A Change of Seasons IC

[Ridai]

As with the clouds lazily drifting through the sky, diffused light filtering through them that makes the world below appear as if most colors were drained from it, the children of the gods might think their struggle barely makes an impact in the grand scheme of things, like a small breeze trying to nudge a hole into the thick grey layer that stretches from north to south, east to west.

The latest push came in the form of an assault. The cult, corrupted by the titans, couldn't hide forever, the number of vanishing people and telltale signs too large not to be noticed. Two bands came together to storm their sanctum, a rusty monstrosity of a factory, the blood of mortals filling its rotten heart, the desperate scratches on the walls its veins, the screams of agony and writhing bodies its pulse.

The push was brutal, the sights and sounds matching the experience, but the frenzied cult fell, for the most part, as did the rampaging lindworm coiling through the complex before most was consumed in waves of fire and booming explosions. Though the threat ended that day, with the incident being explained away in logical, reasonable terms by the mortals, it didn't wrap up nicely. Two Scions of the second lost their short lives in the flames, the rest has not been seen again since the end of that night by their brothers-in-arms.

It has been a few weeks since then. It is the beginning of December in Boston, a quiet morning with cold wind blowing through the streets, heralding the end of autumn. Life goes on as usual while the Scions had time to lick their wounds and recover, in time for a very special invitation.


LaurenA now wet towel is still draped across Lauren's body, having just left the shower, as her hand reaches for her earrings' usual place, finding one and the distinct lack of another. Instead, the young Scion finds a piece of paper with an arrow that coincidentally points right at the door of the bathroom as she picks it up to look at it. Following the arrow leads to more arrows on the wall of her apartment's hallway (at one point finding an arrow made of Post-It notes, each with another arrow pointing into the same direction), leading her to her living room table and a mysterious green cup standing on it upside-down, inscribed with a question mark.

As soon as curioity becomes too much to handle, Lauren finds another sheet beneath it, along with a photo of her missing earring in front of a green-and-golden envelope. "Would you like a friendly little game? Don't worry, you'll get your earring back no matter what, but maybe you'll even get that envelope, too. What could be inside it, I wonder, I wonder. Be fast enough and you'll find out! The game starts in 3..." The way every single word has been written suggests style and energy, the ink seemingly having a certain golden shimmer to it that seems to disappear once Lauren focusses on it. There are more sheets of paper behind it, the second just showing a "2", then a "1". And just in that moment, her smartphone chimes softly.

A picture of the apartment building's entrance with part of the envelope in the corner of the picture, with the caption "Four minutes. Good luck." Getting down there within that time frame would be child's play. If Lauren were dressed.

Well, she'll just have to be a little quicker under these circumstances. She'll surely manage... somehow.

Feel free to stunt and make Dexterity + Athletics checks as much as you like.
ArsenWith the new responsibility of kicking titanspawn to the curb and taking names, Arsen's days of underground cage fights and UFC glory seem so far away. There is a certain gravity and fulfillment to his purpose, the certainty that what he does matters, that it changes something, that it is what he was born to do. Right?

Still, Ares didn't just make Arsen's past disappear, gone in a puff of smoke to be followed by the prestige of a magic show. Every once in a while, people recognize him as the UFC champion that he is, desiring photos, autographs and occasionally a little more in case of the some of the female fans he comes across. It happens again while the Scion is out and about this morning, this time approaching him in the form of an attractive young woman going by the name of Remy. A quick once-over reveals her being a few inches short of six feet tall, having auburn hair at chin-length, green eyes and an athletic body with curves any red-blooded male just has to notice. Arsen can't help but be reminded of someone, but who might that be?

He finds her very easy to talk to, especially because of the lack of a shrill voice, "like"s, "ohmigod"s and attempts to almost beg on her knees for his attention as rabid fangirls normally do. She seems quite down-to-earth as a dialog about martial arts (which she practices herself) and sports, but she can't hide her admiration for him, especially when she glowingly speaks about the time she watched Arsen's fight that made him the undeniable champion. It's a pleasant chat, Remy's honest enthusiasm being contagious.

"Um, you are probably very busy, Mr. Leos, but maybe we could get some breakfast? I know a nice place closeby that has really nice buffets and coffee and such." Remy eagerly awaits an answer, a cute little blush appearing on her cheeks.

The day is definitely starting on a good note.
AliAnother day filled with purpose begins. Ali finds his talents to be in demand more than several months ago, as he recognizes during a short moment of reflection. Boston's crime rates were nowhere near those of bigger cities like New York, Los Angeles and the like, and they still aren't, but they are slowly rising again without a doubt. A circumstance good men and women should not take lightly, as complacency only helps the wrong people.

A simple envelope that has been slid under his front door catches Ali's attention just as he wants to leave. As unremarkable as the brown paper is, there still are two red notes that stand out that much more because of it.

URGENT
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

A quick check reveals no sorts of dangerous materials or substances, but also no indication who might have put the envelope there. Still, there is a certain sense of intrigue and the envelope's contents are soon revealed. A number of sheets of paper, photographs and a map are revealed. Numbers, names, adresses, texts, memos and newspaper excerpts soon lie spread out on a table. Most of it looks like just a random collection of useless information, with nothing alarming or of importance. Still, Ali isn't most. His gut says there is more to what looks like an elaborate prank at first and his experience in his field of work has helped him numerous times already, helping the prosecutor to distinguish between truth and falsehood, red herrings and real leads. He can't shake that sense of intrigue. Taking a closer won't hurt anyone.

An Intelligence + Investigation check, please.
EllieThe nights are growing colder out on the streets, but it's nothing Ellie can't handle. She awakes as the first rays of the morning sun illuminate the part of the park she is in. A nice place to every now and then, almost cozy by some standards. A small group of homeless people had flocked around her during the evening and is still there, a little like believers seeking the wisdom of their prophet. They look after each other and Ellie, so it's win/win for everyone involved. Well, apart from the occasional passerby who doesn't like to be reminded that there are, in fact, homeless people in the world.

The girl who came to see you last evening, somewhat pretty if a little thin, is still sleeping beside you, smiling a little. Her stomach is rounded ever so slightly, there are still a few months to go. Both her and the child are healthy and thanks to Ellie's help, her troubled mind found some peace and courage, as if she just needed someone who would listen and care. The Scion still remembers her will to try to get a job and a home, for the sake of the child, followed by thanking Ellie profusely.

That was yesterday, though. Time to find out what a new day brings. And it seems it will start out on a little more unusual note. She could swear that tree's shadow looks like a dog. And after closer inspection, it is a dog. One that seems awfully large, just sitting there, patiently looking at her. No one seems to notice, even though the world around the dog seems a little hazy with colors flowing into the others, with seemingly harmless flames occasionally running across the black fur?

It just sits there, looking, waiting, occasionally moving its tail from one side to the other, a kind of majesty radiating from the muscled body.

EveryoneI really need to become faster at typing up posts. >_>

Let the game begin. Also, feel free to read all sections. The spoiler tags are just there to organize the content a little and make the OP look less huge.

I hope the individual parts are acceptable (like Lauren living in one of the upper floors of an apartment building or Ali opening the envelope). I'll change parts of them if they aren't, though.

[Lesingnon]

The bitch...and/or bastard! Those earrings had been a gift! Oh, and they let her channel her birthrights too, that was important. She let the towel drop to the floor as she all but flew back to her room, faster than even that Bolt guy from Jamaica or wherever she was from could manage, and dove into her closet. Panties and make-up were neglected in the rush, time reluctantly taken to pull on the sports bra only because she figured she'd be doing a lot of running and jumping and stuff. Then jeans, a t-shirt, a fleece, and a sturdy pair of shoes were all hurriedly thrown on. Even if they were all clingy because she was still wet, she hated that feeling. Especially since her hair was still all wet. She hated that too, and pulled it back into a pony tail even as she slipped her remaining relics into place.

It was at about that moment that her mind caught up with her body and she realized that some strange pervert had been snooping about in her apartment while she was showering! She made extra certain that her ring was in place on her finger.

Then she went not to her door, but to her window, grabbing her purse off the table before climbing out onto the fire escape. Silly whoever-it-was that did this, maybe they thought they'd grabbed a different relic. It was like that one guy on that one USA Network show...Burn Notice, said. Getting down from a building fast was easy, let gravity do it. The only tricky part was making sure you didn't get hurt from the fall. And that wasn't even all that tricky for the daughter of a Sky God like Lugh.

She takes a brief moment to look around, make sure no one's paying attention to her. Thankfully no one really looked up, and alleys were always kind of dark until the sun rose up overhead. Then she let a bit of the legend that ran through the ichor in her veins seep out of her; making the sky her friend, and falling damage an afterthought. After that she leaned out...and fell.

Her eyes closed for a brief moment as she felt the cold wind whip past her face, reveling in the brief freedom of being airborne despite her rush. Then her hand darted out, grabbing the second-to-last platform of the fire escape and swinging her over to land on the lowermost one with a crash that would have at least shattered her legs were she mortal. But she wasn't, back to that whole daughter of a sky god thing. And from there it was child's play to get back to the ground via a more conventional method, they did watch the ground, she supposed. Then a nice, leisurely little jog to the main entrance to snatch the next envelope.

