Otherworldly [IC]

[theduck]

Shaking his head, Ed set the saucer and tea cup on the floor. He tried not letting on that he was watching Roberts closely - something about that 'man' had him on edge, and the conversation he was having with the girls was not allaying his discomfort.

You could try using the pen that we are supposed to use to sign the thing.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Nicole stares at Roberts, nonplussed.

Dinner? You're asking me to dinner? In the midst of all this?

Firstly, I don't know who or what you are.

She holds up a finger, counting up her statements as she talks.

Secondly, apparently the world is in danger. There may not be an "after all this." If there is, I'd imagine the request could wait.

Thirdly, how the hell is us going to dinner with you helping you in any possible way?

Fourthly, I think we're all waiting to see if the bookworms over there find anything interesting in that contract we're all supposed to sign.

And finally, I recently woke up in a room full of freaky strangers and found out all this crazy s***. What on earth makes you think this is a good time for a dinner invitation? Gutsy, I'll grant you. But definitely not the time.

[Starbin]

Satiel laughed again as Gus departed, circumventing any additional questions and pawning 'answering duties' off on the Bobsey Twins.

"Anyone else curious what the f%#k the contact is for? I mean if the point is to save the cheerleader and save the world, why do we need a blood compact with a Prince of Hell?"

[Gnomes2169]

"Ah, but my good lad... sorry, I do not believe that I caught your name, but that pen probably has some kind of demon magic on it that makes any marks that it makes legally binding, whether I sign my name or not. Didn't one of you have a newspaper and a marker?" He asked of the group in general.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Nicole nods in agreement as Sariel speaks.

Yeah. If the world's in that much trouble why wouldn't he just tell us what we need to know, contract be damned? Seems he's got almost as much to lose as the rest of us, if his story is to be believed.

[Devilfish]

Roberts nearly palmed his face.

"GOOD, it's settled then. I'll see you two just after this. For dinner."

Alone... he trailed off, making sure not to look to Leila and Leraje this time. He could only hope that some subtlety made it through to the girl. That she would make it to him, unfollowed by demonic escort. Or in her case, that she would even come at all. Not many motions translate well from Unspoken, you know. The facepalm does.


* * *


Slowly, slowly, Roberts stepped to the table where the contract had been laid bare. Three men stood now, scrutinizing its every detail, scouring it for pitfalls within pitfalls and atrocities beyond. For it would be a terrible thing to be bound against one's will, to one beyond cruelty, beyond mercy, beyond time. Wise Gusion likely held a thousand traps within that magical fine print, which these men wiser would not rest until they'd found.

Roberts saw himself past all three.

It is impossible to trace his eyes behind those lenses with his, without allusion or direction or turning of the head. While to the onlooker he stood in silence, he secretly looked to Leila, joyless in her work. Then to Leraje, still smiling with untold wickedness.

Then to Sariel.

With little but the Doctor's advice he draws his pen and clicks it accordingly, and with grandiose strokes makes the name indisputable; I, the undersigned:

x___Simon Roberts___

* * *

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~*~*~______~*~*~

Far off in a barn in the rurals of Wayland sits a man bound to a branch across his back. A goat and a chicken lay slaughtered at his feet, inkwells to the blood painted about his body. The carcasses are old, yet they do not rot. The man is naked, yet he does not freeze. A laurel of meadowflowers adorns his comatose head, and the ashes of incense strew symbols over the floor.

Does wise Gusion remember the rituals of old?

~*~*~______~*~*~

Roberts withdraws pen without saying a word, silently as he'd pulled it out. Tilting his head, he offers an inquiring glance to Leraje, wondering perhaps, what do I learn next?

The room stood in complete silence for a moment, save for that pen's second click.

[Gem_Knight]

"I doubt we're allowed to edit the document, but if you catch anything that worries you, here," he fumbles around in his inside pockets for a moment before pulling out a small, hand-sized notepad and a mechanical pencil. He hands it up to the doctor. "Normally I'm not very comfortable with people reading over my shoulder.... I can make an exception for this though..." With that he goes back to reading.

[Starbin]

Seeing the others continue to read the contract, and Roberts sign it, he shook his head. He looked at Nicole and rolled his eyes at the others. Apparently his question hadn't interested anyone else enough to elicit a comment, so he'd let them do their thing.

Walking over to the Leraje and Leira, he stood and stared at them for a moment, the spoke quietly. "So, Raj, you're the archer, right? Well, since your boss scatted before we could ask, but who's running this show? Gus seems to be dancing to another tune ... who's got the master ouija board out there?

