Re: The Aswadim's Blood, Battles and the Lonely Handler IC Thread 23

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Nicole:

That? Doing a little bit of sandblasting, I am. Need to wreck up a couple of bricks so they match the wall.' Nicole replied lazily on the advice. An old habit; to always have a boring, mundane reason for the purchases.

"Ah yes, off course forgive me Miss for butting in."
The clerk said and he gave you and slight shrug.
"This stuff should be good for sanding if you grind it down a bit."

'No, think that's everything.' pulling out her wallet to pay, then to head back to the car.

You paid for your merchandise.
"Thank you please come again."
The clerk said before you got back out to the two other magi.
"Did you get what you required Miss?"
Adjan asked and Miles leaned forward.
"Did they have the screwdrivers I wanted?"
He inquired eagerly looking a little bit like a kid who was hoping his mother ha brought him ice cream.

Colin:

Colin nodded, "And perhaps the promise of the First Cabal can finally be accomplished - unity, rather than a makeshift war council busy herding cats..."

"We can always hope then again it did not go to well with the First Cabal."
The Etherite said and he looked like he did not have much faith in there being any more unity anytime soon.

He arched an eyebrow, "Yesterday or a week ago? Ah, no matter, if there's anything left, I'm sure I'll get to see..."

"A week ago, well he might be alive but I am not sure that count for there being anything left."
The Nephanda said and grinned again.
"His screams where delicious."

He shook his head, "Cyanide pills are a bad choice - especially if there's a capable healer present. Shit takes upwards of thirty minutes to kill, it's painful, and unlike Hollywood portrays it, you can be dragged back from death's door. A bullet through the brainstem is quicker and safer..."

"Really I thought cyanide killed almost instantly I might have watched to many movies then."
The Nephanda said and frowned.
"I am not sure I could shoot myself you know...it is far better than being captured but...I mean I do not want to get shot in the head."

He looked at the eye, then pulled out pen and wrote a quick note in his notebook, holding it up to the eye to read, 'Handler Dalisse, I come bearing gifts. I don't mind the ward, but would you kindly grant me safe passage to meet you? Sincerely, Muad'Dib.'
Then he held up the copy of Dune before slipping it back in the bag.

The eye blinked a few times spilling pus onto the ground as it did so then one of the doors opened of it's own, leading to another fleshy corridor deeper into the ship, the ward still pressed down on you tough but least a path had been opened for you.

[Warpmind]

"We can always hope then again it did not go to well with the First Cabal."
The Etherite said and he looked like he did not have much faith in there being any more unity anytime soon.

Colin nodded, "True, that specific attempt at unifying the Traditions into a cohesive force failed, but there's no reason we can't try again by other means. The First Cabal failed in several ways - most importantly, perhaps, in that it tried to sweep old grudges under the carpet instead of resolving them. Things like, say, the old grievance between the Order of Hermes and the Verbena, a thousand years in the past, needs to be properly resolved. There needs to be forgiveness and admission of guilt... and that's not going to come easy, even as the House directly responsible for manipulating the conflict is long since ousted..."

"A week ago, well he might be alive but I am not sure that count for there being anything left."
The Nephanda said and grinned again.
"His screams where delicious."

He nodded, "I'm sure they were."

"Really I thought cyanide killed almost instantly I might have watched to many movies then."
The Nephanda said and frowned.
"I am not sure I could shoot myself you know...it is far better than being captured but...I mean I do not want to get shot in the head."

He grimaced, "You'd be surprised at what one can do when the chips are down... You want something instant and essentially unstoppable; a Primium round to the brain, or possibly through the heart will get the job done. If you can I'd suggest you swipe a round from the Technocrat's gun for yourself... just in case. Bugger if I know how they can mass-produce the stuff, but I'll gladly take every scrap of it I can loot."

The eye blinked a few times spilling pus onto the ground as it did so then one of the doors opened of it's own, leading to another fleshy corridor deeper into the ship, the ward still pressed down on you tough but least a path had been opened for you.

He smiled and bowed to the eye, keeping eyes and ears open as he quietly walked down the corridor, wary of getting too close to any of the walls.

[Jeremy Silverstein]

"It is hard to say how old Uncle Willard is, I mean I mam not even sure something like age matters anything to a spirit. From what I have been told he looks like an angle the way they where envisioned i the late middle ages and early Renaissance, that being a tall, white, blond man with big white feathery wings and wearing golden armor, that might indicate that he came into being around the same time as those depictions became popular but his form could have changed later as the Consensus changed as well."
Rosa said and she glanced to Adley since the young Hermetic would be able to explain this to Serge far better than she herself could.

"Nah I doubt the consensus has changed too much in that regard. That's basically what people think of when they think of angels. At least that's what I still think of." Serge said wondering if that statement was true.

"Good choice."
Rosa said.
"He did not have the time to numb me before inserting the needle and it was not to comfortable."
Rosa said an grimaced. Narim looked over at her.
"I am sorry for the discomfort Miss Olsen."
He said but Rosa shook her head.
"Oh don't worry about it Master Sharaya it was not that bad not to worry."
She said Richard looked at you.
"Very well, just try to relax then Mr Yager this will not take to long."

"All right." Serge said as he took deep breaths and relaxed as instructed.

Richard finished up with drawing a bag of blood from your arm and he gently pulled the needle out and put a cotton swap against the tiny wound.
"Please keep pressure on it Mr Yager, the numbness in your arm will soon pass and then you will be a little sore I will try to get the time to heal your arm later."

Serge did just as he was told and placed his hand on  the cotton swab, keeping it under pressure.

The doctor said then he asked.
"Can you do me a favor though and take Miss Olson back to her room, make her lay down on the sofa and make sure she do not get to cold then you should both have some juice and something light to eat, I will check in on you later."
The doctor said as he hung the bag with your blood from a lamp and attached a tube between it and the IV he had put into Narim's arm.
"Miss Olsen have lost quite a bit of blood and needs to rest."
Richard explained.
"So it would be a great help if you could see to her and both of you be gentle with the arm I used until I can heal them."

"Sure thing. Their's already a bunch of food laid out in that room, plus the remnants of a tea party." Serge said as he got up, still keeping the pressure on the cotton swab on his arm.

"All right Rosa, you heard the good doctor. Time for you to get some rest." Serge said turning to Rosa gesturing her to stand up and follow him.

[Adley]

"Not all, but most of our kind have a story to tell, not all of it is tragic off course but they Awakened after facing adversity of some kind, challenges can be a powerful but also painful teacher."

“Perhaps, still I will take the good stories where I can find them, or make them.”

"From the first time I saw you, even before you Awakened you where always the first to rush to the other Chantry members defense, and there was always a pride in your eyes when you where on guard duty or your Mentor asked for your aid...I like that about you..."

Narim said and smiled softly. "Protecting others seam to be natural to you."

He nodded. "I'm glad that you believe so, I didn't realise anyone but my pater noticed. Perhaps I should have been more observant, but here we are. At least I realise now."

"My father was a progressive man he believed that religion had to grow and evolve to stay relevant and continue to be a path to enlightenment and not a shackle and I agree with him. I wish you could have met him, I think you would have liked him." Narim said proudly.

“He sounds like an intelligent man.”

"I guess it is not exactly the Hermetic view of things, but perhaps there are one part of our bodies where our Avatars make contact with us." He said he was still holding your hand gently.

“I find the need to have one specific biological place where the avatar fuses in our vessels to be odd. For while we are together though the ephemera is at a different vibration than our dense matter bodies it permeates our being.”

"Well I will get good use of my rather rusty Japanese when my new apprentice Awakens and moves here." Narim said, at least talking of these things kept his mind off the darkness. "I have to admit to being terrified if I will be able to protect and teach her well enough."

“You are a good teacher.”

That made Rosa laugh despite how weak she was. "No that is not fair at all, then again I am not sure Uncle Willard completely get the point of tag, I hear Umbroods think very differently from us." The young Cultist said and she glanced towards Adley for confirmation of what she was saying.

"Eh, theirs a lot of things we do that spirits don't get and theirs a lot of things spirits do that we don't get. It's a beautiful balance of ignorance." Serge said with a shrug.

"It is hard to say how old Uncle Willard is, I mean I mam not even sure something like age matters anything to a spirit. From what I have been told he looks like an angle the way they where envisioned i the late middle ages and early Renaissance, that being a tall, white, blond man with big white feathery wings and wearing golden armor, that might indicate that he came into being around the same time as those depictions became popular but his form could have changed later as the Consensus changed as well." Rosa said and she glanced to Adley since the young Hermetic would be able to explain this to Serge far better than she herself could.

"Nah I doubt the consensus has changed too much. That's basically what people think of when they think of angels. At least that's what I still think of." Serge said wondering if that statement was true.

“Most umbrood do have a very different perspective from ours, one not limited by time or material form but by what they are innately. Though he may not ‘get the point’ of the game, he may still be satisfied if he is fulfilling his purpose. Perhaps I will be able to show you what he looks like sometime, or you will learn yourself how to sense spiritual ephemera.”