Activated Sky's Grace, Legend 9->8
And a Dex + Athletics roll for her little leap of faith
[roll0] + 2 Auto Successes

[Limos]

A wide smile breaks out across Arsen's craggy battlescarred face. The warm glow of fond nostalgia a comforting warmth in his chest. He turns to the perky redheaded beauty and chuckles, "Yeah sure, I'd like that. Just promise to call me Arsen, and I'll call you Remy. None of that Mr. Leos business. You're making me sound old. Just Arsen is fine." He offers an arm to the girl then lets her take the lead.

His twin spatha jingle against one another as he walks, clinking together at the midpoint of the leather cord about his neck currently reduced to charm size. His peacemaker is out of reach, safely stashed in the Hummer. Arsen is currently wearing a white wifebeater and a pair of baggy camouflage fatigue pants. The black and gray kind with the geometric patterns for cities, rather than the green and brown blotchy kind for jungle undergrowth. On his feet are steel toed black work boots.

Arsen looks over at the girl as he walks and smiles happily. It's nice to get a bit of normality in his life, not to mention a pretty girl, with all the madness and violence that has been his daily grind ever since he met his father. Arsen has always liked having fans, the way they idolize him, the money, the nice things, the pretty girls. Being a celebrity was a pretty slick deal.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali looks at the contents of the envelope thoroughly. The Yazata know that there is a purpose and a reason for all things. Other pantheons know this too, but the Yazata are the only ones who seek to make sure that purpose is the best purpose it can be. He silently prayed to his father that this was that kind of purpose, and not some taunt from a would-be serial killer looking to play cat-and-mouse with the DA's protege.

[roll0] plus an automatic success from Epic Intelligence. That's doing it correct, right?

[The_Snark]

Today is a good day, Ellie decides. There is a special something about being up very early in the morning, like knowing a secret that hardly anybody else does. The sun is peeking through the buildings, she managed to find dinner last night so she's not hungry yet, and the night chill isn't too bad right now. The winter snows will come crashing down later this month, sending all the street people scrambling for a warm place to sleep; winter is harsh in Boston. But that's later. This morning is good.

And hey, here is someone to share it with. Ellie isn't too worried that nobody else seems to see the dog. That sort of thing happens to her a lot. "Hey there," she says, waving to the tree-shadow-dog from where she sits. What she sees isn't always real but that's no reason not to be polite. "You're a pretty dog, huh? What are you doing out so early?"

[Ridai]

LaurenMuch to her confusion, nothing can be found at the building's entrance. Instead, Lauren is greeted by a familiar chime upon her arrival, that of her smartphone. A picture from the top of the statue in the middle of the park far down the road, the camera pointing towards her current, distant, location, the envelope in the corner, but with a new hint of silver on it. Outstanding! Don't want to insult your skills any more, so 3min. Two minutes to reach the top of the large monument. Impossible for any mortal. But the daughter of Lugh is much more than that.

Her stride is flawless, utterly beyond the imagination of most inhabitants of the World. Steps taken with utmost precision, obstacles failing to hinder her, instead becoming props in a lightning fast dance. Fate seems to smile favorably onto the young woman, her motions always disguised by what seems like a string of beneficial coincidences, be they the sound of a car screeching to a halt or an enthralling street performer diverting the attention of the men, women and children out on the streets or a bit of harmless smoke or steam shielding the Scion from potential watchers.

Lauren arrives at her next destination with time to spare, immediately receiving her next goal. The cycle repeats a few times, the destinations becoming ever more difficult, the time limits tighter, the short messages more encouraging and the envelope more silver. Still, the challenge is always fair, even though one message is received in mid-air, forcing Lauren to catch one of the flag poles she flies by to get to the ground again. The experience started in a frustrating manner, but seems to become more... enjoyable? There is a growing sense of freedom gained from her movement, like a course specifically designed for her enjoyment and creativity, challenging her in many different ways, allowing her to find paths on her own terms.

The final destination is a mixture of restaurant and cafe, called The Silver Lining. A fitting name, it seems, as the place is one of the nicer examples of its kind all around (which Lauren has already experienced a few times) and the contestant arrives with time to spare, her clothes and hair barely wet anymore. The wonderful scent of fresh baked goods, coffee and everything one might think of to round out breakfast greets Lauren as she enters the door and is promptly greeted by a waitress, a momentary look of confusion quickly replaced by a welcoming smile. "Welcome. Ah, you must be Lauren. Someone is expecting you, would you please follow me?"

The waitress leads Lauren up a flight of stairs and through a double door, where she leaves you. Soft sunlight shines through the large windows onto the table in front of them, with five chairs around them, none of them occupied. There is a steaming pot of coffee and a filled cup on the table, but no one else seems to be there, even upon closer inspection. Before Lauren can consider whether this is some cruel joke, she hears clapping hands behind her. "Simply beautiful. That's my girl." The voice is very familiar and there is honest pride in it.

As Lauren turns around, she sees a young man, dressed casually, grinning from ear to ear. Her eyes are immediately drawn to him, his presence filling the room with ease. The auburn shock of hair, the emerald green eyes filled with energy, that smile that could melt the heart of any woman and make any faults forgiven and forgotten. The last time they met feels so close, yet so far away. Lugh spreads his arms, beckoning his daughter to come to him.
Arsen"Promise," Remy answers, showing another instance of those cute smiles of hers as she takes Arsen's arm. The coldness of this particular morning is quickly forgotten, time seeming to fly by in her company as your pleasant chat continues on the way, leisurely navigating towards their destination without a worry in the world. At first glance, others might think the pair might be a couple.

Arsen gets to know her a little more, learning that she is from New York too, but had to move to Boston several years ago to help support her family. Remy easily elevates herself above the usual fan, clearly being a woman who has seen and done a lot despite her age, one who can take care of herself and has learned to roll with whatever life throws her way and stay her course in the process. Most men would probably find it hard to believe that she isn't in a relationship already. Perhaps the gods are smiling down upon Arsen today.

"There it is." As you round a corner, Remy points towards a small cafe and restaurant, the sign saying The Silver Lining. The name seems fitting enough, considering the circumstances. Just before the entrance, Arsen hears the muffled sound of a cellphone ringing. Remy fishes her own out of her pocket and her expression shifts slightly, a tinge of anxiety sneaking into her features. "Could you excuse me for a little moment?" She flashes an apologetic smile and steps away a little to answer the call.

Arsen can't really understand who she is talking to or what the conversation is about, as she lowered her voice, but he hears "I'll be there soon." at the end, only to see Remy looking a little saddened as she returns to Arsen's side. "I... won't be able to join you. My little sister's in hospital and someone needs to be there when they want to run some tests. I'm really sorry, Arsen."
AliThe prosecutor's vigilant eyes wander across the material, analyzing, categorizing. He knows full well that some things can be hidden right in plain sight, while others require a different approach. Several pieces of the material having something in common or contradicting each other could create a starting point for solving this puzzle that has been presented to Ali. In some cases it could also be what specifically isn't there or something even more convoluted.

Individual pieces are moved, mental notes are made. The constant rearranging and reevaluating might seem like some form of inscrutable oracle, actions seemingly without rhyme or reason, but Ali's actions are driven by a very specific purpose, each step taken to steadily approach this goal as his mind shifts into a more abstract way of thinking, like an intellectual analog to what is occasionally referred to as a "zen-like state of mind". Slowly, connections between several pieces emerge, red herrings are weeded out, parts of the puzzle slowly being put together.

The efforts prove to be successful, the fruit of vigilance and duty. Before Ali lies a collection of evidence, decoded from emphasized passages, places and the like, pointing towards a handful of men that might be connected to as of yet unsolved serial murder cases, including one Ali is currently involved in, in terms of investigation, and a local politician. It isn't enough to take them to court, but the existence of more complete evidence that has been left out is also suggested, along with a telefone number to learn more.

The whole puzzle seems like something inspired by thrillers or spy movies, but just ignoring it might prove to be a mistake. If nothing else, seeing this through to the end will tell what this is all about, so making a call seems to be the next logical step.

"I see you were successful, but I still have to make sure. Tell me what you see and what you think." The voice on the other end of the line sounds deep, but also hushed.
EllieThe strange dog, seemingly understanding Ellie's question, but lacking the means to answer, stands up and moves its head in a way as if it wants to say "Follow me". Ellie notices just how big the dog is, even from her distance, easily just over five feet tall at the shoulder, a truly impressive being that still doesn't seem to make a sound despite its size and mass. No fallen leaves are rustled, no blades of grass are bent to the ground, no tracks are left. The hound is just there, beckoning Ellie, and the world seems to follow suit. Colors shift subtly here and there, branches and leaves moving in the wind seem to guide your eyes towards the dog as if telling her that everything is alright, that she should go.

The dog patiently waits for the Scion, also letting her touch it, if she wants to. The fur is soft, with the powerful muscles underneath easily noticable by touch, the impression completed by the otherworldly and pleasant feeling that accompanies the dog. It escorts Ellie through the park, like a loyal guard might accompany his esteemed charge. Sounds and sights work together to mark the path ahead that is only perceptible by them, like some shared secret. The entire journey has a dreamlike quality to it, even as the pair leaves the park and heads along the sidewalks and over the streets. Do the other people see them? What other surprises might be waiting in the world around them? It is hard to tell.