You and I both know that there's more to signing this contract than saving the world ... what's up?"

[Voltaire]

Leraje guffaws. It's a deep, sonorous tone, and it grates.

'You are a funny one, mon. Leraje find you funny. That's something, mon. Listen,' his Jamaican accent is uncanny, 'Leraje don't care if you sign de t'ing or not. But you best be hearin' what ol' booboo Gusion hav' to say. For someone who fell so far, you didn't fall far enough, mon. You still stink of de old worl'. Of old wars. Dat shiet be just about done, mon. Beli'e dat. An' remember something, mon: between you and us, we de ones who keep our word to de humans. Every time, mon. And for de record,' Leraje pulls a gigantic golden gun resembling a Desert Eagle on gun-steroids from his waistband, 'bows not mah t'ing no more, mon.'

He then puts it back, with a flourish and smiles at the angel.

[commander panda]

stephen adresses aric without looking up from the scroll. "forget allowed to edit, i don't think we can edit this thing. its written in demons blood, remember? unless our fair beauty here-" he gestures vaguely in leila's direction. "wants to prick her finger for us, i think we're stuck with-" then leraje pulls out a giant pistol. son of a goat fu**ing- he damn near pulls a gun himself. exept its in his apartment. great timing steve. prol'y wouldn't hurt the big bugger anyway. stephen had been trying to avoid speaking to sarni, but given the angel's personality, it's probably best he nip this in the bud before it escalates in a bad direction. he speaks quickly. "its pretty simple, sauriel." look awayyyyy from the demon, wings. "there's any number of reasons he might want us under contract, but it really amounts to the same thing all contracts amount to: he wants us in his pocket."

his job done, stephen looks back to the scroll. the trick's to stay as far out of the pocket as possible.

[Raunchel]

Hannah blinks, her vision is clouded, this strange room is feeling wrong. She blinks again, clearing it. She looks closely at the others, there is something strange about them. Then her attention is drawn to the two others, beings that are both familiar and unfamiliar.

[theduck]

Ed gives a small sigh.

Name's Edward Boyd

The strangeness of everything was starting to wear on him a bit. There was too much going on, too much that had to be taken on faith, too many new (some wonderful... some just strange) things... and while he had tried taking it all it stride, he was starting to feel that he needed a moments reprieve. The gun certainly didn't help things, though if he were to be honest, he still felt that might be more comfortable around the Jamaican, who at least was pretending to have a personality, then the brunette, how had given up all pretense of caring about them.

Angel, what is your plan - sign or not sign? Figure you have the best idea of what is going on - least you seem to know the players. If you had no intention of signing at all, you could have left already

[Starbin]

Sariel snorted at the display from Leraje, shaking his head at the demon. Same ol' song and dance ...

Turning to the others at the statement from Stephen and the question from Boyd, he shook his head. "I haven't left because I'm trying to figure out Gus' angle. He brings us all here. Blows sunshine up our a$$es about being chosen, about one of us being the Golden Child. Then he pulls the full court press to sign his contract, ranging from "Well, if you don't care about the world" to "If you don't sign now, you'll all be killed by vampires!" Classic salesmanship ... force the buyer to decide right now, before you can think about the consequences.

Interesting that we've got to hurry to save the world, but apparently he can't tell us what the universe's 'task' is before we agree. Why? Cuz whatever task he's got is gonna be nasty ... and some of us might not want to do it once we hear it. Only it won't matter, cuz once we sign, he'll have us by the short hairs and we'll have to.

You can read that contract all day long, but I'm betting it won't have anything that stands out ... it's not about the language, it's about the power over us to do whatever he wants us to do."

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V - you'll have to let me know if this is one of those "I need the players to go along with this" kinda things. I'd hate to say Sariel's out, then find you recruiting for my replacement because I didn't play ball

In general, I can't imagine without some good reason that Sariel will want to sign. Help out? Sure. Sign away what passes for a fallen angel's soul? Nah ... not yet.

[Gem_Knight]

Aric sighs, "The thing about language though, is it works both ways." He says without looking up from the page. "If his control only goes so far as making us save the world, I'm probably game, though still leery, if it extends in any way beyond that I'll have no part of it. Also- I'm checking for escape clauses, things that tell me I could go to a higher power and get the thing null'd if I find out it's all bull**** and he flat lied. If the contract is specific enough and he attempts to use it beyond it's value, it should be invalid, but- if I'm signing the whole farm up front, I'm just as out as you."