"He needs some vampire food." Serge said humorously

He glanced up as Ty came in, and then nodded to him, his glance shifting over to Serge at his joke with a flat look. Then he frowned. “That reminds me, we really do need to find them some before long.” He sighed. “And no, I don’t mean any of us, of course not,” he added hastily.

The Akashic said then he glanced over at Adley."I know, I know from a Hermetic point of view a mage should not do that, leave his blood with strangers but my blood type is rare and I like to help if I can and besides I like to talk with one of the nurses down at the blood bank."

“I understand your wish to to help. We’ll have to clean up in here also, and…myself, as a reminder.”

"Can you do me a favor though and take Miss Olson back to her room, make her lay down on the sofa and make sure she do not get to cold then you should both have some juice and something light to eat, I will check in on you later." The doctor said as he hung the bag with your blook frim a lamp and attatched a tube between it and the IV he had put into Narim's arm. "Miss Olsen have lost quite a bit of blood and needs to rest."

[quote] "Sure thing. Their's already a bunch of food laid out in that room, plus the remnants of a tea party." Serge said as he got up, still keeping the pressure on the cotton swab on his arm. "All right Rosa, you heard the good doctor. Time for you to get some rest."

“I have an additional request, if I may. I would not like anyone left alone right now if we can help it. There is trouble coming and we might need to help one another mobilize, so as best we can we should try to support one another. I’d like the kids to stay protected too, that’s why I asked to bring them near the door, but my friend there is also injured. If you are intending on staying with Ms Olsen, then perhaps they should go with you until we can find other arrangements to circle the wagons, so to speak."

He sighed, "A few more assurances of my success would be nice... I have an emergency exit, I don't think there's much more preparation I could get. I'll send a message if I uncover something more you need to know."

“If anyone can pull this off, you can. I believe in you,” he said to Colin. It wasn’t perhaps so much a assurance as a leap of faith but it was a sincere one. "Gotta go, dealing with aftermath, he's ok but it's still a bit of a mess."

Narim rested his head against you for a moment, he was to tired to keep up appearances or be embarrassed, he lifted his recently healed han and very gently touched your face, careful not to get blood on your cheeks. "We will survive this." He said softly as he realized the phone call you had gotten where not good news. "We will find a way to deal with it and then we will sit down over a meal and talk...or if we are to tired to do that we will just sit somewhere together and just be alive..."
He promised. "We will prevail we have to."

“We have to,” he agreed. “We will find some way…” he said, and closed his eyes a moment – not to block him out, so much as the opposite, to feel the touch on his face, which he leaned into like a cat. He opened his eyes and sighed. “That was Colin, he says the time is rapidly arriving and we must be ready. I don’t want to leave but I’ll have to soon. I hope his plan works.” He moved to punch at his phone again when he saw Colin’s text.

"Don't respond, L.L. has obtained blood sample from grandson of Big Nasty, from son's family doctor, who was tortured to that end. No ID on anyone. If Big Nasty's descendant can be ID'd, rendering the blood sample useless might be viable. Possible they don't yet know what happened in Chicago."

He frowned a little as a bit more of the puzzle arrived, perhaps it wasn’t too late to stop some of this madness. “I need to talk to the Chief in person,” he said, hoping that Fran was on her way soon. He called up his pater.

// Sorry, I was busy yesterday – upside, finally watched Star Wars. Hope your trip was safe, Warp and everything is good. Likewise I might be a bit busy the next couple days but I will try to keep up.

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Adley and Serge:

“Perhaps, still I will take the good stories where I can find them, or make them.”

Narim smiles a little and nodded.
"Agreed..."
He simply said.

He nodded. "I'm glad that you believe so, I didn't realise anyone but my pater noticed. Perhaps I should have been more observant, but here we are. At least I realise now."

He nodded and smiled a little.
"I...noticed you I was just a kid myself at the time when you got here but I noticed you even before I realized myself that I did."
He said.
"You are a warrior...but a kind one."

“He sounds like an intelligent man.”

"He was...my father was both intelligent and kind, I remember sitting by his feet as he read to me and my siblings at night. In many ways I was even more attached to my mother than to my father but he was still a rock in my life, large, kind and always there when we needed him."
The Virtual Adept said and smiled warmly at the memory of his family.

“I find the need to have one specific biological place where the avatar fuses in our vessels to be odd. For while we are together though the ephemera is at a different vibration than our dense matter bodies it permeates our being.”

"I see your point in this Adley but for me I sort of need to have my entire system, physical and spiritual to fit together and be joined in a way, though I doubt that I can describe what I think about it properly. How do you feel your angel...is she just with you...in your soul but not in your body...if it is not to personal for me to ask."
Narim asked and he looked at you.

“You are a good teacher.”

"I hope to be...wish I had your confidence in it though for I am not sure if I am ready."
He said hesitantly.

“Most umbrood do have a very different perspective from ours, one not limited by time or material form but by what they are innately. Though he may not ‘get the point’ of the game, he may still be satisfied if he is fulfilling his purpose. Perhaps I will be able to show you what he looks like sometime, or you will learn yourself how to sense spiritual ephemera.”

Rosa nodded at that.
"I would love to see Uncle Willard."
She commented as you spoke to Serge.

He glanced up as Ty came in, and then nodded to him, his glance shifting over to Serge at his joke with a flat look. Then he frowned. “That reminds me, we really do need to find them some before long.” He sighed. “And no, I don’t mean any of us, of course not,” he added hastily.

Ty gave you a smile and a nod in greeting before his expression turned serious again as he looked at Narim and the blood on the floor.
"I...have taken care of that...food for our guests will be delivered soon, blood from a local hospital marked for destruction for various reasons but that should not matter for it's nutritional value for them."
Narim managed weakly.
"I saw to it before...I saw..."
He did not complete that sentence and he turned very pale again and shivered in your arms.
"Before I saw..."

“I understand your wish to to help. We’ll have to clean up in here also, and…myself, as a reminder.”

"I can help to clean up and if you want to move Master Sharaya to somewhere clean then feel free to use my room while I mop up the blood and...ehm...fingers."
Ty said and frowned.
"Please excuse the mess though my apartment is full of puppy stuff right now, I am picking one up next week...if there is a next week there is."
He informed you.
"But everything is clean and such."

“I have an additional request, if I may. I would not like anyone left alone right now if we can help it. There is trouble coming and we might need to help one another mobilize, so as best we can we should try to support one another. I’d like the kids to stay protected too, that’s why I asked to bring them near the door, but my friend there is also injured. If you are intending on staying with Ms Olsen, then perhaps they should go with you until we can find other arrangements to circle the wagons, so to speak."

"I would not mind having the girls over and even if I am a little bit exhausted right now I can still help keep an eye on them Sir."
Rosa said and she gave a weak smile.

“We have to,” he agreed. “We will find some way…” he said, and closed his eyes a moment – not to block him out, so much as the opposite, to feel the touch on his face, which he leaned into like a cat. He opened his eyes and sighed. “That was Colin, he says the time is rapidly arriving and we must be ready. I don’t want to leave but I’ll have to soon. I hope his plan works.” He moved to punch at his phone again when he saw Colin’s text.

Narim held his hand against your cheek and his forehead against your for just a moment in silence, one moment of just being, then he hesitantly let the hand drop as if he did not want the moment to end.
"Yes...we must prepare, we must do what we must."
He said.
"I need to clean the blood of me and be ready with a computer in case someone need to be transported somewhere...and I have created an app that might help on Mr Yager's expense, and before you say so yes I will rest but I must also work...just as you must...but once this is done Adley I want to..."
Narim did not finish what he was saying but his meaning was clear he wanted to hold you, to remind himself the world where still there and he just looked into your eyes for a moment.
"Let us do what we must so we can have that lunch."
He added with a slight smile.

He frowned a little as a bit more of the puzzle arrived, perhaps it wasn’t too late to stop some of this madness. “I need to talk to the Chief in person,” he said, hoping that Fran was on her way soon. He called up his pater.

Narim looked a little concerned over your expression but he said nothing as you called Chief Morgan. Soon you heard the old Hermetic's gruff voice.
"Mea filius...I am on my way up to the communications office now, are you still there? Are everyone alright?"

"Nah I doubt the consensus has changed too much in that regard. That's basically what people think of when they think of angels. At least that's what I still think of." Serge said wondering if that statement was true.

"I did not mean that the view of angles had changes since the Renaissance, it have with the influx of New Age angles but the white, blond dudes with wings are still going strong however I meant that the view in the early middle ages and Renaissance was different than the earlier view of them and how they are presented in the Bible where they tend to be described more or less like your typical UFO sighting, weather phenomena or looking like everyone else."
Rosa explained.

"Sure thing. Their's already a bunch of food laid out in that room, plus the remnants of a tea party." Serge said as he got up, still keeping the pressure on the cotton swab on his arm.

Richard raised an eyebrow at that.
"A tea party...well no matter I will be right there when I am done here to check on you, make sure Miss Olsen gets her rest."
He instructed as he begun to ready Ty's arm.
"And thank you Mr Yager."

"All right Rosa, you heard the good doctor. Time for you to get some rest." Serge said turning to Rosa gesturing her to stand up and follow him.