EveryoneStill introduction and "fast-forward" mode. I hope the posts aren't too long, it's sometimes just difficult for me to formulate my ideas in a more concise way. All the characters will meet during the next update, so I can actually start to make one post for everyone at once and reduce the amount of text and stop "pushing" the characters, please bear with me. :smallredface:

[Limos]

Arsen is crestfallen, frowning at the girl. Everything had seemed to be going so well, he wonders what he might have done to scare Remy off. "Sorry to hear that, Remy. You need a ride? We can walk back to my car and I'll drive you there." He says hopefully, "We can do dinner instead." Arsen met nice, interesting girls seldom enough that he wasn't about to give up a golden opportunity like this so quickly. Most of the fans he met were either airheads, or meatheads. People that want to gush over how tough he was, or guys looking for a fight. Take down the big guy, prove their macho-ness.

[Lesingnon]

The absence of the envelope was frustrating, if not surprising. Somehow...she'd figured that that mystery-pervert was planning to lead her on a chase across the city. Not that she was happy about it. But mystery-pervert still had her earring. So she was off.

Deft feet moved unerringly through the crowded streets, divinely-empowered leaps sent her bounding forward through the air when she was shielded from mortal eyes. Despite the frustration, and indignation, she could feel the thrill of adrenaline coursing through her veins. Despite it all, she did take a measure of enjoyment in knowing that she was tracing a grateful dance across the city in a way that no mortal could dream of emulating.

Then she was at the cafe. And she wondered, briefly, how she must have appeared to the waitress; hastily dressed, disheveled, slightly damp, and a bit out of breath. She probably thought Lauren was making a stop during a walk of shame or something. Oh well, it was a better explanation than the actual reason.

So Lauren just puts on her best, brightest, smile as she starts to follow the other woman. "Of course." The mention of someone waiting for her caught her attention too. That must be mystery-pervert. And when she entered the room her arm was held out to the side, elbow slightly crooked. Someone skilled in sword fighting would recognize it as a good position to bring a blade whirling up into offense or defense...if she was holding one. But mystery-pervert might not know that her ring could transform into a blade.

Then she heard the voice, recognized it instantly, and spun around on the ball of her foot. All the frustration and indignation melted away instantly, her expression simply one of beaming joy. "Dad!" And with that she sprang forward into his open arms. Divine strength, combined with the mastery of the sky he'd granted her, allowing her to cover the distance between them in one, bounding, tackle-hug.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

"What I see are patterns and hints. What I think is that someone who throws up this much smoke and this many mirrors either has something to hide, wishes to stay hidden himself, or is looking to mess with me as a part of some sick challenge. Which is it with you?" Ali replies plainly.

He didn't like secrecy as a rule. Mithra was a sun god, forthright and honest before all things mortal and divine. Ali held himself to the same standard as closely as he could, though obviously he was fallible as only mortals are, and he had the added issue of being fallible as only gods are as well. In any case, he needed to know just what he was up against, and listened carefully, his senses primed for the even the slightest hint of a lie or a secret. If there was any truth to be found in this person's words, Ali was confident he would find it. He always did.

[Ridai]

LaurenThe rush of joy is mutual as Lugh catches and tightly embraces Lauren, giving an upbeat, hearty laugh. A small moment of peace for father and daughter upon their reunion.

"It's good to see you again, Lauren. Hope you liked my little parcours. Here, as promised." With a little flourish of his hand, the missing earring seems to simply manifest itself in Lugh's hand before he lets it join its golden counterpart hanging from Lauren's other ear. A sudden, warm breeze gently sweeps through her clothes, leaving them dry and comfortable and fixing their disheveled nature (and it does the same to her hair), as if getting the earring back brought the Scion's balance back to her in every way. The God takes a moment to take a good look at Lauren, like a parent who sees that his child is all grown up now, a woman among girls, to put it in the Scion's own words.

"I owe you a certain envelope, don't you think? How about breakfast beforehand, though? Our guests should arrive just about now." Lugh smiles at Lauren and faces the double door with her, his still around her shoulders.
ArsenRemy's face regains some color and she shows a warm little smile. She seems like someone who had to deal with her share of hardships already and Arsen's offer visibly brightens her mood. "Thanks for the offer, but I'll get there myself, don't worry. I got a ticket on my birthday for that opera premiering at the Colonial Theatre tonight and I'll be busy for most of tomorrow, but if you're free tomorrow evening, we could get dinner then?" The young woman exchanges phone numbers with Arsen. "Be sure to give them a shot. It's really worth it," Remy says and points towards The Silver Lining. "See you soon, Arsen. Already looking forward to it." Remy waves him goodbye, definitely leaving in a better mood than she was in after the call. As for the son of Ares, he can't seem to shake a certain feeling of familiarity, as if he has seen her somewhere before.

The waitress inside the cafe greets Arsen as he enters the building, stating that he is being expected and politely asking him to follow her. She asks him to head through a double door located upstairs. Inside the room, he finds Lauren, with a young man standing next to her who bears a lot of resemblance to the former. The room-filling presence and what Lauren told the band makes it easy for Arsen to recognize Lugh himself. "Good morning Arsen, glad to finally meet you," he greets the Scion with a likable smile, firmly shaking his hand.
Ali"Someone who wants something to be seen only by the right person and I think that will be the case. I do not expect you to trust a stranger and I understand that this process is suspicious, but I'm someone who wants to help. Come to the cafe The Silver Lining, the waitress will expect you." And from one moment to the next, the connection is closed, leaving only silence behind. There is still much left unknown, uncertain. The voice seemed sincere, at least that is the first impression which, as anyone representing the law knows, often has to be taken with a grain of salt, but still. Sometimes, one has to take the plunge.

The Silver Lining is easy to find, a nice little cafe and restaurant in the better parts of Boston with a certain inviting charme to it. Finding a parking spot closeby turns out to be quite easy. As Ali enters the building, he is almost immediately greeted by a waitress. "Welcome. Excuse me, sir, but are you, by any chance, Mr. Baraz?" she asks him after a closer look. She doesn't have anything suspicious about her, obviously never having seen him in person. Just someone who works at the place and has been asked a favor by a customer, it seems. The waitress asks Ali to follow her and brings him upstairs. In the room upstairs, he find Arsen, Lauren and a young man who has quite the resemblance to Lauren, with a few telltale signs identifying him as a very powerful being, namely Lugh himself.

"Good morning, Mr. Baraz. I heard a lot of good things about you and I hope you'll forgive my little charade. I do have something for you a litle later on, though." Lugh firmly shakes Ali's hand and winks at him, making it very hard to fault him for anything.
EllieThe wondrous dog leads Ellie on an even more wondrous journey through the streets of Boston, new and exciting sights and sounds discreetly revealing themselves to her continuously on the way. Eventually, the large black canine stops in front of a small cafe called The Silver Lining, sitting down next to the entrance, facing Ellie. The establishment has a beckoning warmth and wonderful smell coming from the inside. The dog bows his head to Ellie and motions towards the door, his duty seemingly fulfilled, having safely brought his charge to this place.

As she steps inside, she seems a little out of place, getting a few looks here and there, but mostly of the curious kind, nothing serious. Judging from her standards, the place is downright fancy, but in a good way with a down-to-earth quality to it. A waitress soon comes by, at first seeming a little confused, but soon correcting the small flaw in her composure. "Welcome. Um, are you Ellie?" Upon answering, the waitress flashes a smile, already in the process of warming up to Ellie (like almost everyone who ever meets her in person), asking her to follow her, as she is being expected. Soon, she meets the other members of her band in addition to a rather (as in extremely) charming looking young man who seems to be related to Lauren and is soon recognized as her father Lugh himself. "Good to meet you, Ellie. Always nice to meet friends of Lauren." He doesn't seem to mind her appearance and takes Ellie's hand and kisses it alongside a little wink, making the Scion's heart beat noticably faster. The room seems to have become quite a lot warmer.

"Thank you for coming, everyone. You might wonder why you and I are here, apart from meeting Lauren in my case, of course, but we'll get to that soon enough. Now then, with everyone gathered, how about breakfast?" Lugh motions towards the table and seats himself on one of the comfortable chairs next to Lauren. Soon after, waitresses bring a large variety of food and drink, filling the table with many enticing options and the room with mouth-watering smells. "No need to be shy. Enjoy!" Everything tastes as good as it looks and smells. Lugh amicably chats with his daughter and the rest of the band throughout breakfast, his presence alone making the whole experience more enjoyable.

"Now, Lauren, I let you wait long enough." Lugh holds a hand out with the palm turned upwards and lets his other hand slide across it, seemingly letting a golden-and-silver envelope materialize out of thin air as his hand passes over the other before giving it to his daughter. "Have a look inside and be sure to show the others, too."

Phew, checkpoint one: bringing the group together.

[Lesingnon]

Lauren finds herself laughing along with him, she just can't help it. In addition to her own good mood upon seeing him, at being hugged by her father for one of the very few times in her life, his own laughter was just infectious. "It was fun! I don't get to just run like that often." Or dive off of tall buildings, but that part went unsaid. She does wrinkle her nose slightly, though, glancing down at her clothing. "But can you wait until I'm dressed next time?"

