadia have anticipated. She is Suncrest manor and it's not the black scorpion she see before her, it's Irena sitting on the bed. "It's the final choice before ascension dear." The goddess speaks through Irena's mouth. "Ready to begin?" She asks with a smile.

[Flying Horse Inn]

The inn-keeper frowns. What could she do? "Whatever you're going to do, make sure you do it quietly."

[Lost_Deep]

Leaving Exbourne Manor

And they presumably go out to do that. Eadelain, while more energetic than she usually is, isn't very entertaining and as thus Cynthia is going to have to entertain herself.

[Gullara]

[Malchenar]

"Well enough. There was a bit of trouble, but that was my fault as much as anything." Valente admits. He won't go into further detail without being prompted to, though.

[Dreamscape]

Nadia is admittedly thrown of by the unexpected setting, but she more concerned with scowling at the goddess. "You can start by not stealing Irena's looks, then go ahead."

[Flying Horse Inn]

"The room number." Is all Indro says. He's not going to make any promises to her. It's like she thought, what can she do?

[Leaving Exbourne Manor]

Cynthia is all bundled up in a warm jacket and a toque. The demon is in less than a good mood, and Eadelain insisting on being boring isn't helping things any. "Where are we going?" She asks as she tries to make her toque lie comfortably over her large ears.

[Lost_Deep]

Leaving Exbourne Manor

"I don't know. I thought you knew where the shops were, Cynthia." Eadelain is presumably in a coat that doesn't quite fit, since it's borrowed. "I don't know much of anything about the city, I've always spent most of my time indoors."

[Lord Magtok]

Westside

As precious and divine as ever, my angel. I can't say I would've expected the wall to glow like that, though. Strange. This is disturbing the amulet terribly, even if it doesn't say so. As much as Evangeline might be this deity's only hope of escape from this dark prison, there should be countermeasures in place against her. Ignorance of things like the fourth wall and the majority of his agenda. For her sake and his own, because some things just can't be trusted with anyone, disciple or otherwise. For her understanding of the world to exceed his own...why, that must be downright heretical.

Hrm...can't think of what to go with for your new face. Maybe a dark tan, to start with? I dunno, it's your body.

[happyturtle]

Westside

Skin tone is hard. There's so much of it, that it's easy to lose concentration. It's easier to just change facial shape. Linda / Evangeline changes her appearance, taking features from a couple of npcs she passed along the way. When she's finished, she doesn't look like either Linda or Evangeline. I suppose I need a new name too. Do you have any suggestions?

[Shadowcaller]

[Dreamscape]

The goddess form flickers and suddenly it's her own mother laying on the bed before her. "That any better? In any case this will be the last night we met like this so I have something special in mind for you today.Tell me, what do you think of the child?"

[Flying Horse Inn]

"Room number four." The inn keeper replies, pointing towards the stairs. The chess playing orcs seem too involved in their game to really give Indro and his men any attention.

[Malchenar]

"Mm... I just want to lay down for a bit. I'm exhausted." Astrana replies, gesturing towards his door.

[Gullara]

[Dreamscape]

Nadia bites back her thoughts on the newest change. "He's my son and I'm going to care for him." Nadia says firmly. She wraps her arms around her stomach protectively.

[Flying Horse Inn]

Indro tips his hat to her and heads upstairs. One of his men stay behind and takes a seat to keep an eye on the reptilian woman.

When he's upstairs, Indro will take a look at room 4 to see if the door is closed and see if there's any indication of who's in there.

[Malchenar]

"Yeah, alright." Valente opens the door for her and will follow her into the room. The room is tidy. It looks like nothing has been disturbed since she left. "Why're you so tired? Anything I can do?" He asks.

[Leaving Exbourne Manor]

"There's some stores, but we have to walk a bit to get to them." The demon says. Eadelain is probably aware that they're in a more residential area.

[Shadowcaller]

[Dreamscape]

Her mother smiles at her. "Good, then I have a deal in mind for you my dear. You don't want to give him to me correct? Well, lucky for you I might just consider having you as his caretaker. There is only one thing I want in exchange. Worship."

[Flying Horse Inn]

The bar keeper have sat down and is flipping through a book, trying to focus on it then what is going on around her at the moment.

As Indro comes up to the second floor one of the bat men is standing there in the corridor, looking at him as he comes up the stairs. It appears as if he have been waiting for him. He doesn't move though, he just stares.

[Malchenar]

Astrana nearly collapses into Valente's bed. "I'm helping a girl who have this presence possessing her. It's very powerful and worst of all, intelligent. It's tiring work, now I just want to relax..."

[Lost_Deep]

Leaving Exbourne Manor

"Lead on, we came out here for a walk anyway." Eadelain does know it's a residential area, but isn't aware of the surrounding area at all.