Rosa nodded she got up to her feet but he was rather unsteady as she begun walking towards the door and looked like she could keel over at any time.
"Ohh...shit..."
She muttered then she looked at Narim.
"I hope you will feel better soon Master Nassa."
She said and Narim smiled a little.
"Thank you Miss Olsen."
Rosa then looked at you.
"Let us go then."
She said weakly.
"We should bring the girls in from the hallway as well."

Colin:

Colin nodded, "True, that specific attempt at unifying the Traditions into a cohesive force failed, but there's no reason we can't try again by other means. The First Cabal failed in several ways - most importantly, perhaps, in that it tried to sweep old grudges under the carpet instead of resolving them. Things like, say, the old grievance between the Order of Hermes and the Verbena, a thousand years in the past, needs to be properly resolved. There needs to be forgiveness and admission of guilt... and that's not going to come easy, even as the House directly responsible for manipulating the conflict is long since ousted..."

Rodger nodded at that.
"I agree with your assessment but getting old bitter mages to admit guilt or forgive is not an easy task. I also agree an attempt at unity should be made but I can not say I am able to hold out much hope for it to work, then again us and the Virtual Adepts have been welcomed into the Traditions and for the most part old grudges have been buried there, though they flare up again from time to time."
He said and shook his head.

He nodded, "I'm sure they were."

"There is nothing better than the scream of your enemies to make sure sleep come easy at night."
The Nephanda said happily.

He grimaced, "You'd be surprised at what one can do when the chips are down... You want something instant and essentially unstoppable; a Primium round to the brain, or possibly through the heart will get the job done. If you can I'd suggest you swipe a round from the Technocrat's gun for yourself... just in case. Bugger if I know how they can mass-produce the stuff, but I'll gladly take every scrap of it I can loot."

"Yeah I have been wondering about that it is not like they can have their slaves make the Primium rounds it require advanced magick. I guess they have some Masters sitting there making bullets all day, and HIT-Marks...anyway Lady larson took all the bullets for herself ad even if I could get one...being shot in the head that sort of make my skin crawl, the thought of it you know but I guess if it was to protect my soul I would do it."
The guard said and nodded.

He smiled and bowed to the eye, keeping eyes and ears open as he quietly walked down the corridor, wary of getting too close to any of the walls.

You moved though several labyrinthine corridors the place where to big for Larson to cover it all with guards and for the flesh covered corridors you walked it seamed you where alone, the security measure here where the Handler and the eyes of the Labyrinth creature where on you but nothing stopped you as doors opened before you, there where other paths to take but the Labyrinth itself clearly showed you one particular way, now and again you got stuck and no doors opened, but then you heard someone move in an adjacent corridor before the door opened when they where gone, the Handler clearly knew everything going on in her ship. Finally you stood before a door similar to the one Alice's chamber ha been behind in your vision. Here the walls where full of teeth, eyes and a heart beat nearby, slowly the door to the Handler's chamber opened, revealing a large, dark room beyond it's threshold.

(OOC: Sorry for being slow with posting today I have been busy with Christmas preparations, in Norway we celebrate on the 24 so it was final preparations today, even so I might be a bit slow tomorrow as well.)

[Warpmind]

Rodger nodded at that.
"I agree with your assessment but getting old bitter mages to admit guilt or forgive is not an easy task. I also agree an attempt at unity should be made but I can not say I am able to hold out much hope for it to work, then again us and the Virtual Adepts have been welcomed into the Traditions and for the most part old grudges have been buried there, though they flare up again from time to time."
He said and shook his head.

Colin nodded, "Suffice to say I have an ambitious plan to get things started - but it will take decades, perhaps even centuries. Setting internal hostilities aside to deal with a common foe only lasts for so long... I mean to start a neutral House to facilitate arbitration between Houses, rather like a marriage counselor. It is a service that has been necessary for over five hundred years..."

“If anyone can pull this off, you can. I believe in you,” he said to Colin. It wasn’t perhaps so much a assurance as a leap of faith but it was a sincere one. "Gotta go, dealing with aftermath, he's ok but it's still a bit of a mess."

He nodded, "I like the sound of that - I'll take it with me. And... tell him he had best make a rapid recovery; I damn well mean to be someone's best man soon enough. Well, there's someone just ahead... We'll talk more later."
He quickly hung up and pocketed the phone, on silent mode.

"Yeah I have been wondering about that it is not like they can have their slaves make the Primium rounds it require advanced magick. I guess they have some Masters sitting there making bullets all day, and HIT-Marks...anyway Lady larson took all the bullets for herself ad even if I could get one...being shot in the head that sort of make my skin crawl, the thought of it you know but I guess if it was to protect my soul I would do it."
The guard said and nodded.

He nodded, "With Primium, there's the benefit that any vitals are a sure kill. Bloody wounds won't take to magical healing, so if nothing else, that's a clean escape..."

You moved though several labyrinthine corridors the place where to big for Larson to cover it all with guards and for the flesh covered corridors you walked it seamed you where alone, the security measure here where the Handler and the eyes of the Labyrinth creature where on you but nothing stopped you as doors opened before you, there where other paths to take but the Labyrinth itself clearly showed you one particular way, now and again you got stuck and no doors opened, but then you heard someone move in an adjacent corridor before the door opened when they where gone, the Handler clearly knew everything going on in her ship. Finally you stood before a door similar to the one Alice's chamber ha been behind in your vision. Here the walls where full of teeth, eyes and a heart beat nearby, slowly the door to the Handler's chamber opened, revealing a large, dark room beyond it's threshold.

He smiled almost smugly as he made his way to the Handler's chamber, stepping just inside and taking a deep bow, "Well met, Lady Dalisse. We have much to discuss... and perhaps a mutual benefit to attain. But first..."
He set down the bag and picked out the book and the margarine, "A gift; I heard tell we have a fondness for a particular book."
He glanced around, "Hum, I was told you were quite beautifully mutated; the darkness does not bother me, as such, though I prefer to work in the light... in more ways than one."

((OOC: Not a problem for me, obviously - the day's been a bit sluggish, and tomorrow's probably going to be, well, filled with rituals and traditions. ))

[Nicole Bouchard]

Anja's Post:

Nicole climbed in to the car, and nodded. 'Yeah, I did, and they had the screwdrivers. I'll dig them out of the bag when we get back.'

[Ironically, tomorrow is the *only* day I have free between 20th and 26...]

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin:

Colin nodded, "Suffice to say I have an ambitious plan to get things started - but it will take decades, perhaps even centuries. Setting internal hostilities aside to deal with a common foe only lasts for so long... I mean to start a neutral House to facilitate arbitration between Houses, rather like a marriage counselor. It is a service that has been necessary for over five hundred years..."

Rodger raised an eyebrow and smiled a little.
"Hum such a House would indeed be a great idea Mr Steed and I wish you the best of luck with it and I hope you can pull it off, but like you said it will take time, if it can be done at all."

He nodded, "With Primium, there's the benefit that any vitals are a sure kill. Bloody wounds won't take to magical healing, so if nothing else, that's a clean escape..."

"I guess you are right about that, healing injuries caused by Primium is difficult at best...and if I had to choose between what they say the Traditions do to us if they catch us and a clean death there is no contest really, though I would have like to feel the energy of their Main Sentencing Hall, can you imagine it, hundreds of years of torture, flogging, Branding, executions and...that it must be glorious."
The Nephanda said and grinned.
"Though I do not want to see it enough that I am willing to sacrifice my Avatar to get to do so."
She added and shuddered at the thought.

He smiled almost smugly as he made his way to the Handler's chamber, stepping just inside and taking a deep bow, "Well met, Lady Dalisse. We have much to discuss... and perhaps a mutual benefit to attain. But first..."
He set down the bag and picked out the book and the margarine, "A gift; I heard tell we have a fondness for a particular book."
He glanced around, "Hum, I was told you were quite beautifully mutated; the darkness does not bother me, as such, though I prefer to work in the light... in more ways than one."

Something moved in the darkness, something that hardly made any sound but you could feel she was there, it was the same feeling of raw power you got around the Jade Demon, or Crexia or Master Steelhaven, chances where the Handler where an archmage. As you spoke about desiring light something started glowing, it was little palte white glands along the roof that filled the large chamber behond with an eerie glow.

The Handler's chamber where wast with the roof supported by smooth bone columns, to one side you saw some chairs, a sofa and a table, in the back where an area hidden by a curtain, along the back wall where selves made of bone filled with a wast amount of books, there where worn rungs here and there on the floor. On the wall by the sitting group where an amathur painting of a Spacing Guild Navigator, and several other paintings of nothingness, and strange landscapes in the Umbra.

Someone where hiding behind one of the bone pillars, the room was huge and so where the pillars so they completely obscured the person behind it, but you saw a hand, a vaguely human hand with webbing between the long, thin fingers the Handlers where clearly skittish and shy and right now she just observed you.
"Welcome..."
The word sounded in your head rather than being spoken as the door to the chamber closed behind you.
"Yes I do...love that book."
You heard in your head again in a vaguely female voice, though the creature did not dare step out from behind the pillar yet.

Nicole:

Miles grinned happily.
"Good good, where there enough money or do I owe you anything?"
He asked as Adjan started the car up again.
"Is there anything else then before we go back to Steelhaven?"
He asked and Miles shook his head.
"No I am good thanks."
He said before looking at you.