Then she got her earring back, felt that warm breeze sweep through and along her. And she couldn't suppress a shiver, that felt heavenly. "Ooh...you have to teach me that trick some day." Just imagine how much time she could save drying her hair.

Then the rest of the band started filtering in, and Lauren dutifully introduced everybody. Well, introduced her Dad to everyone at least. He seemed to know who everybody was already. Which she supposed wasn't all that surprising. Then it was time to eat, and she put a surprising amount of food away for a woman her size. Not just because athletes tended to have healthy metabolisms, either. Lugh's message had come before she'd had a chance to eat breakfast at her place, and sprinting through a city was a great way to work up an appetite.

By the time breakfast is over she's all nice and satisfied. The band all together and talking, one of those all too rare opportunities to talk to her Dad. It was nice, and with the war against the titans ever raging she firmly believed that you had to enjoy the moments like this while they lasted.

She was certainly eager to get her hand on the envelope once it was procured, though. Curiosity had been nibbling away at the corner of her mind ever since she first saw it. After a brief examination, turning it over in her hands, she slit it open with a fingernail and pulled out its contents. Eagerly reading/examining whatever was inside.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali is immediately suspicious of the caller, but decides to check out the cafe. For safety, he call up the chapterhouse of the Cult of Mithra in Boston and has them send a few members to help him should things go south. When he arrives at the cafe, however, and sees the other Scions and Lugh, he breathes a sigh of relief.

"You can go, for now."

He shakes Lugh's hand firmly but respectfully.

"Please forgive my impudence over the phone...um...forgive me again but I'm not entirely certain how to address you."

When Lugh explains, Ali nods.

"It is an honor and a pleasure to meet you. You are a person of many talents, something that does you and yours well, and it is humbling that you would come to meet with us in person."

He helps himself to the breakfast, filling a plate with a few things and then getting some coffee. When Lauren looks at the envelope, he leans closer ouit of curiosity.

[Ridai]

LaurenThe God chuckles as he hears Lauren talk about the "next time". "Sure thing, dear. Pulling the same trick twice would be a bit dull after all, wouldn't it?"

"A little bit of practice and imagination and you'll be good to go," Lugh explains his little trick, trusting in his daughter's inherent creativity. "Thinking about someone you like helps with getting it right, at least in my case. The trick has some other uses as well, but I'm sure you'll discover those soon enough." There is a (most likely deliberate) mischievous hint in his voice and features.
Ali"Good to hear," Lugh comments as he shakes Ali's hand before he appologizes and gets to the always a little etiquette question. While some Gods might have picked a reason of their choice to be offended in some ways, it seems like this one isn't too concerned about that. "I think you acted the right way, don't sweat it. Just call me Lugh. You okay with me calling you Ali?"

The God chuckles at Ali's last statement. "I appreciate it, but no need to be so formal, we're not at court or anything. Sometimes I just want to handle things the old-fashioned way and I can't really visit my daughter through omens and 'coincidences'."

Anticipation builds as the envelope is given. It is like when people try to guess what's inside a present, carefully weighing it in their hands, trying to feel the contents before opening it up. While the sleek design of the envelope makes up for a few shortcomings, opening it still lacks the glee of ripping the gift paper open, but it'll do.

Inside, Lauren finds four tickets, the words "Lines in the Dark" printed on each. For people living in Boston, it has been hard not to have heard about it over the course of the last few weeks, as people from nearly all walks of life have built a lot of hype surrounding the musical or opera or whatever each individual might label it as, the work seemingly defying easy classification. Many are curious, as few people have caught glimpses of it, sometimes contradicting each other in the process of reporting what they saw and heard, but the opinions were always overwhelmingly positive. What might simply be a "normal" media phenomenon, with tickets being highly sought after, carries the possibilities of something more below the surface to Scions. And apparently also the Gods.

And it seems the band will be attending the premiere this very evening.

Damn, I forgot to include this bit in the last post. D:

[Limos]

Arsen, seeing the God Lugh and the rest of his band there, frowns and pulls out a chair roughly. He turns it around backwards and then sits at the table, grabbing a handful of bacon and sausage and digging right in. After munching silently for some time and letting the others say his piece Arsen points to Lugh, "Seems you've been dragging us all out here this morning. The girl, she real or just something you set up to get me here?" He munches on another piece of bacon while he thinks.

"Kind of a coincidence that a nice girl would want to go to breakfast at this very place, then have to leave right when we get here." Arsen glares at the deity, "If she was a trick then next time just call me or something. If she ain't then you better tell me. I'm tired of not knowing what's what anymore."

[Archpaladin Zousha]

"Arsen! Show respect! You know who we are in the presence of. We should be grateful he deigned to speak to us in person at all!"

[Limos]

"I answer to Ares. I'm here because I like you guys, and because I like fightin' Titans." Arsen drops his meat and scowls at Ali. "Beyond that, if he wants something from me he can ask. But I want to know if he's been messing with me or not. Seems nothings ever what it should be anymore."

[The_Snark]

Ellie gets up and follows the strange dog, absently petting it from time to time as she ambles along beside it. The early morning city-noises are curiously muted, and the world almost seems to bend around the two of them, a bubble of curving reality that separates them from the rest of the world. She wonders if anyone can see her, caught up in the black dog's wake of invisibility as she is. Of course, she is invisible to a lot of people anyway, because of how she dresses. Ellie doesn't mind. That's just how things are.

Soon the dream ends; she walks into the restaurant, and the waitress sees her. Her nametag says Denise. Ellie smiles at Denise, who smiles back (most people do), and follows her obediently to the table. There's Ali, looking uncomfortably stuffy in that way she has come to learn he likes, and Arsen with a slight frown on her face, and Lauren talking and laughing with...

Oh, wow. Is it weird to tell someone else her dad is cute? Ellie checks with her (rarely-used) internal gauge of what other people think is Normal, and decides that yes, it is. Oh, well. You can't help what you think! For Lauren's sake - and because it would be a little silly - she restrains a giggle as Lugh-in-the-flesh kisses her hand. Totally old-fashioned, but also really sweet.

Lauren is of course enthused about seeing her dad, and Ellie is happy to meet him too, but Arsen and Ali look less comfortable. Ali thinks there should be more bowing and yes-sirs and beg-your pardons involved with meeting a god, when it's obvious that Lugh doesn't care about those things any more than Ellie does, and Arsen... Ellie looks between the two as he makes his grievance clear, silently attentive. She wants to tell him to be cool, but how can she do that until she knows what happened? Arsen won't listen to her unless she has reasons.

[Lesingnon]

A little practice and imagination, hmm...made it sound like something she was already capable of, or could be. A knack? Were there any of those that could actually physically effect another person? So a boon then, from a purview she could channel through one of her relics. The wind must've meant either Sky or Illusion, but Illusion would just be a temporary thing. So...Sky, Sky's Grace maybe? It let winds catch her and avoid being sent tumbling head over heels so it was kind of similar, she guessed.

See, she can think critically. On the occasion she actually puts her mind to it.

And she's excited as she sees the tickets. How could she not be? Word of the show seemed to be on everybody's lips lately, and most of the town seemed to want to see it. And she'd get to go see the opener. Inevitably, girl thoughts followed. What would she wear, how should she do her hair. Ooh...maybe she'd be able to get Ellie into a dress for an event like that.

And she's abruptly snapped out of her reverie as she hears Arsen speak. And she can't help but glance juuust a bit nervously over at her father. In her (admittedly limited) experience he always seemed pretty easygoing and understanding. But then, this was the first time she'd actually seen angry with him. Still...she didn't think he'd react all that harshly, hoped he wouldn't for a whole bunch of reasons.

Boy, the mood of a place could sure go from easygoing to tense real fast. Hopefully it would turn back just as quickly.

[Ridai]

There is an ominous instant, like the echoes of Arsen's words. The sheer difference in power seems vastly amplified in this very moment, one can only wonder how other Gods might react in Lugh's place (like, for instance, Ares or Tlazoltéotl), increasing the tension filling the room. The wrath of a God can take many forms, some direct, some invisible, but never should it be taken lightly. Lugh subtly raises a hand, signalling the Scions to calm down. "If everything was like it should be, we wouldn't be fighting the Titans." The God lets Arsen consider the implications of his own words for a moment, before continuing, seemingly unfazed.

"As for that young lady, you only have Fate to blame. I had different plans to bring you here, but then she simply happened. It's the way things go sometimes and I believe there is are truths to be found in that one should keep in mind." No further elaboration follows, letting the Scions dwell upon the meaning by themselves.

"Anyway," Lugh begins anew, clapping his hands together, the sound and lighter tone drawing an imaginary finishing line below the preceeding episode. "Gods of several pantheons, and some of their most distinguished children in the role of assistants, will soon be meeting to discuss a possible collaboration against the Titans, which will be a first in history. Your respective parents will also be attending the meeting, I believe. It's a step in the right direction, but it'll take time. In the meantime, I want all of you to remain ever vigilant, perhaps moreso than before. Big, singular events like that premiere almost always have a certain draw to them, so I'd like you to attend the show and see if you encounter anything to worry about. Let's call it a hunch." Lugh pauses for a moment, letting his words sink in.

"Be sure to enjoy what you can, though. These times are grim enough already. Any questions?"