[Gnomes2169]

"Well. I'm done reading through." The Doctor said, tapping his pen on the notebook and nodding. In the notes, it listed it as strange that the world would be saved "In its present state" (Any action taken by anyone would change it and render the contract null, after all, unless time somehow stopped) and that, well... let's say there was one more loophole. "Alright, nothing else to really do but sit off to the side being a cheerleader, and I would look terrible in a skirt and uniform." With that, the Doctor scribbled his name on one of the lines provided and stepped back, stretching as he set the pen beside the page. He took of his glasses, picked up the cup of tea and was disappointed to find that it was empty. Drat. Ah well, too much of a good thing and all that.

Leraje's gun almost gave the Doctor a heart attack, but it went away almost as quickly as it had been pulled out and the Timelord sighed in relief, before Mr. Superiority Complex started talking again. "Oh, I'm sorry." He said to the angel, smiling, "I actually read the contract. Absolute control for all eternity? Mmmmm, no. Gentle prodding? Maybe a little more. But all the helpful hints I could want. And I'm guessing whatever this wonderful tea is a well."

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

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I'll ask the same question as Starbin: do you have a back-up plan, or so we need to justify signing?

Nicole watches the others, keeping an eye and an ear out for Sariel's conversation. She absentmindedly strokes Hannah's hair, talking quietly to the girl.

What're your thought on all this? I'm at a loss: we're getting spoon fed information from all sides, and never enough to reach a good conclusion. Damn logic puzzles...

[Devilfish]

To the all-seeing eye, Roberts was having three conversations at once.

To himself, he was wondering what on earth a ‘Vampire’ was.

To the observer, he was instructing Leraje that he had made his pact, and would be told of his duties before anyone else signed, please.

But to Hannah…

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To Hannah, the dull bulb of a street lamp hung nine feet in the air over the trenchcoat-man’s head. Its glow was so faint, so ethereal, it was a wonder whether it was even there at all. It was a wonder even further when she realized it for what it was.

An eye hung unnoticed nine feet over Roberts’ head; attached to something huge, and predatory.

The creature stood over him, erect and perfectly still, save for where it hung its head over the man to follow his every interaction. Its shape may have followed the guidelines of a man, but its form… Hannah may have sworn it to be of shadow itself.

The thing's eye shifted. It was up to her how long to notice the creature. You know.

In case it notices back.

[Gem_Knight]

Aric finally sets the contract down after reading it. Having not signed anything yet. He sits back mulling it over. He frowns. "There's just to little, honestly I expected to see a lot more information in the contract, the lack of information worries me more than any clause about control or binding." He closes his eyes and takes a few breaths.

[commander panda]

oh look, a vaguely worded demon contract. wonderful. stephen leans into his corner of the table, staring down the scroll with enough force to push it through the table. he could leave it. march right up to the pert little demon chick, tele back home and be out of the city in less than an hour. hide out in canada. foolproof. except angels. i can survive being object of an angelic hunt. and i can live through a holy purge. can i last as object of a purge? probably not. plus the vampires are likely already at the apartment, which is problematic to say the least. running don't sound so smart now does it? he could always take it. sign a name and you have access to a demons help, a team of "world saviours" and actual leads on this apocalypse.

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please. you don't actuly care about that.

silance. this is more important now.

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more important!?

he may know the answers.

your whole life.

your people

do it.

answers.

finally

sign here.

"SHUT THE FU*K UP!"

his fist shakes the table. it draws attention. stephen steps back and lets his eye's rome, meeting one persons gaze at a time.

then senselessly and quite suddenly, he breaks into an toothy crooked grin. as stephen steps back to the table, whether the others notice or not, they begin to hear countless unaccounted for voices speaking at a great distance. it's a small, etherial, sound. almost on the edge of conciseness. like that song one hears in the next room that just might be their imagination. "sorry about that, wern't referring to any of you." his voice has taken a reverberatory quality now. like several someones are speaking in unison with him. "i, the above signed, " he snatches up the pen and slides the scroll over to himself. "agree to the terms and concessions presented by the demon prince gusion in this document."

stephen road

ooc

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hanna should be able to hear the voices very clearly. but i doubt she understands much (the voices are gibbering about things you cant understand without context, and maybe four of them are doing it in English.)

[theduck]

Ed watches as the number of signatures on the contract grows...

Have any of you dealt with vampires before... the only thing I like about this contract is the idea of safety in numbers

[Gem_Knight]

"I did have this one encounter, I watched a mage I knew blast the unholy unliving stuffing out of them with fire," Aric scoffs. "But no I haven't faced vampires myself actually, I tend to teleport away from things that don't bite in a pleasant sort of way." He smirks.