(OOC: Sounds stressful Nicole.)
(OOC: Traditions, rituals and lots of food. )

[Warpmind]

Rodger raised an eyebrow and smiled a little.
"Hum such a House would indeed be a great idea Mr Steed and I wish you the best of luck with it and I hope you can pull it off, but like you said it will take time, if it can be done at all."

Colin grinned, "Well, how much progress would I make if I don't try, however impossible the odds seem?"

"I guess you are right about that, healing injuries caused by Primium is difficult at best...and if I had to choose between what they say the Traditions do to us if they catch us and a clean death there is no contest really, though I would have like to feel the energy of their Main Sentencing Hall, can you imagine it, hundreds of years of torture, flogging, Branding, executions and...that it must be glorious."
The Nephanda said and grinned.
"Though I do not want to see it enough that I am willing to sacrifice my Avatar to get to do so."
She added and shuddered at the thought.

He frowned, "Eh, it's probable more bleak than anything. The Traditions are too soft and weak to stomach that sort of thing, so I'll wager good money they've been cleaning the place thoroughly on a regular basis. Any lingering suffering is probably as tangible as Larson's compassion."

Something moved in the darkness, something that hardly made any sound but you could feel she was there, it was the same feeling of raw power you got around the Jade Demon, or Crexia or Master Steelhaven, chances where the Handler where an archmage. As you spoke about desiring light something started glowing, it was little palte white glands along the roof that filled the large chamber behond with an eerie glow.

The Handler's chamber where wast with the roof supported by smooth bone columns, to one side you saw some chairs, a sofa and a table, in the back where an area hidden by a curtain, along the back wall where selves made of bone filled with a wast amount of books, there where worn rungs here and there on the floor. On the wall by the sitting group where an amathur painting of a Spacing Guild Navigator, and several other paintings of nothingness, and strange landscapes in the Umbra.

Someone where hiding behind one of the bone pillars, the room was huge and so where the pillars so they completely obscured the person behind it, but you saw a hand, a vaguely human hand with webbing between the long, thin fingers the Handlers where clearly skittish and shy and right now she just observed you.
"Welcome..."
The word sounded in your head rather than being spoken as the door to the chamber closed behind you.
"Yes I do...love that book."
You heard in your head again in a vaguely female voice, though the creature did not dare step out from behind the pillar yet.

He smiled toward the hand as he walked over to the sitting group, carefully placing the margarine and the book on the table, "Not so welcome as to be fully trusted with my own magic yet, I notice... That's quite alright, though; I know how your alleged allies have mistreated you, and how in turn the same abusers have... mysteriously disappeared. There's no reason you should trust any better from a declared formal enemy... but right now, the resident Gilledian is undertaking a great discourtesy against your side, one which it is in both our interests to prevent. She wants to bind an Aswadim to her will, which is impudent in the extreme and an affront to you all, and she wants to destroy the world, which is, well... obviously counter to what my side will want."
He studied the paintings briefly, "You know, Lady Dalisse, I have a friend who paints... a widderslainte girl. It is peculiar; a few of these landscapes are somewhat similar to hers. Though I am inclined to suspect you have actually been to these places, and seen them with... well, either your own eyes, or that of the ship. I saw how it sits here; the poor thing is homesick, isn't it?"

((OOC: Oh, yes, so much fooooooooooood! ))

[Nicole Bouchard]

Anja's Post:

'Nah, it was fine.' Nicole replied. 'And I'm all good - better get back to base?'

[It is - but somebody's gotta do it.]

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin:

Colin grinned, "Well, how much progress would I make if I don't try, however impossible the odds seem?"

Rodger gave a hearty laugh at that.
"Well now Mr Steed that is certainly the truth."
He agreed.

He frowned, "Eh, it's probable more bleak than anything. The Traditions are too soft and weak to stomach that sort of thing, so I'll wager good money they've been cleaning the place thoroughly on a regular basis. Any lingering suffering is probably as tangible as Larson's compassion."

"Damn that is such a tragic waste."
The Nephanda griped.
"And Lady Larson I think have negative compassion, so little it have tipped the scale all around on itself."
She said with a small laugh but then she looked frightened.
"But it is best not to talk about her, did you hear what she did with the Handler today for...ehm I do not know what...if she can treat one of the officers like that who knows what she would do to us if we displease her."
The guard said and she glanced around nervously.

He smiled toward the hand as he walked over to the sitting group, carefully placing the margarine and the book on the table, "Not so welcome as to be fully trusted with my own magic yet, I notice... That's quite alright, though; I know how your alleged allies have mistreated you, and how in turn the same abusers have... mysteriously disappeared. There's no reason you should trust any better from a declared formal enemy...

That webbed hand gently waved and the pressure on your magic vanished completely.
"Forgive my caution there is little your magic can do to hurt me...the sand you carry though, that might harm me. It is beautiful though...may I see it?"
That strange otherworldly voice sounded in your head again but the Handler did not step out from behind the pillar. The sitting group where clean for the most part but there where some bloody cotton swabs there and a bottle of antiseptic as well as a stack of books.

but right now, the resident Gilledian is undertaking a great discourtesy against your side, one which it is in both our interests to prevent. She wants to bind an Aswadim to her will, which is impudent in the extreme and an affront to you all, and she wants to destroy the world, which is, well... obviously counter to what my side will want."

"I know...so I warned him...he is here...but I do not know if he can act."
Dalisse said telepathically.

He studied the paintings briefly, "You know, Lady Dalisse, I have a friend who paints... a widderslainte girl. It is peculiar; a few of these landscapes are somewhat similar to hers. Though I am inclined to suspect you have actually been to these places, and seen them with... well, either your own eyes, or that of the ship. I saw how it sits here; the poor thing is homesick, isn't it?"

"I have seen these places and others...they are beautiful."
The Handler said still as words in your mind an she peered out a little more from behind the pillar, you saw a beautiful face with all black eyes, the irises, whites all of it black, deathly pale skin with green highlights, and black hair, she did not dare to completely step forward though.
"We want to go home...we should not be here we should explore, and be a art of the wast void of the deep, we do not belong here, but she keeps us here and it hurts, we want to go home."
That voice in your head was now full of pain and regret.

Nicole:

Adjan nodded as he took the car out of the road again, nothing much happened on the way, and soon you where back in Steelhaven's garage. Adjan drove unto his parking slot and then stepped out of the car.
"Let us see what we can do to help prepare for the attack."
The Euthanathos commented.

[Nicole Bouchard]

Nicole got out of the car, nodding in agreement to this.

[Warpmind]

"Damn that is such a tragic waste."
The Nephanda griped.
"And Lady Larson I think have negative compassion, so little it have tipped the scale all around on itself."
She said with a small laugh but then she looked frightened.
"But it is best not to talk about her, did you hear what she did with the Handler today for...ehm I do not know what...if she can treat one of the officers like that who knows what she would do to us if we displease her."
The guard said and she glanced around nervously.

He frowned, "True enough... I haven't heard what she did to Dalisse today; I just got here, though I've heard the two are generally at odds. I do wonder, though, how the hell Diego has stayed in her good graces."

That webbed hand gently waved and the pressure on your magic vanished completely.
"Forgive my caution there is little your magic can do to hurt me...the sand you carry though, that might harm me. It is beautiful though...may I see it?"
That strange otherworldly voice sounded in your head again but the Handler did not step out from behind the pillar. The sitting group where clean for the most part but there where some bloody cotton swabs there and a bottle of antiseptic as well as a stack of books.

He grinned and subtly straightened his back, "Thank you, and that's better - I could tell your power is quite far beyond my own, so even if I did wish to harm you, I would be compelled to find... other means. But no, my grievance is with the scheming harridan, not with you."
He fished out one of the little sachets he had prepared, carefully opening it and putting it down on the table, making sure not a single grain spilled anywhere, "I don't know if the sand can outright harm you, though it does seem to cause quite a bit of discomfort for the Fallen... for non-Fallen, it conjures powerful, pleasant memories of safety and comfort, but for Fallen... I don't know, but I would not be surprised if it evoked memories of the Caul. Please, take a look; it is crystallized hope, proof that a Fallen Avatar can return to the light."

"I know...so I warned him...he is here...but I do not know if he can act."
Dalisse said telepathically.

He nodded, "So that was your doing... His arrival was quite clearly noticed; it seems every Fallen soul within a thousand miles, if not more, fell to their knees and sang his praises. It seems likely that has cost you a number of infiltrators in the Traditions and Union alike..."

"I have seen these places and others...they are beautiful."
The Handler said still as words in your mind an she peered out a little more from behind the pillar, you saw a beautiful face with all black eyes, the irises, whites all of it black, deathly pale skin with green highlights, and black hair, she did not dare to completely step forward though.
"We want to go home...we should not be here we should explore, and be a art of the wast void of the deep, we do not belong here, but she keeps us here and it hurts, we want to go home."
That voice in your head was now full of pain and regret.