[Archpaladin Zousha]

"Forgive my asking, Lugh, but do you believe this show has some sort of connection to the information you sent me?" Ali asks.

[Ridai]

Lugh shrugs. "Not as far as I know. The information is something I came across recently. Thought I might as well share it. You'll find a little something in your car."

[Limos]

Arsen nods at Lugh's words, satisfied that he wasn't being tricked yet again. "This shindig gonna to be Black Tie? I gotta swing by my apartment and pick up the old monkey suit."

[Lesingnon]

Oh, phew, she was right, he hadn't minded. That was a relief. "Was it Sky's Grace that you used?" Yes, her mind was back to divine methods of straightening her appearance now. Well, partially. She was also pondering the premiere. What could Titanspawn be planning to do there? The thought that Dad's hunch was wrong didn't really cross her mind.

Hmm...she'd have to prepare too. Wear a little something extra beneath her dress in case she had to fly, bring a pair of sensible shoes in case she had to fight. At least she could sneak her sword, in ring form, past any security they might have easily enough. But what about throwing weapons, "Does the theater have metal detectors?"

[Ridai]

"You guessed it," the God replies to Arsen's question.

"It certainly is a good base to start from," Lugh answers his daughter's inquiry about his trick. "I don't remember any detectors, but I haven't been to the Colonial Theatre in years, so a little research might be a good idea."

[Ridai]

"Well then," As the Scions seem to have asked what they wanted to ask, Lugh stands up. "it's been a pleasure, ladies and gentlemen. We all have dark times ahead of us and only a fool would deny this. Take good care of each other, never give up and always remember what you are fighting for. But," he adds with a smile and a glance towards Lauren. "don't forget about the good things in life in the process."

The God shakes Ali's and Arsen's hands, tests Ellie's capabilities to supress signs of affectation yet again with a hand kiss (and offers her to let the staff pack the considerable leftovers for her to do with as she pleases) and wishes them farewell, but motions to Lauren to wait a moment.

LaurenWith the others leaving, Lugh turns to his daughter. "I wish I could spend some more time with you, Lauren." He shows an apologetic smile, but also one showing a father's pride before he embraces Lauren and kisses her on the forehead. "I'm looking forward to meeting you again. And the moment you'll join me as a true goddess." Another small moment of peace before Lugh finally bids her farewell.
AliReturning to his car, Ali finds a big folder lying on the front passenger's seat. A quick thumb-through reveals an extraordinary wealth of evidence against a good half-dozen criminals of various kinds from nearly all echelons of society, as well as the circles and corrupt parts of the organizations they are involved in. It will hardly fix all of Boston's problems, but one would be hard-pressed to wish for a better foundation to start from. A good number of people might be tempted to use the material to enrich themselves, were they in Ali's position, via blackmailing or making deals to avoid hard decisions or having to take the arduous, sometimes dangerous path of justice.

But it is in Ali's hands, a sign of trust by a certain benefactor.

The cold morning has just begun, with the sun bringing some solace to those braving the streets, wind picking up a little as it sweeps through the city. There is still plenty of time before the beginning of this peculiar event that has entrenched itself in the minds of mortals as of late. Hundreds will witness the story unfold before their eyes, but its significance in several much grander ones, those of the children of the Gods, remains to be seen, shrouded in mystery for now.

EveryoneWe are officially at the end of the introduction.

Feel free to RP what your characters are doing during the day before the event starts. I'll continue the game in a day or two.

I hope the game (well, what little is there already) is enjoyable so far.

[Lesingnon]

Lauren hugged her father tightly during their goodbye. Well, by her standards at least. It'd probably be a while before her strength could really compare to his. And the kiss to her forehead was reciprocated with a peck to his cheek. "I'll be coming to Tir Na Nog before you know it." And there is absolute, unwavering, certainty in her voice. Maybe she was taking an ungodly difficult task a bit too easily, but there certainly wasn't a thing wrong with her confidence.

And once he's gone Lauren turns to fix Ellie with a nice, big grin. An "oh god the Cheshire Cat just ate a canary" grin. She must have inherited it from her father. "It's black tie," a god had even said so, "We need to get you a dress." Red or purple, probably, would look best on her. Lauren wasn't sure if any of her own dresses would fit her bandmate, not that that bothered here. It was an excuse to go shopping! And maybe she'd even be able to convince Ellie to get a manicure and pedicure or something too.

[The_Snark]

Ellie's pleased expression at the gift of food (and yes, at the farewell kiss too) fades into a slightly worried look at Lauren's grin. "Dresses don't have ties," she points out hopefully.

[Lesingnon]

Lauren shakes her head slightly, the grin not fading in the slightest. "Girls don't wear ties to black tie events. They wear dresses." Obviously she wasn't going to be dissuaded so easily. "Come on...I saw one in a storefront on the way over that'd look just beautiful on you."

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali lets the girls have their fun. He had plenty of suits he could use. While waiting for the show, he busies himself with following up on Lugh's evidence, using it to nail some of the lowest-tier criminals. With an investigation like this it was best not to rock the boat until it was absolutely necessary. He didn't want hitmen coming after him this early in the game.

[Limos]

Arsen stalks away from the restaurant and treks back to his hummer. With action in the works he makes sure to retrieve his peacemaker from its hiding place and put it within easy reach. He then makes the short drive back to his apartment to retrieve a tuxedo. The garment in question is stiff, almost new, having been hanging on it's hook ever since he had put it back there after the one and only time he had worn it. Some benefit dinner that he was invited to after the championship. Arsen wasn't really one for formal events anyway.

"The name's Leos, Arsen Leos." Arsen says into the mirror, posing with his peacemaker in the crisp tuxedo. He laughs at his own antics. "I look ridiculous in this thing."

[The_Snark]

Oh, well. Ellie hadn't really thought that would work. She casts a pleading look over her shoulder to the guys as Lauren takes her arm and begins to steer her away, but both of them seem to have decided this is Girl Stuff and have suddenly become very busy with other things. They know better than to stand in Lauren's way when she gets one of her Ideas. (Unless it's like a really bad idea.)

A distraction is what she needs, she thinks. The best way to deflect Lauren from doing what she wants is to point out something else she wants more. But there aren't any cute guys sitting alone in the café, and anyway it would be kind of obvious if she tried anything like that. So Ellie lets herself be dragged along.

"Why do we have to wear dresses to this thing?" she ventures as they reach the sidewalk.

[Lesingnon]

Lauren's smile (somehow) widened even more as she saw that Ellie wasn't going to resist...much. And once they hit the sidewalk Lauren cut through the crowd with ease, slipping around people with sublime grace and quickly navigating the crowded pathway with sublime grace and not so much as brushing up against anyone else. That Ellie, whose arm she still has a hold of, couldn't hope to follow with similar ease is apparently something that hasn't occurred to her.

"Because it's a black tie event." The words are chirped out as though they explain everything.

[Ridai]

Time flies by and with it the few hours of daylight. While many eyes are drawn to the odd pair that is Lauren and Ellie for just as many reasons during their journey from one boutique to the next, a few lowlives find themselves the subject of the law's scrutiny and justice, their arrests a small prelude for things to come.

The Colonial Theatre is teeming with life, curious and excited mortals from seemingly all walks of life lured in by the mystery of the play. The opulent venue has seen many successful opening nights in it's century-long history, but there is something special in the air, the hope and anticipation for something truly remarkable, the energy suffusing the lively crowd.

The Scions can feel it too, although their heritage and experience might give them a different perspective on the atmosphere. The sense of wonder is there, but also an uncertainty, like some kind of background noise or something lingering just beyond the edge of their senses. The group soon manages to enter the building among the throngs of people around them, drawing a few looks and managing to get something to drink, if they so desire.

The peculiar feeling seems to suddenly intensify during one moment, senses briefly being drawn towards one particular spot. A young, pale woman leans against the wall by herself, somehow having managed to find the one spot that isn't packed, a glass of sparkling wine loosely in hand, the contents still untouched, as if she received it but doesn't know what to do with it. She wears a simple black dress, the same color as that of the thin shawl around her neck and her long, straight hair that partially obscures her weary expression. She seems pretty, but barely so, yet still she draws the eye, perhaps paradoxically so.

The Scions recognize her as Miria Edgerton, one of the surviving Scions of the assault weeks ago. Relatively little is known about her (including her as of yet unknown divine parent), mostly because her introverted self doesn't reveal much beyond what is apparent and few felt the need to dig deeper so far. Quiet, a little shy (or moreso?), but dependable (yet still someone who found herself being protected by others without asking for it), allegedly having seen much more than most Scions her age. And able to see the dead. Her blue eyes find the group and after a moment of uncertainty, she hesitantly approaches the fellow Scions. "Um, good to see you," Miria quietly greets them, a slight but familiar British accent accompanying her voice, and produces a little smile.

[Lesingnon]

She liked this dress. A shade of green that complimented her hair and eyes. As well as going well with her relics. It had taken her hours to find it, but they were all worth it. She liked the style too, low cut in front and a plunging back. The slit that ran up to mid-thigh let her show off plenty of leg...and move about relatively unhindered if she had to. Thankfully the slit wasn't quite high enough that she couldn't get away with a pair of those spandex bike shorts beneath the ensemble. Yay for some degree of modesty while flying in something that was not pants.