[Gnomes2169]

"Well, I wouldn't call them vampires as such. More vampire-like creatures really." The Doctor chimed up, Sonic Screwdriver back out as he started to take readings of the people in the room instead of the room itself. "Now let's see just what I'm dealing with here. Except you angel boy, you've made that abundantly clear."

[Voltaire]

‘The Host is descending.’

‘I am aware of this.’

His – its - voice was not deep. It was sharp and metallic, like the clanging of steel on steel; controlled, deliberate and precise.

‘What is your command, Master?’

‘Belial, you will find an accommodation with Abaddon and Mammon.’ The dapper figure peered above his glasses at the bowing royalty of Hell. They were all there, from Satan and Beelzebub, to Merihem and Astatoth. But above them all was He: the Morning Star and the Bringer of Light. He began flipping the pages of the ornately bound book cradled in his arms.

‘The three of you will address this umbrage; this outrageous act of open, naked aggression. You may dispose of whatever forces you see fit to achieve this purpose. Our Father truly has left his senses, if he condones open war across the mortal realm.’

A hissing, oily voice echoed across the hall where the assembly had taken place, ‘Master, I have learned that it was a death among the Seraphim that caused this. Raphael was killed, it is said. The Host wants vengeance.’

The seated, be-suited figure’s irises began reddening – like metal in a furnace - in a silent rebuke. Quickly, however, the colour faded. It seemed as if the figure was mulling over the implications of the information.

‘That is immaterial. This is a purge we are seeing, dear fellows, and not a whit less than that. If we abstain from offering an erstwhile challenge, we will appear unable to do so. Inaction is not an option, as far as I see it. But thank you, Pythius. That is valuable intelligence that somewhat illuminates the issue. One does wonder, however, how my younger brother was killed. Raphael was both old and powerful. Who put paid to that?’

Belial was the first to respond, ‘We do not know, Master. It is a strange thing.’ His voice was gruff – churlish even.

‘Well, are you looking into it, my good fellow?’

Belial bowed further still, ‘Some of our best trackers are investigating, master. We have received no word beyond what is generally know, however.’

‘We have no inkling, whatsoever?’

Belial shifted in place, uncomfortably.

‘Uhh, we do know that the Feylands have begun mobilizing to protect their realm from the Host. King Volgest has been all blood and thunder, pis- uhh, forgive me master – and vinegar.’

Lucifer, the Morning Lord stood up. He was almost eight feet tall, and skinny to the point of skeletal. He wore a grey tuxedo, with a prominent black bow tie. His features seemed chiselled from granite, and his lips sat pursed on an almost comically long face. But this was not a comical being. Not at all. He stepped forward, through the throng of his attendants, who scurried out of the way while still bowing.

‘Yes… Yes. Do as you have been instructed, dearest Belial. Abaddon, Mammon, you too.’ Two figures bowed nearby. ‘They have to march through Wayland to reach the rest of the mortal realm. Arrest their progress there.’

A chorus responded, ‘Yes, master!’

***

Meanwhile, back in the room of indeterminate dimensions and unknown location, the gathered party deliberated tensely, as Leraje and Leila watched on. Then the room shook violently, as if it was being subjected to an earthquake. While the party struggled to remain standing, Gusion’s henchmen looked to each other and nodded. In the blink of an eye, Leraje was gone. In another blink, he was back, ragged, his velour outfit shredded and his gun in his hand, which was dripping blood.

‘Listen up, young’ns! Dis party be over. It time to choose. There be wolves at the door.’

No sooner had he said ‘door’ than two freestanding ones appeared, in the middle of the room. One was black, the other tan. They looked like doors that didn’t belong together.

‘If you’re wit’ us, go t’rough the tan door. If you’re refusin’, go t’rough the black one, and best of luck to you. You’ll come out safe, back in Wayland.’

Leraje didn’t wait for questions, and sped over to the tan door, opening it and disappearing down a corridor beyond. Leila, meanwhile, began walking over to the black door briskly. She looked to the group.

[Gem_Knight]

Aric smiles roguishly, "I suppose the question then is, can I get through that door" he points to the tan door, "without signing that paper?"

He pulls his jacket at the collar to straighten it out as he stands up, "I'm certainly not against anyone in this room, but rushing me is not going to get me to sign that thing," he shrugs. "My help is yours to have, my servitude isn't."