He smiled warmly, "As are you. I am no painter, myself; my medium of choice is silver rather than canvas, though I am a fairly steady hand with pen and paper. I do know enough to see that you have an appreciable degree of skill."
He frowned as the mental tone shifted, "You should indeed be free to fly the deeps, to commit the weird landscapes you see to canvas. My people will attack to stop Larson, and fairly soon. If you are willing to help them, to make the ship guide them along the safest routes and impede Larson's forces, I can promise you will be permitted to release Larson's anchors and leave to your own devices. I can convince them it's safer for everyone to let you go."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Nicole:

"Well we should check in with the Chief and see what he want us to do now."
Adley said and nodded.
"Hopefully no more shit have happened while we where away."
The Euthanathos said as he walked towards the door to the main part Chantry.

Colin:

He frowned, "True enough... I haven't heard what she did to Dalisse today; I just got here, though I've heard the two are generally at odds. I do wonder, though, how the hell Diego has stayed in her good graces."

"Yeah the Lady and the Handler are at odds, I think Dalisse want to return to the deep Umbra, and understandably our Lady do not exactly want that. No today since Dalissa had crossed her in some way she slice through some of the strange webbing between her fingers and gave her a good beating, shit I hope she do not kill her one day for then who knows what the polyp will do."
The guard said sounding concerned then she frowned as Diego mentioned.
"Who knows, well the asshole have gone missing and good riddance."

He grinned and subtly straightened his back, "Thank you, and that's better - I could tell your power is quite far beyond my own, so even if I did wish to harm you, I would be compelled to find... other means. But no, my grievance is with the scheming harridan, not with you."

"And yet I am one of her subjects and harming me would harm her."
That mental voice sounded in your head.

He fished out one of the little sachets he had prepared, carefully opening it and putting it down on the table, making sure not a single grain spilled anywhere, "I don't know if the sand can outright harm you, though it does seem to cause quite a bit of discomfort for the Fallen... for non-Fallen, it conjures powerful, pleasant memories of safety and comfort, but for Fallen... I don't know, but I would not be surprised if it evoked memories of the Caul. Please, take a look; it is crystallized hope, proof that a Fallen Avatar can return to the light."

"Oh they can return to the light, why would beings aligned with Dynamism think any state is permanent."
The Handler said as she took a few steps further towards you, she was strange indeed, and beautiful, she was so thin and frail looking you where sure you could break her by touching her to hard, her limbs where elongated, and she was very pale, down her arms and between her fingers where greenish webbing, between two of her fingers the webbing where thorn and bleeding, and other places along her frail body you saw bruises, her face where long and sharp with all black eyes and thin lips and long black hair, she where wearing a long black dress, she did not dare to step to close to you yet though but she studied the sand for a moment then her eyes went to the book you where offering her and she took one more step towards you.
"Is that a hardcover, early edition?"
She asked.

He nodded, "So that was your doing... His arrival was quite clearly noticed; it seems every Fallen soul within a thousand miles, if not more, fell to their knees and sang his praises. It seems likely that has cost you a number of infiltrators in the Traditions and Union alike..."

"It is regrettable that some of our infiltrators have become discovered but I do not want one of our Oracles to be enslaved like...we are."
The Handler said with pain in her telepathic voice.
"That would not be right."

He smiled warmly, "As are you. I am no painter, myself; my medium of choice is silver rather than canvas, though I am a fairly steady hand with pen and paper. I do know enough to see that you have an appreciable degree of skill."

"You are to kind Craftsman, I was afraid my visage would frighten you."
The Handler said in your head softly.
"I like to paint, that and reading give me an escape from here...from being bound here."
The strange creature said and came a little bit closer but she was still very skittish.

He frowned as the mental tone shifted, "You should indeed be free to fly the deeps, to commit the weird landscapes you see to canvas. My people will attack to stop Larson, and fairly soon. If you are willing to help them, to make the ship guide them along the safest routes and impede Larson's forces, I can promise you will be permitted to release Larson's anchors and leave to your own devices. I can convince them it's safer for everyone to let you go."

"I...I can't they will burn my ship an drag me away and rend my soul, I will die in physical reality where I do not belong."
The creature said now her voice was terrified and she stepped back nervously.
"I just want to travel the deep that is where I belong, but they will capture me, and if your side do not win Lady larson will punish me horribly, she will let Mr Jace do as he pleases with me."
She said and shook her head and backed further of looking terrified.

[Nicole Bouchard]

Nicole nodded assent, following Adjan. After all, needed to know if anything had changed.

[Warpmind]

"Yeah the Lady and the Handler are at odds, I think Dalisse want to return to the deep Umbra, and understandably our Lady do not exactly want that. No today since Dalissa had crossed her in some way she slice through some of the strange webbing between her fingers and gave her a good beating, shit I hope she do not kill her one day for then who knows what the polyp will do."
The guard said sounding concerned then she frowned as Diego mentioned.
"Who knows, well the asshole have gone missing and good riddance."

Colin grimaced, "Eh, he's probably still alive, spreading his particular kind of joy, if I have the measure of him - the bastard is incapable of dying if his survival will spite someone..."

"And yet I am one of her subjects and harming me would harm her."
That mental voice sounded in your head.

He frowned, "The important distinction being that winning you over would hurt her more than harming you would. I know what she did to you today; I know there is no love lost between you, and that she doesn't care who is hurt in service to her own personal objectives. Harming you would harm you greatly, and her very little - and I would gain no satisfaction from that."
He nodded to her injured hand, "A Gilledian who will gladly heap abuses on her own Handler like that is not worthy of the title. She may be a good Nephandus, but she is a piss-poor leader.
He smiled wryly, holding up the block of margarine, showing her the side with the logo, "Which is why I came to butter you up, rather than to hurt you."

"Oh they can return to the light, why would beings aligned with Dynamism think any state is permanent."
The Handler said as she took a few steps further towards you, she was strange indeed, and beautiful, she was so thin and frail looking you where sure you could break her by touching her to hard, her limbs where elongated, and she was very pale, down her arms and between her fingers where greenish webbing, between two of her fingers the webbing where thorn and bleeding, and other places along her frail body you saw bruises, her face where long and sharp with all black eyes and thin lips and long black hair, she where wearing a long black dress, she did not dare to step to close to you yet though but she studied the sand for a moment then her eyes went to the book you where offering her and she took one more step towards you.
"Is that a hardcover, early edition?"
She asked.

He grimaced, "Because it is politically convenient to certain individuals to maintain the fiction that Falling is a one-way trip... And yes, it is hardcover, first edition, ninth printing... Not signed, though. I was remarkably fortunate, got it at an estate sale some twenty years ago. It's been read a few times since then, though..."
He politely took a few steps back, circling behind the sofa to give her space to approach.

"It is regrettable that some of our infiltrators have become discovered but I do not want one of our Oracles to be enslaved like...we are."
The Handler said with pain in her telepathic voice.
"That would not be right."

He nodded, "No, it would not be right... It's not right that Larson trap you here, either. However did she manage to force you into this situation in the first place?"

"You are to kind Craftsman, I was afraid my visage would frighten you."
The Handler said in your head softly.
"I like to paint, that and reading give me an escape from here...from being bound here."
The strange creature said and came a little bit closer but she was still very skittish.

He smiled, "It is true that your visage is no longer quite human, but that makes it no less beautiful."

"I...I can't they will burn my ship an drag me away and rend my soul, I will die in physical reality where I do not belong."
The creature said now her voice was terrified and she stepped back nervously.
"I just want to travel the deep that is where I belong, but they will capture me, and if your side do not win Lady larson will punish me horribly, she will let Mr Jace do as he pleases with me."
She said and shook her head and backed further of looking terrified.

He shook his head, "The first priority is to stop Larson's plot. There will be so many prisoners, so many dead and injured... It is an easy thing to make sure you and your poor ship are not considered worth the effort of fighting after all that - and if our side does not win, what worry would remain for you? Larson's pet Aswadim would destroy the world, and we would all be dead anyway."
He smiled wryly, "Besides, and this may seem somewhat ironic, should the assault fail, you would have a very dedicated bodyguard by your side, since I would be as trapped here as you are. In fact... if you help us with the assault, and it fails, I can teach you a Rote which, if used with the ship itself, would be the equivalent of a suicide charge - a powerful burst through every passage and chamber in the ship, to burn off everything with primal fire. With that at hand, you would be able to prevent Larson's brutes from touching you again."

[Adley]

"I...noticed you I was just a kid myself at the time when you got here but I noticed you even before I realized myself that I did." He said. "You are a warrior...but a kind one."

“At the time I didn’t think I was a kid, I thought I was a grown up,” he said, with a little bit of a smile. “The same age as many of my students are now…” And Mr Yager for that matter…’the kid’ as he’d heard him called.

"He was...my father was both intelligent and kind, I remember sitting by his feet as he read to me and my siblings at night. In many ways I was even more attached to my mother than to my father but he was still a rock in my life, large, kind and always there when we needed him."

“I daresay he might be proud that you’ve become an anchor here.”

"I see your point in this Adley but for me I sort of need to have my entire system, physical and spiritual to fit together and be joined in a way, though I doubt that I can describe what I think about it properly. How do you feel your angel...is she just with you...in your soul but not in your body...if it is not to personal for me to ask."