And yay for seeing people you thought were dead. Though even she has enough sense not to yell that out in a crowded theater lobby. She does take off like a shot, weaving straight through the crowd on a beeline to Miria. And immediately enveloping her in a tight hug, even managing to do it without jostling the glass of wine. "We haven't seen you in forever!" With "forever" of course meaning ever since the assault on that old factory that had haunted her dreams on and off for a month afterwards. "Where've you been, what've you been doing?!"

[Limos]

"So you're not dead. That's good to hear." Arsen says tersely. He pulls at the collar of his dress shirt as it pinches at his neck. The twin spatha medallions on his necklace jingle together underneath as he shifts them. His war blessed .45 Peacemaker is tucked into the back of his waistband where it will be easy to draw in case of trouble. "You got any idea what this shindig is about?"

[Ridai]

Miria winces in pain as she finds herself in Lauren's arms, suppressing the yelp that would have accompanied the reaction. There is the possibility that a little too much force was applied by supernaturally enhanced muscles, but Lauren soon recognizes the source of the pain due to her closeness. The remnants of a cut and surrounding bruise that have yet to fully heal over the outermost part of her jaw bone, concealed by her hair from most angles, serve as a first indicator of what Miria has been through and her body's current state, the first impression amplified by a slight glimpse of another, maybe even larger bruise beneath her shawl. The fact that the Scion doesn't show much skin only helps to fuel imaginations even more.

Still, the girl softly reciprocates Lauren's hug, perhaps even savoring the contact. Now that they are closer, the group recognizes that Miria has lost weight and probably hasn't been sleeping all too well since they last met. As she pulls away from Lauren, she answers with a lowered voice. "I've been at home. I... didn't want to risk people in the hospital asking where my wounds came from. I'm so glad all of you are alright." She pauses, adjusting her shawl a little.

Upon hearing Arsen's question, she looks confused at first, but then she looks at the assembled band and soon her eyes widen, a shiver running through her body, her voice a whisper as she regards the group. "Are there... are there titanspawn involved?" The Scion looks a little distraught, even a bit vulnerable, likely a result of her weakened state as she sticks close to Lauren.

Meanwhile, Ellie's ears pick up the faint sounds of a small commotion, maybe more of an argument of some kind, somewhere at the distant entrance, despite the multitude of sounds of all the socializing mortals.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

"We are unsure," Ali replies.

"I don't believe so though. While the enemy certainly are a threat, they're not the only things connected to Fate. Though I don't know how prudent it is to be discussing these matters with other people in earshot."

[The_Snark]

Lauren's logic formed a perfect circle, with no chinks to wedge an argument into, and that was how Ellie found herself in a dress come evening. She looks awkward in it. It's a nice dress, deep crimson and not too fancy, and somebody has taken the time to wash and comb Ellie's hair (which is now merely unruly rather than unkempt), and Ellie herself is not bad-looking; it should have looked good on her. But somehow, the pieces don't seem to fit together right. Ellie doesn't feel like herself, and it shows.

She manages a smile and a "Hey" for Miria, though. There's no reason to let her unease bother other people, especially Miria. The other Scion is down enough as-is.

Just then something reaches her ears, and she tilts her head to listen. The sounds of distant argument are no louder than anything else, but the dissonance stands out like waves on the surface of a still pond. She can't quite tell what's going on from here, though. "Back in a sec..." She starts to drifts off in the direction of the noise, to see what the fuss is about.

Does Assess Health tell her anything more about Miria's injuries?

[Lesingnon]

"Oh you should have called us, Ellie could have helped you." And she was...bustling off somewhere to look at something. Oh well, she said she'd be back soon. And she probably couldn't perform a medical examination here anyway.

"Dad had a hunch." The words were chipped in after Ali's statement, clarifying that first part of it. Then something else occurred to her, and the next question had even her feeling a bit awkward. "And , umm...how's your friend?" You know, the other member of her band that hadn't been killed.

[Ridai]

EllieThe impression Ellie gets from Miria's body speak volumes about the amount of punishment she had to endure during the assault. There are still signs of many bone fractures of various sizes as well as cuts, punctures, burns, tears and poison. The wounds would have crippled a mortal (if she survived them in the first place), which suggests at least some degree of supernatural stamina. Some of the wounds are supernatural in nature (likely dealt by the lindworm or curses) and some are healing quite slowly (for no apparent biological or biologically-related reason), but overall Miria is on her way towards a full recovery (also thanks to what seems like medical skills that were applied), even though it might still take another (unpleasant) week or two, maybe a bit more quickly if she manages to get some rest and relieve stress that weigh on her health as well.

Unrelated to Miria's health issues, Ellie again notices that something seems to be slightly... off about the other Scion's body, as if some details don't quite match up as far as her body and appearance go, even though both "states" feel natural. Whether this oddity that was already there when they first met is some kind of hallucination or real is hard to tell. Maybe it is both.
"I didn't have your numbers..." Miria admits to Lauren, looking a little ashamed, but firmly nods to Ali's statement. "Of course, I'm sorry." The mention of the other survivor, however, sends Miria back into an insecure state, with her averting her eyes, biting her lip and playing with her simple necklace beneath her shawl. "Losing Garret and Yasuhiro was hard for both of us, but I can't imagine what Gregory must be going through. I have barely seen him since the assault," she quietly tells the group.

As Ellie drifts towards the entrance, she quickly locates the source of the noise, spotting a towering man dressed in dark, robust casual clothes at the entrance who is finishing a short argument with another man. Something about pushing past him and his wife, condescending looks being thrown and other little issues. Ultimately, the larger man just shuts the small one up with a single glare, with the recipient backing away immediately, making himself as small as possible, like a submissive dog. The tall man is easily identified as Gregory Fannings, the other survivor of the second band of Scions involved in the assault, even though Ellie is sure that he didn't have an eye patch the last time she saw him. The Scion of the Morrigan has always had an abrasive demeanor and his mood seems dark, foul, amplifying that personality trait.

A path through the crowd opens immediately before him and closes behind him, no one wanting to cross his way. Gregory spots Ellie in the crowd, making him emit a low growl. "Heh. You," is all he says to her with his gravelly voice, giving a derisive contemptious look. He continues forward until he simply stops at the opposite side of the room from where the band and Miria are standing. Simply looking into their direction, Gregory doesn't move an inch and it quickly becomes apparent he is solely staring at Miria. And if looks could kill, the other Scion would have already died a thousand deaths. Miria has to look away, unable to bear meeting her (former?) ally's gaze.

Tension begins to rise, as the scene continues, a certain nervousness spreading through the people around Gregory, until a chime and the announcement that the show will start soon are heard.

Rushed post is rushed. Still not comfortable in my role as ST and the heat over here doesn't help, either. =/

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali nods as he listens to Miria, silently taking note of her temperament and seeing if everything adds up. After Gregory enters the room and everyone feels the tension rising, he makes his way closer to Gregory. Before the show starts, he attempts to engage the other Scion in conversation.

"Good evening, Mr. Fannings. It's good to see you're all right, and we're so glad you could join us this evening. How have you been lately?"

All the while, Ali watches and listens to Gregory. One didn't need to be a Scion to know something was wrong, and if Gregory was keeping secrets, Ali would find out.
Ali utilizes his "Takes One To Know One" and "Stench of Guilt" knacks to see if there's something either Miria or Gregory are keeping from them.

[Lesingnon]

Oh that was cold. Like, someone flinging around the Frost Purview cold. And she had no idea what caused it...or the particulars of what caused it, at least. It must have had something to do with that assault. But the stare down did come far too close to schoolyard bullying than she really liked. And as Miria looks away Lauren steps slightly to the side; steel in her spine as she interposes herself in Gregory's view of Miria and divine radiance flashing in her eyes for the barest fraction of a second as she meets his one-eyed gaze.

And she didn't really get intimidated all that easily.

...partially because she didn't necessarily think far enough forward to worry much about the consequences.

[Ridai]

Gregory's stare withstands Lauren's emerald eyes, with Miria visibly surprised by the latter's actions. He acknowledges her, one of the Tuatha recognizing another, but there seems to be more to his gaze than sheer hatred and malice. The child of the Morrigan doesn't break eye contact as he is adressed by Ali and still does not at first as he answers quietly.

"Cut the fancy crap. A word of advice," he hisses before turning his single eye to the Yazata Scion before him. "there're nicer ways to kill yourself than stickin' 'round that broad." Gregory falls silent, staring intently before looking over to Lauren and Miria again, with the latter still looking vulnerable and shielded by the former. Without further ado, the tall man heads into the theater hall, as the many mortals slowly begin to filter into it as well. "Thank you," Miria quietly says, blushing from the sudden stress and relief that it seems to be over for the moment.

AliAli's mind embodies attention and vigilance, as expected, impartially but closely examining each sentence spoken by Ms. Edgerton and Mr. Fannings. Individual inflections are being evaluated just as much as the overall tone as well as what kind of picture they paint in unison with the accompanying body language. The two impressions remain unblemished, lacking the taint of deception or secrecy, which may or may not be more disconcerting in its own right. Still, Ali's attentive eye still sees a trace of guilt in Miria, but not of the kind that would alarm his supernatural abilities.
As far as potential threats go, the evening has been blissfully quiet, except for that short scene. Some might see this as a good sign, strengthening hope that it's safe, while tension might begin to build for others even before curtain time. There is still a bit of time left before the lights will be dimmed and the audience will grow quiet. There will be two parts with a break in between. Plenty of time, plenty of opportunities for action, should it become necessary.