[Starbin]

Sariel laughed as things quickly went to crap and the group was forced into a choice. Damn, I get tired of being right ... At Aric's words, however, he gave the man an approving nod. "That's thinking with your noodle ..." It happened to be his plan as well. He'd be damned if he was going to sign a contract with Gus just on the baboon's say-so.

Literally.

However, for now, he'd see what happened to the guy with half-a-brain, and see if he got disintegrated or anything really cool ...

[Voltaire]

Leila tilts her head, gently, to her right, while looking at Aric.

'No. Your choice is already made, follow through. I have no more time to dawdle with children. That door,' she gestures to the tan one, 'is for those who sign. You have Lord Gusion's gratitude for your time, and best wishes on the other side. Now, unless you are willing to encounter our erstwhile foe here and now... move.'

[Starbin]

Sariel sighed. "Well that answers that question. I'm out. 'Wolves at the door ...' man, I haven't seen that one used in awhile. Not sure how this will all pan out, but I guess I'm taking the black door. See you on the otherside ..."

With that, he stretched and sauntered over to the 'other' door. He paused to pat the kid on the head and winked at the bombshell, then he went to stand next to Leila. "After you, sweetcakes."

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Guess I can't resolve jumping on Gus' side just yet ... so when push comes to shove, Sariel will take the path of least retardation - right now, that seems to be the door that doesn't require him to join Team E.V.I.L without a little more information.

Sure, another angel might be willing to go the extra yard on faith alone ... but Sariel is a little light in that department, having lost most of that coin long ago.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

With a last glance at the unspeaking Hannah, Nicole rises.

"No time to dawdle with 'children?' Sure. And yet you wanted us to save the world. You guys sure are a crazy bunch."

She shrugs.

"Not my business though. If you're right and some sort of fate picked us out of everyone else, I guess it'll see us through just as well without the dealings of some hellfreaks unwilling to give us enough information to even make an informed choice. Blind trust is all well and good, but without that trust I'd call it just blindness, and you're sure as hell not doing anything to earn my trust."

The room echoes with her gentle footsteps as she steps forward, joining Sariel at the black door. She grins at him, and playfully punches his shoulder--an act that sends him staggering back a step from the sheer force; it is clear that Nicole isn't entirely pulling her punches.

"So what of it, angel boy? You planning to save the world?"

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So two things...firstly, I'm in agreement with Starbin: Nicole hasn't been convinced in the least, and Gus and company are just irritating her with their unwillingness to talk straight. I, however, am loving it.

Secondly, I think she's come to the conclusion that Sariel is a pretentious A-hole, but that he's probably a decent guy somewhere under that guise. Either way, Sariel is currently looking like A: the most normal, and B: the most sane member of the group to her.

[Starbin]

Sariel felt the power of her blow, taking a step back as it caught him by surprise. "You didn't get that at Cheer Camp. Looks like somebody's been doing their Pilates."

At the question of saving the world, something flashed across his face ... pain? Sorrow? Regret? Or was it something darker, something a little more primal? Regardless, it was gone as quickly as it came ... if it ever was truly there. Sariel grinned, his mouth just a little wider than normal, like a Soundgarden video. "Save the world? Honey, who says I give two sh&%s about the world? Figure if the Big Man is done with it, not much I can do to stop him. Prince of Peace aside, Dad can be a prick, and the Old T leaves out most of the nasty stuff."

Then he sighed, glancing back at the door. "Of course, I've got all my stuff there. And just found a bar that serves two-fers on Black and Tans on Tuesday nights ... let's see what we can do, shall we?" The smile was a little softer, a little more normal.

Was Sariel an a$$? Yes. But a huge a$$? Well, probably still yes. However, there was a good chance he wasn't the biggest a$$ in the world.

Most likely.

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Just when I think I can make Sariel a 'not-so-bad' guy, his natural dicktitude just spills out! For the record, I'm having fun with being the 'bad guy' ... I'm kinda thinking of Guy Gardner (one of the Green Lanterns for you non-ComicGeeks) - insufferable prick, but he has value and his moments.

But you still want to punch him in the face!

[Raunchel]

Hannah appears frightened and confused by the situation. She whispers something to herself. Then she seems to reach some sort of clarity and slowly follows Nicole and Sariel.

She says: "Truth and untruth always come in pairs, just like all other things. But in all cases it is important to not be bound by any force, freedom is like cool water. When it isn't there it is sorely missed, but when one has it, little attention is paid to it. I don't want to let it flow away on the words of the unknown."