“It is, of course, personal. But I can say this...everything in the Tellurian are emanations, vibrations, an energy that continually manifest throughout creation. Using the tree of life as a way to conceive of an ever unfolding process, Keter is the ‘head’ or top and is related to Malkuth, the Kingdom of the earth, below, our feet or roots. Each of these sephira contain the whole tree within them. So that bears some semblance of that connection, perhaps. Above and below. As Keter is with Malkuth, so is she, my angel, with me, and we are within the vast continuum of the Tellurian. I could go on, but my nesting dolls metaphor didn't resonate last time I tried it without more context and by then I may hit stride and fall into lecture mode..." he said with a small smile.

"I hope to be...wish I had your confidence in it though for I am not sure if I am ready." He said hesitantly.

“That is probably a normal feeling for anyone about to take their first student.”

Rosa nodded at that."I would love to see Uncle Willard."

He gave her a small smile and a nod.

Ty gave you a smile and a nod in greeting before his expression turned serious again as he looked at Narim and the blood on the floor.
"I...have taken care of that...food for our guests will be delivered soon, blood from a local hospital marked for destruction for various reasons but that should not matter for it's nutritional value for them." Narim managed weakly. "I saw to it before...I saw..." He did not complete that sentence and he turned very pale again and shivered in your arms. "Before I saw..."

“Hey, whoa! Counting…what’s twenty-two…twenty-two in Hindi…” he prompted, holding him closer. It was like watching a glitch, or an old record player. He became so overwhelmed with fear that he just skipped whenever his mind glanced near what had happened.

"I can help to clean up and if you want to move Master Sharaya to somewhere clean then feel free to use my room while I mop up the blood and...ehm...fingers."
Ty said and frowned. "Please excuse the mess though my apartment is full of puppy stuff right now, I am picking one up next week...if there is a next week there is." He informed you. "But everything is clean and such."

”Thanks, I’m trying to figure out how to keep everyone’s backs – not spread out too much but we can’t stay here. “There will be a next week. And puppies.”

"I would not mind having the girls over and even if I am a little bit exhausted right now I can still help keep an eye on them Sir." Rosa said and she gave a weak smile.

“Well, you might need a touch of help yourself. But yes.” He wasn't sure how well she'd be doing by the time that Richard was done with transferring the blood.

(Colin) nodded, "I like the sound of that - I'll take it with me. And... tell him he had best make a rapid recovery; I damn well mean to be someone's best man soon enough. Well, there's someone just ahead... We'll talk more later."

If Adley weren’t busy trying not to worry about an impending Awadim appearance, Colin’s words would have vexed him more than they already did. As it was, a flicker of confusion passed over his face. “I will tell him,” he replied. “And yes, we will," he affirmed. He added to Narim,  “Colin says to recover speedily…”

"Yes...we must prepare, we must do what we must." He said. "I need to clean the blood of me and be ready with a computer in case someone need to be transported somewhere...and I have created an app that might help on Mr Yager's expense, and before you say so yes I will rest but I must also work...just as you must...but once this is done Adley I want to... Narim did not finish what he was saying but his meaning was clear he wanted to hold you, to remind himself the world where still there and he just looked into your eyes for a moment."

The little burst of him trying to get his brain back on work was good to see, even if they both knew pushing himself after blowing off his hand wasn't the best idea. But they had little choice but to try. But as he cut off and looked at him he nodded a bit.“Me too, okay?”

"Let us do what we must so we can have that lunch." He added with a slight smile.

“You better believe it. I’ll have worked up something of an appetite by then.”

Narim looked a little concerned over your expression but he said nothing as you called Chief Morgan. Soon you heard the old Hermetic's gruff voice. "Mea filius...I am on my way up to the communications office now, are you still there? Are everyone alright?"

“Er…yes I’ll see you soon, then,” he said, as he heard he was coming up. He clicked off and shifted slightly, trying to grab the writing frame without disturbing Narim's arm too much. He set it down, trying to keep it out of sight of the others and wrote as quickly as he could a brief synopsis of what Colin had said, referring to the Aswadim in something of a roundabout manner as he did not want to even write it down and couldn't talk about it in front of Narim. His pater, he hoped, would know what he meant, and would likely teach him some new swears when he read it. He also mentioned that Narim, by way of the Master Adept, may have ‘seen’ some semblance of 'that danger' when he traced back and could not even bear to think of it without freezing up in fear and that he may needed help with the memory as it kept triggering.[/quote]

[Jeremy Silverstein]

“Most umbrood do have a very different perspective from ours, one not limited by time or material form but by what they are innately. Though he may not ‘get the point’ of the game, he may still be satisfied if he is fulfilling his purpose. Perhaps I will be able to show you what he looks like sometime, or you will learn yourself how to sense spiritual ephemera.”

Rosa nodded at that.
"I would love to see Uncle Willard."
She commented as you spoke to Serge.

"Learning how to see the spirits would be awesome! I've always wanted to see what those spirits looked like. The closest I've gotten is seeing people's thoughts of them." Serge said excitedly imagining what the world beyond the gauntlet looked like.

He tilted his head to the side as if saddened by the fact that their was an entire world locked out to him. "Man the Cult of Ecstasy can share their senses with other people with a touch yet I've never met anyone who could share their spirit sense with me." Serge said referring to a popular trick done by the Ecstatics.

“I have an additional request, if I may. I would not like anyone left alone right now if we can help it. There is trouble coming and we might need to help one another mobilize, so as best we can we should try to support one another. I’d like the kids to stay protected too, that’s why I asked to bring them near the door, but my friend there is also injured. If you are intending on staying with Ms Olsen, then perhaps they should go with you until we can find other arrangements to circle the wagons, so to speak."

"I would not mind having the girls over and even if I am a little bit exhausted right now I can still help keep an eye on them Sir."
Rosa said and she gave a weak smile.

"Sure thing. Rosa needs to rest and I don't have anywhere else to be so I have no problem with looking after them. Hell, we might be able to restart the tea party again." Serge said with a smile wondering how strange it would be to restart such an innocent affair after such a hectic event occurred.

Richard raised an eyebrow at that.
"A tea party...well no matter I will be right there when I am done here to check on you, make sure Miss Olsen gets her rest."
He instructed as he begun to ready Ty's arm.
"And thank you Mr Yager."

Serge nodded to show that he understood. "No problem. We all have to do our parts to help."

Rosa nodded she got up to her feet but he was rather unsteady as she begun walking towards the door and looked like she could keel over at any time.
"Ohh...shit..."

"Easy now." Serge said standing close to her and supporting whenever she needed it.

She muttered then she looked at Narim.
"I hope you will feel better soon Master Nassa."
She said and Narim smiled a little.
"Thank you Miss Olsen."
Rosa then looked at you.

"Yeah get well soon Master Nassa." Serge said flashing his own smile at the injured Master.

"Let us go then."
She said weakly.
"We should bring the girls in from the hallway as well."

Serge stood next to Rosa, supporting her in her weakened state as the two left the room. He was worried for her but didn't show it on his face. Right now Rosa didn't need worried looks to strengthen her anxiety.

"OK. I'm right here with you if you need anything." Serge said as he brought Rosa out into the hallways.

(OOC: Sorry for my own delay. My family and I went to Niagara Falls for the weekend. I just got back from the trip. If I missed anything please let me know.)

[Adley]

"Learning how to see the spirits would be awesome! I've always wanted to see what those spirits looked like. The closest I've gotten is seeing people's thoughts of them." Serge said excitedly imagining what the world beyond the gauntlet looked like. He tilted his head to the side as if saddened by the fact that their was an entire world locked out to him. "Man the Cult of Ecstasy can share their senses with other people with a touch yet I've never met anyone who could share their spirit sense with me."

"I am able to do so, Mr Yager. Once there is some peace and we have recovered, I would be pleased to show you and Mrs Olsen some of the spirits around here that enjoy human company. It is the least I can do, for assisting those that I care about," he offered. "We will have a little discussion regarding interacting with them first."

"Sure thing. Rosa needs to rest and I don't have anywhere else to be so I have no problem with looking after them. Hell, we might be able to restart the tea party again." Serge said with a smile

"Thank you."

// that sounds fun - cold, but beautiful

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Nicole:

Nicole nodded assent, following Adjan. After all, needed to know if anything had changed.

You got up the stairs to the main Chantry, everyone you saw seamed rather stressed though. You see the Chief on his way past you, Miles and Adjan at some speed, clearly he was hurrying and even if his face where the same mark it always was you got the feeling he was concerned.

Colin:

Colin grimaced, "Eh, he's probably still alive, spreading his particular kind of joy, if I have the measure of him - the bastard is incapable of dying if his survival will spite someone..."

"Yeah you know that would not surprise me. You know he tried to force to his bed once, well I guess there is no laws against that but still, I kneed him in the balls good."
The Nephanda said with a satisfied grin.

He frowned, "The important distinction being that winning you over would hurt her more than harming you would. I know what she did to you today; I know there is no love lost between you, and that she doesn't care who is hurt in service to her own personal objectives. Harming you would harm you greatly, and her very little - and I would gain no satisfaction from that."

There was silence for a moment then that mental voice came again.
"What you say makes sense Craftsman, I will listen to your words but I will not promise you anything."
She said seemingly content with your answer.