Once the Scions decide to join the masses, they find their four seats right in the middle of the ground floor. Not quite as prestigous as the front row or box seats, but still chosen deliberately, having a good perspective on the theatre around them, including the front rows of the mezzanine and balcony, as well as the grand stage itself. The theater's interior is even more impressive than the entry hall or the corridors and rooms surrounding it. The band finds that Miria's seat is right next to their ones. And that Gregory apparently sits right next to her as is (to Miria's dismay), completely giving her the cold shoulder, arms crossed, face grim and not too excited about the whole event.

Upon taking his seat, Arsen hears a familiar voice, audibly surprised. "Arsen?" Remy stands right there, just as gorgeous, perhaps even more so, as Arsen remembers her, dressed in a dark-red evening dress and her hair (curiously of dark-brown color, unlike the reddish color like... Lauren's hair perhaps?) styled in an elegant manner, giving her a true lady-like look. She cannot compare to Lauren, but few mortal women can achieve such a lofty feat, after all. "I didn't think you would be interested in theatre, to be honest." Remy gives him an honest, happy smile. It seems the day has been good to her, despite the circumstances. And the evening seems to be good to Arsen, as her seat is next to those of the band.

You can still do stuff before the show begins. Everything I described that happens in the theater hall itself happens once you go inside. It's getting really late over here, I hope it's okay that the play doesn't start yet. Gotta spend some more time on preparations and stuff on the weekend. Anyway, need sleep...

[Archpaladin Zousha]

As they take their seats, Ali purposefully sits next to Miria, hoping to come between her and Gregory should an altercation between the two of them occur.

Hoping to get a little more information before the show starts, he leans over to her.

"What happened to him wasn't your fault."

[Limos]

A broad smile breaks out across Arsen's wide face as he sees the girl. "I could say the same to you! You didn't strike me as the high society theater crowd, but yeah this isn't really my kind of shindig. How's your sister by the way? You had to go visit her earlier today right?"

He stops to consider the situation for a moment, frowning in thought. "These lugs are some friends of mine. Ali, Lauren, and Ellie." He indicates them each in turn. "Technically we know Miria and Gregory too, but they ain't talking to us tonight or something." He points to the quiet girl at the next table and her dour dinner companion. "Everybody this is Remy."

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali smiles at her, pretending to tip an imaginary hat.

[The_Snark]

On another night, Ellie might have gone over to talk to Gregory, even though he doesn't look especially happy to see her. But this is not another night; the one-eyed man's sneer is awfully disconcerting, she still feels like she's trying to wear somebody else's skin. She hesitates, and Ali heads over to talk with him, and then the doors to the theater open and the crowd shifts and the flow of people begins to carry them all inside to their seats.

Maybe she should give up, she thinks. It's probably not a good idea to talk about this sort of business in the middle of a crowd. But she has a feeling - maybe just nervousness, maybe something else - like she might not have a chance to talk to Gregory afterwards. Who knows? All the people around to hear might help keep him from shouting.

The seat on Gregory's other side is unsurprisingly empty. After a moment, Ellie ambles over to fill it (Arsen's friend gets an absent smile and nod of greeting on the way past). "What's up?" she asks him, without preamble. "You look angry."

[Lesingnon]

She still had no Idea what was going on. And sure, she was willing to give Gregory the benefit of the doubt because he was a fellow Tuatha but what was with the way he was acting. She'd have to pull him aside during the intermission or something and talk to him. Especially since she managed to get sufficiently lost in her own thoughts to miss the chance of grabbing either of the seats next to him. Oh well, she could wait...and kinda sorta be somewhat patient.

So instead she swivels in her seat as Arsen goes through all the introductions, giving Remy a bright smile and a cheerful wave.

[Ridai]

AliMiria inclines her head towards Ali as he leans in, her expression shifting as she bites her lip. "It's... complicated. You weren't there when we were..." The Scion struggles to explain but stops, gripping her wrist tightly while she aborts an attempt to glance into Gregory's general direction before she even really starts it. "I don't know if we should discuss this here, Mr. Baraz." Miria whispers, visibly uncomfortable.
EllieGregory, arms still crossed as he is leaning back in his seat, gives a mixture of a weary sigh and a growl, not turning to look at the latina girl next to him. "If y'wanna chat, your buddies're over there," he mumbles, pointing a finger to the rest of the row left of him. The Stare is still directed at the stage, as if to make the show start sooner so he can get it over with.

Feel free to make a Perception + Empathy check and/or whatever else you like to glean some information from Gregory or to coax something out of him.
Arsen"Pleased to meet all of you." Remy waves to the others and the band also sees Miria greet the young woman with a smile and a timid wave. "I rarely get to attend events like this one, but the ticket was a present and I thought, why not? Besides, you look good in a suit," Remy responds with a wink as she seats herself next to Arsen, crossing her legs and leaning slightly towards him, subtle hints of pleasant perfume surrounding her.

"Alice, my sister, is doing well, thank goodness. She's a tough girl and has made a lot of progress as of late, but nothing's really certain yet. But she was able to walk again for the first time in months. I'm so proud of her and Alice looked so happy, I wish mom and dad could have been there." Whether it is just an amicable part of who she is or something more, Remy talks to Arsen as she would with a close friend, feeling comfortable around him. The Scion can practically see and feel the joy and warmth that fills the young lady's being as she tells him of her sister, the memory wiping away sorrows and pain in this very moment.

"Gosh, look at me go on and on." Remy gives a sheepish smile as she blushes, momentarily holding her cheeks to regain her composure, the efforts only being rewarded with partial success (or failure, depending on one's perspective). "Did you give the cafe a shot?" A little redirection should help with that, though.
LaurenHaving little else to do, with Lauren curiously, paradoxically being the one left without a conversational partner, the minutes before the show are spent taking in the atmosphere, the scenery, bits and pieces of the conversations around her and the contents of a small pamphlet. The latter reveals little about the plot of Lines in the Dark, instead it is filled with the usual PR non-content, praising 'unforgettable experiences' and 'genuine emotion' and whatnot while giving a list of the actors, actresses, writers, directors etc. Curiously, one role, simply called Finia, is simply listed without an actress next to it.

A look at the crowd again drives home just how diverse it is and not just mostly dominated by those with a lot of money or old, stuffy people. Lauren spots a number of young audience members somewhere around her own age, chatting with friends and trying to get one last look at their smartphones before drawing some frowns from other people, small groups taking their seats and a few people who seem a little out of it and move a bit erratically. Perhaps it is their first time at a theater? Ah well, there is hope it won't be long before the show starts and the looks (or outright open-mouthed stares) Lauren draws are directed at the stage instead.

EveryoneAs before, spoiler tags to keep things easier to follow. For some reason, Ellie's part took really long to figure out (random mini-blockade?), despite turning out to be the shortest bit... I originally tried to get the post done about ~10 hours ago...

Anyway, play starts next update, since I don't want to just cut short your conversations immediately.

Also, there are big theaters with tables instead of rows? :smallconfused:

[Archpaladin Zousha]

AliMiria inclines her head towards Ali as he leans in, her expression shifting as she bites her lip. "It's... complicated. You weren't there when we were..." The Scion struggles to explain but stops, gripping her wrist tightly while she aborts an attempt to glance into Gregory's general direction before she even really starts it. "I don't know if we should discuss this here, Mr. Baraz." Miria whispers, visibly uncomfortable.
"Perhaps another time then, when the words are easier to find."

EveryoneAlso, there are big theaters with tables instead of rows? :smallconfused:
If it's a dinner theater, then yes.

[Lesingnon]

A few of the stares are met with raised eyebrows, as if they were some sort of scolding challenge...because sometimes Lauren just can't quite help herself. But for the most part she takes in her surroundings, meaning she does her best to follow the conversations of Ali and Ellie. Because she needed to try to figure out what had happened at that factory, of course, Scion business.

...okay, it's totally eavesdropping. But can you blame her for being curious?

[Limos]

"Actually yeah, it was a great place." Arsen smiles at her. "Would have been better if you could have joined me."

[The_Snark]

Ellie tilts her head to look at her friends, then looks back at Gregory. "I don't want to chat," she says reasonably. "I want to know why you're mad. If you don't want to talk about it you can just say so, and I'll stop asking. But I really do want to know."

She lets it go at that, looking up at him with a completely open face: no pressure, no cajoling, no judging. She thinks Gregory is probably the sort of person who scorns help unless in dire need, so she doesn't offer it, only her own naked curiosity. Maybe he wants to tell people why he's angry, let it out like a bull snapping its tether and charging; anger can be like that. Maybe not.

This feels like a Charisma roll, but to be honest I'm not at all sure which Ability this roll should use. Empathy? Presence? Investigation? I haven't played Scion enough to have a feel for what to use to draw someone into a conversation.