He nodded to her injured hand, "A Gilledian who will gladly heap abuses on her own Handler like that is not worthy of the title. She may be a good Nephandus, but she is a piss-poor leader.

"She is not a Gilledian she is a Prelatus, she had the Gilledian captured by the Traditions but he is being kept alive there, to write letters and show his face on video so the others will think him well and just on a journey so they will not challenge Lady Larson for er leadership as would be their right."
The voice in your head was angry then she looked down at her hand.
"It hurts, I have tried to tend to it but I do not know how."

He smiled wryly, holding up the block of margarine, showing her the side with the logo, "Which is why I came to butter you up, rather than to hurt you."

For the first time you heard the Handler's voice not her telepathic projection, it was clear as bells as she laughed.
"You bring me Melange do you Craftsman...what a wonderful gift."
She said in a voice unused to talking she did seam very amused though.

He grimaced, "Because it is politically convenient to certain individuals to maintain the fiction that Falling is a one-way trip...

"It is difficult to return but everything is doable, the system with Cauls is a modern mistake, no true enlightenment towards Entropy and those that dwell beyond can be found in it."
She scoffed mentally.
"And yet my faction insist on such a quick fix."

And yes, it is hardcover, first edition, ninth printing... Not signed, though. I was remarkably fortunate, got it at an estate sale some twenty years ago. It's been read a few times since then, though..."
He politely took a few steps back, circling behind the sofa to give her space to approach.

Dalisse ran over to the book as soon as you had stepped back from it and she picked it up and immediately flipped to the pages discussing Navigators, she knew the sections by heart.
"They are like me...they are like me..."
She said and pressed the book to her chest revealing that she was a hopelessly lonely creature who found solace it the descriptions of creatures similar to herself, and indeed she did look like the first stage of Spacing Guild Navigator with the all black eyes, the webbing between her fingers and down her arms and back you notice and her elongated body, she looked like what was called in the books a third stage and in the movie a first stage very much.
"Thank you."
The mental voice sounded.

He nodded, "No, it would not be right... It's not right that Larson trap you here, either. However did she manage to force you into this situation in the first place?"

The Handler looked distressed at the question.
"We where wounded in battle, there where several Technocracy Dreadnoughts we emerged victorious but we needed aid, Lady Larson offered that aid but once my ship was healed she had bound him...and we where trapped to her service, I tried to resist but she tortured me, I am scared to pain I am not used to it not out there where such things do not exist."
She said and her all to thin frame started shaking.

He smiled, "It is true that your visage is no longer quite human, but that makes it no less beautiful."

"You are most kind Cratsman...but I am lonely I was not out there but here I am, no one is like me, save in these books..."
She muttered and cradled the book you had given her.

He shook his head, "The first priority is to stop Larson's plot. There will be so many prisoners, so many dead and injured... It is an easy thing to make sure you and your poor ship are not considered worth the effort of fighting after all that - and if our side does not win, what worry would remain for you? Larson's pet Aswadim would destroy the world, and we would all be dead anyway."

"If she can control the Aswadim yes he will eventually destroy the world and there will be nothing far sooner than it should be...there is an ebb and flow to existence it must be obeyed."
The Handler said and shook her head.
"She who where like me bound to the Labyrinth in Chicago she was destroyed, your leaders would want to do the same to me."
She added fearfully.

He smiled wryly, "Besides, and this may seem somewhat ironic, should the assault fail, you would have a very dedicated bodyguard by your side, since I would be as trapped here as you are.

"You can not hold of all of Larson's men, though I suppose I could eat a few."
She commented.

In fact... if you help us with the assault, and it fails, I can teach you a Rote which, if used with the ship itself, would be the equivalent of a suicide charge - a powerful burst through every passage and chamber in the ship, to burn off everything with primal fire. With that at hand, you would be able to prevent Larson's brutes from touching you again."

"Death...by fire...yes perhaps...but I do not want harm to come to my behemoth, it is innocent in this it just want to return to the deep."
She said and she looked wide eyed at you.
"But I do not desire more pain."

Adley:

“At the time I didn’t think I was a kid, I thought I was a grown up,” he said, with a little bit of a smile. “The same age as many of my students are now…” And Mr Yager for that matter…’the kid’ as he’d heard him called.

"I also thought myself an adult at that age, I think all young people do to some extent wen they are in the between stage of childhood and adulthood."
Narim said and smiled.
"Non the less I noticed the Chief's young apprentice."

“I daresay he might be proud that you’ve become an anchor here.”

"I hope so, that he is proud of me...but being an anchor I do not know, all I can do is try to be useful for the Chantry."
The Virtual Adept said and he blushed at the praise.

“It is, of course, personal. But I can say this...everything in the Tellurian are emanations, vibrations, an energy that continually manifest throughout creation. Using the tree of life as a way to conceive of an ever unfolding process, Keter is the ‘head’ or top and is related to Malkuth, the Kingdom of the earth, below, our feet or roots. Each of these sephira contain the whole tree within them. So that bears some semblance of that connection, perhaps. Above and below. As Keter is with Malkuth, so is she, my angel, with me, and we are within the vast continuum of the Tellurian. I could go on, but my nesting dolls metaphor didn't resonate last time I tried it without more context and by then I may hit stride and fall into lecture mode..." he said with a small smile.

"I would not mind a lecture Adley but perhaps there is not the time right now...your world view is interesting though and not that dissimilar to my own in some ways."
The young technomancer said and smiled.
"Though in other ways very different indeed, I do think I understand some of it though."
He said and nodded.
"Though for me I still need to see a connection between my flesh and my spirit."

“That is probably a normal feeling for anyone about to take their first student.”

"That is possible...but I am only thirty five I know my Mentor started taking students when he was just a teenager but I...want to do better."
He said and then did not speak more about it as he had gotten dangerously close to complaining about how his famous Mentor taught his students.

“Hey, whoa! Counting…what’s twenty-two…twenty-two in Hindi…” he prompted, holding him closer. It was like watching a glitch, or an old record player. He became so overwhelmed with fear that he just skipped whenever his mind glanced near what had happened.

"Twenty two are baees...and twenty three are teees..."
Narim muttered the counting seamed to get his mind away from what he had seen and it slowly calmed him down again and he focused on your face his breath evening out.

”Thanks, I’m trying to figure out how to keep everyone’s backs – not spread out too much but we can’t stay here. “There will be a next week. And puppies.”

"Well I have a desk in my room so Master Sharaya is welcome to work from there if he want."
Ty offered.
"I will be going with the strike team after all."
The the Akashic smiled a little.
"I hope you are right...I do want a next week and I do really want that puppy."

“Well, you might need a touch of help yourself. But yes.” He wasn't sure how well she'd be doing by the time that Richard was done with transferring the blood.

"We all have to pitch in."
Rosa said and smiled.

He added to Narim, “Colin says to recover speedily…”

"Ah I must remember to thank Mr Wainwright for his well wishes then."
The Virtual Adept said and smiled.

The little burst of him trying to get his brain back on work was good to see, even if they both knew pushing himself after blowing off his hand wasn't the best idea. But they had little choice but to try. But as he cut off and looked at him he nodded a bit.“Me too, okay?”

Narim nodded as he looked at you for a moment longer then he slowly and with difficulty sat up.
"We will win."
He said with conviction in his voice.

“You better believe it. I’ll have worked up something of an appetite by then.”

"Saving the world tends to do that for a person perhaps we are going to have to make it dinner."
The Virtual Adept joked then he smiled a little.
"I will be looking forward to it Adley."

“Er…yes I’ll see you soon, then,” he said, as he heard he was coming up. He clicked off and shifted slightly, trying to grab the writing frame without disturbing Narim's arm too much. He set it down, trying to keep it out of sight of the others and wrote as quickly as he could a brief synopsis of what Colin had said, referring to the Aswadim in something of a roundabout manner as he did not want to even write it down and couldn't talk about it in front of Narim. His pater, he hoped, would know what he meant, and would likely teach him some new swears when he read it. He also mentioned that Narim, by way of the Master Adept, may have ‘seen’ some semblance of 'that danger' when he traced back and could not even bear to think of it without freezing up in fear and that he may needed help with the memory as it kept triggering.

[/quote]

Narim did not watch what you where writing but he did watch your movements of writing as he tried to catch his bearings sitting.
"My father would write on a tablet much like that at times, it is not that we did not have pen and paper and more modern things but he preferred it."
The Virtual Adept commented.

Serge:

"Sure thing. Rosa needs to rest and I don't have anywhere else to be so I have no problem with looking after them. Hell, we might be able to restart the tea party again." Serge said with a smile wondering how strange it would be to restart such an innocent affair after such a hectic event occurred.

Rosa smiled a little at that.
"Thank you Cousin, yes let us keep the girls busy so they never now something terrible have happened and will be happening more."
She said and nodded in agreement.

Serge nodded to show that he understood. "No problem. We all have to do our parts to help."

The Akashic nodded at that.

"Easy now." Serge said standing close to her and supporting whenever she needed it.

"I am ok, I am just a bit woozy."
Rosa commented and she gave you a bit of a smile though you did have to support her as she made her way to the door.

"Yeah get well soon Master Nassa." Serge said flashing his own smile at the injured Master.

"Thank you Mr Yager."
Narim muttered and he gave you a smile.

Serge stood next to Rosa, supporting her in her weakened state as the two left the room. He was worried for her but didn't show it on his face. Right now Rosa didn't need worried looks to strengthen her anxiety.

"OK. I'm right here with you if you need anything." Serge said as he brought Rosa out into the hallways.

"Thank you Serge just get me to my sofa so I can sit down and I think I will be just fine."
Rosa said she looked about ready to keel over though. Jane and Liv came running over to you and Rosa.
"Is everything alright Sir is Miss Olsen sick?"
Jane asked and she seamed to be worried for Rosa, Liv also looked at Rosa looking concerned. Nico very slowly got to her feet groaning in pain as she did so.
"How are things in there?"
She asked.

"I am able to do so, Mr Yager. Once there is some peace and we have recovered, I would be pleased to show you and Mrs Olsen some of the spirits around here that enjoy human company. It is the least I can do, for assisting those that I care about," he offered. "We will have a little discussion regarding interacting with them first."

Before Rosa and Serge left the communications office this made the young Cultist smile.
"Thank you Mr Roth Hicks I would really appreciate that."
She said and Narim smiled warmly when you said you cared about him.

(OOC: I am sorry for my late reply I was to full and tired last night to write anything.)

[Jeremy Silverstein]

"I am able to do so, Mr Yager. Once there is some peace and we have recovered, I would be pleased to show you and Mrs Olsen some of the spirits around here that enjoy human company. It is the least I can do, for assisting those that I care about," he offered. "We will have a little discussion regarding interacting with them first."

Before Rosa and Serge left the communications office this made the young Cultist smile.
"Thank you Mr Roth Hicks I would really appreciate that."
She said and Narim smiled warmly when you said you cared about him.

Serge didn't expect the offer and a large smiled filled appeared on Serge's face as soon as he heard. "Oh hell ya! That would be awesome. Thanks Mr. Roth Hicks."

After a while Serge realized that he had perhaps used a bit too much enthusiasm when expressing his gratitude especially considering the situation and added sheepishly, "Y-yeah I probably need that lesson on interacting with them first."

"Thank you Serge just get me to my sofa so I can sit down and I think I will be just fine."
Rosa said she looked about ready to keel over though. Jane and Liv came running over to you and Rosa.
"Is everything alright Sir is Miss Olsen sick?"
Jane asked and she seamed to be worried for Rosa, Liv also looked at Rosa looking concerned

"She's not sick but she's really tired. She needs some food and rest so I'm taking her back to her room." Serge informed the young girls.

"You girls want to help me take her back to her room? We can restart that tea party if you want. Maybe Uncle Willard could join us, if wants too that is." Serge asked with a smile on his face trying to assure the girls that nothing horrific had just occured.

Nico very slowly got to her feet groaning in pain as she did so.
"How are things in there?"
She asked.

"Their OK. The Master's hand has been healed and he's got blood from 3 different people." Serge said quietly showing showing her the cotton swab on his arm and glancing at the woozy Rosa next to him.

"Now I'm just taking zombie Rosa here back to her room so she can get some rest as well as taking the kids off your hands."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"She's not sick but she's really tired. She needs some food and rest so I'm taking her back to her room." Serge informed the young girls.

"I can help with food, I help my Mentor cook sometimes the stuff that do not need to be put in hot pans, but I am allowed to help cut vegetables since I am a big girl now."
Jane offered proudly.
"My Mentor says I make good sandwiches.

"You girls want to help me take her back to her room? We can restart that tea party if you want. Maybe Uncle Willard could join us, if wants too that is." Serge asked with a smile on his face trying to assure the girls that nothing horrific had just occured.

"Can Adeptus Nico come as well?"
Jane asked and she nodded.
"We can make sandwiches so Miss Olson have something to eat."
The little girl said happily.
"Fun as that would be Miss Jane I do think I should rapport in what I saw to Master Morgan and then get some rest myself."
The wounded rebis said they offered the little girl a smile though.

"Their OK. The Master's hand has been healed and he's got blood from 3 different people." Serge said quietly showing showing her the cotton swab on his arm and glancing at the woozy Rosa next to him.

"That is good to hear I have felt so guilty since it was my vision that led to the episode."
Nico said. Jane noticed the cotton swab on your arm and pointed to it.
"Do that hurt Sir?"
She asked concerned.

"Now I'm just taking zombie Rosa here back to her room so she can get some rest as well as taking the kids off your hands."

"Thank you Mr Yager."
Nico said. Rosa gave you a tired scowl.
"Just be careful I do not eat your brain."
She joked. Nico smiled to the girls and spoke to them in Latin and both of them giggled and nodded.

[Jeremy Silverstein]

"I can help with food, I help my Mentor cook sometimes the stuff that do not need to be put in hot pans, but I am allowed to help cut vegetables since I am a big girl now."
Jane offered proudly.
"My Mentor says I make good sandwiches.

"Your allowed to cut vegetable! Wow you are a big girl. I'm not even allowed to cut vegetables." Serge said jokingly.

"If Rosa let's you then sure, you can make us all sandwich."

"Can Adeptus Nico come as well?"
Jane asked and she nodded.
"We can make sandwiches so Miss Olson have something to eat."
The little girl said happily.
"Fun as that would be Miss Jane I do think I should rapport in what I saw to Master Morgan and then get some rest myself."
The wounded rebis said they offered the little girl a smile though.

"Awww man. It would've been nice to have you around. Well it's understandable. If your ever around just stop by." Serge said with a smile.

"That is good to hear I have felt so guilty since it was my vision that led to the episode."
Nico said.

"Don't feel guilty. It was the Nephandi who caused this whole thing to start. You just had a vision about it." Serge assured Nico.

Jane noticed the cotton swab on your arm and pointed to it.
"Do that hurt Sir?"
She asked concerned.

"Nah I'm a big boy." Serge said humorously. "And Dr. Lee is a really good doctor. I didn't get a lollipop though."

Rosa gave you a tired scowl.
"Just be careful I do not eat your brain."
She joked.

"I wonder if my brain changes flavors if I think about different stuff. Like, would my brain be sour if I started thinking about Lemons?" Serge replied humorously as he began to lead Rosa to her room, gesturing the girls to follow him.

Nico smiled to the girls and spoke to them in Latin and both of them giggled and nodded.

Serge narrowed his eyes at them wondering silently, how in his 5 years of being a mage, he had never learned Latin beyond phrases he had stolen from Harry Potter.

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

"Your allowed to cut vegetable! Wow you are a big girl. I'm not even allowed to cut vegetables." Serge said jokingly.

"You can cut vegetables if you want to but you have to curl your fingers so it look like a cat's paw so you don't cut yourself Sir."
Jane said with a serious look in her eyes and showed you how to hold your hand to protect it from accidents, she was clearly quite proud that she was allowed to help out in the kitchen.

"If Rosa let's you then sure, you can make us all sandwich."

Jane smiled at that and nodded Rosa nodded.
"That would be helpful Jane thank you."
She said and nodded.

"Awww man. It would've been nice to have you around. Well it's understandable. If your ever around just stop by." Serge said with a smile.

"Well maybe next time Mr Yager and since my Chantry tossed me out for a while I suspect I will be hanging around Steelhaven for a while if it's Deacons let me."
Nico said and smiled a little.

"Don't feel guilty. It was the Nephandi who caused this whole thing to start. You just had a vision about it." Serge assured Nico.

"Yeah well maybe, but even so my vision caused harm, even if the Nephandi are the ones who really are to blame, I can not completely let go of blaming myself for this."
The rebis said and she looked down sadly.

"Nah I'm a big boy." Serge said humorously. "And Dr. Lee is a really good doctor. I didn't get a lollipop though."

"Dr Lee is a good doctor e fixed my ankle when I hurt it."
Jane said and pointed down at said ankle.
"My Mentor takes me out for ice cream if Dr Lee have to do something that hurts though or something that is really boring and takes a long time."
Jane said and nodded.
"Do you want a lollipop Sir? I do not have that but I have a chocolate bar in my room I have been saving."
She offered.

"I wonder if my brain changes flavors if I think about different stuff. Like, would my brain be sour if I started thinking about Lemons?" Serge replied humorously as he began to lead Rosa to her room, gesturing the girls to follow him.

"I suspect brains just tastes fluffy."
Jane said and grinned.
"But I mean we can always try and find out."
She joked.

Serge narrowed his eyes at them wondering silently, how in his 5 years of being a mage, he had never learned Latin beyond phrases he had stolen from Harry Potter.

You got to Rosa's room where everything for the tea party where still on the floor. Rosa sank down onto the sofa she really where quite pale and she rubbed at her arm despite Dr Lee's orders.
"There is juice if you and the girls want any, in the fridge, and some fruit as well."
She said and grabbed a blanket that had been laying on the sofa.
"It is pretty cold here is it not? Do you think it is cold Cousin?"

[Nicole Bouchard]

Anja's Post:

Seeing the Chief's approach, Nicole decides to flag him down despite his preoccupation. 'Just two questions, sir; how long until we leave and where are we assembling?'

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