So this is the lowest possible roll; if you decide on Empathy, add 4 additional dice.
[roll0] +1 autosuccess

[Ridai]

AliMiria slowly nods her head. "Perhaps during the break or after the show? I... want the others to know, too." With that, Miria respectfully reclines back into her normal sitting position, her eyes forced to be kept straight ahead. Her face is a mask, almost motionless as the slender Scion sits next to the cross-armed, broad-shouldered Gregory.
LaurenThe ones challenged wordlessly by Lauren quickly avert their eyes, although a few men still try to get another glance at her. Nothing out of the ordinary, really.

Yet one withstands her gaze a little longer, one whose eyes seem kind of empty, his stare seeming to go right through the Scion. His motions are erratic, somewhat abrupt, as with one or two others Lauren has seen tonight. With other a thousand people attending the premiere, there are usually a few odd ones involved, though. Eventually, the man is swept away by the throng of people navigating towards their seats. Still, something keeps nagging in the back of the head.
ArsenRemy chuckles. "Oh, that can be remedied," she assures Arsen before whispering an addendum. "But I believe there's a little something tomorrow evening before that." As she refers to the dinner they agreed upon earlier, Remy looks Arsen deep into the eyes, sharing a little moment, perhaps looking for something.

Be it a whim or something more lasting, the feeling of familiarity, of a strong bond is uncanny. It is strange, considering the pair talked to one another for maybe just an hour. But it is there.
EllieGregory remains silent for a while before he exhales and rubs over his face once with his hand. "Alright, alright. After the show." He looks down at Ellie's face with his healthy eye, absentmindedly scratching an itch around his eye patch.

Gregory has been far from the easiest guy to talk to during the short time he and Ellie exchanged a few words before the assault. In fact, he doesn't seem to care much about most people in general. He was part of a team though, so it is not all bad. While some resentment might be directed towards Ellie (and the other members of her band), it subsides for the moment.

Looking at Miria and Gregory, it has been some time since Ellie last saw two Scions that were this unhappy, the presence of the other and being forced to sit directly next to each other only making things worse. A lot of damage has been done and the exact extent is still largely unknown, with both trying to cope in different ways. One can only hope that time will be able to heal those wounds instead of festering and bringing them down even further.

There is little time for a follow-up, however, as Ellie is soon politely asked by an elderly man accompanied by his family if she could clear his seat, still holding his ticket in hand.

I think Empathy is appropiate for what Ellie tries to do. I rolled the dice at home and added two stunt dice because I like how Ellie handles the situation and how well the attempt is described. You ended up with a total of seven successes.
Soon, the audience has filled the rows and the lights dim. All eyes are directed at the curtain that soon is pulled away, announcing the beginning of Lines in the Dark.

The play starts out with a sense of wonder and discovery as the audience is introduced to the strange world the plot takes place in, as if someone managed to fuse today's world with elements of the past and possible future into a seamless whole, giving a sense of familiarity while still making it appear foreign, mysterious. Every set piece seems to have a purpose, a little story to tell, giving the action context without a word.

The mystery is only increased by the main characters, a small group of striking individuals that go unnamed despite their impact and importance, although each clearly possesses a distinct personality that colors their speech, actions and appearance noticably. These heroes uplift the mood wherever they go, initially shown when a whole set goes from gloomy near-black-and-white to bright colors thanks to lighting and props. Although the other characters don't seem to openly call them heroes, they still seem to place hope in them as they seek to stop a great catastrophe from getting worse.

The most striking thing, however, is the initially obscured main focus of the play, a character called Finia. While almost all aspects of the play are quite fascinating and entertaining, even to the people new to the format, nothing comes close to be as captivating as Finia. She is the heart and soul of every scene she is in, the sheer presence, beauty and quality of performance of the actress elevating her above everything else, making the play truly breathtaking. The whole audience is taken by her in a heartbeat as she sings for the first time, spreading great joy to everyone listening to her, even her fellow actors who seem to blossom in her presence. To the Scions, it is clear that this woman is not just an exceptional mortal, her ability maybe even surpassing their own.

The character is soon revealed to be more than a singer. An assassin and temptress, a slave to an unseen and cruel master that directs her, makes her do seemingly contradictory things for unknown reasons. An inner struggle that is only hinted at at first slowly intensifies as the story progresses, with Finia aiding the heroes either directly or behind the scenes without revealing her true self to them. Yet one of the heroes falls for and is quickly seduced by her, her emotions and duty clashing with what could be genuine love for the young man.

The story is punctuated by song, either by the heroes or Finia or both in unison, as the play progresses from mystery to joy to a struggle and a first victory for the heroes and a romantic confession of love by the couple that marks the end of the first half of the play, although the emotional climax shows small, but very noticable hints that not all is well, sending the audience off into the break with eagerness to see what will happen next.

ArsenAs the end of the first half approaches, Arsen can feel Remy lean closer, wrapping an arm around his and resting her head on his shoulder, a beautiful smile on her face as she witnesses the hero's and Finia's relationship grow. For lack of better words, the young woman is completely at peace, right where she wants to be.

The lingering familiarity that already surrounded Remy when she first met Arsen suddenly makes complete sense. Arsen remembers. The name of his companion is Remy Nichols, someone the Scion first met even before learning of his heritage, before he even got into the underground cage fights. Back then, Remy was a loyal friend, her athletic achievements and independent personality making Arsen take note of her when she still lived in New York. While others came and went, Remy always supported Arsen, even when he got involved in shadier business, giving admiration on the one hand and honest thoughts as well as comfort on the other.

Looking back, the news of Alice's deteriorating health and having to move away to support her family in any way she can saddened her greatly, forcing her to say goodbye when things were looking brighter for Arsen, with many things left unsaid and undone. Both drifted apart, each occupied with what life had in store for them, with contact eventually stopping, too busy to think about much of the past. It seems surreal now, but here she is. Remy, matured, made stronger by what she went through, by Arsen's side. She never was one who liked to draw attention to herself, Arsen knows. Maybe that is the reason why she didn't immediately remind him, hoping to be recognized instead.
The lights brighten again, with the audience left speechless for a moment as the curtain falls before eager discussion and chatting begins, the crowd partially dispersing into the hallways outside of the theater room. Miria seems more peaceful, moved by what she witnessed and thankful for the break from her sorrows. Even Gregory seems less angry, even telling the others before stepping outside the theater room, presumably heading to the bathroom or getting something to drink.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali nods at Miria.

"Do you think now would be a good time to speak?"

[Lesingnon]

Oh wow...what a performance, what an amazing performance. Lauren found herself wishing she didn't have to wait even the short while that the interlude would take to see what happened next. But oh well.

She is torn on what to do during the interview though. Part of her wanted to go off after Gregory and find out what was going on with her fellow Tuatha. But there was something else weighing on her mind too. What had been up with herky-jerky guy? He looked so weird...twitching like that. And Dad had sent them here to keep an eye out for strange things...

So she wandered off through the theater to see if she could find the guy. Or at least one of the other ones that had been all weird like him.

[Limos]

Arsen groans softly and buries his face in his hands as realization hits. "Oh man, Remy, I'm such an idiot. Here I am acting like some kind of bigshot, not realizing we already know each other. Ugh, I'm such a tool." he says softly to her, "You know you could have given me a hint or something, thinking about stuff has never been my strong suit. But I'm glad to see you again, it's been way too long."

[Ridai]

ArsenRealizing that Arsen finally recognizes her, Remy beams with joy, showing that same contageous smile he is so familiar with, made that much more precious by how long it has been since Arsen had last seen his old friend like this. Finally reunited, her reaction makes Arsen consider just how much she truly cared for him, even back then, and still does, a familiar enigma that slowly unravels before his eyes.

Remy's cheeks assumed a rosy tinge, visible even in the dim light. "I'm so used to having to start from scratch again and again that I was ready to do the same with you, but I'm so glad now that I don't have to. It's been so long, Arsen, but I don't want to wait anymore. I can't wait anymore." Remy's words are sweet whispers in Arsen's ears, mesmerizing like the voice of an angel. Without hesitation, without regard for where they are, something that has been waiting within the young woman for this very moment comes forth.

Remy's lips meet Arsen's as she turns the tables and takes the lead with a long, passionate kiss, coinciding with Finia showing her love to the one she yearns for. The notion that people sometimes only truly realize what they had when they lose it and Remy doesn't want to squander her second chance, choosing to embrace her opportunity. It has been a strange, wondrous day and Arsen witnesses that the girl he knew has blossomed into a woman, that his old friend is becoming much more than that if he allows it. This is it, a real chance to finally have a bit of peace and comfort, a precious little glimpse of a normal life that he yearns so much. A life with Remy by his side. They aren't the only ones sharing a kiss, a few more couples motivated to do so by the true emotion Finia shows, with the members of the audience who see them smiling in silent support as they are swayed by the play. Yet this moment belongs to Arsen and Remy, and them alone.

Remy only breaks the kiss as the curtain falls, her eyes looking deeply, affectionately into Arsen's as her smile is seen again, waiting for an answer to her unspoken confession, if it hasn't been given already.

I hope this scene isn't too uncomfortable. >_>
LaurenLauren gracefully strides through the aisles and halls with ease thanks to her inborn talents. It is rare to witness an atmosphere of such positivity as the audience glowingly talks about the play with family and friends, but also complete strangers, prejudices and social differences seemingly wiped away during this very evening.

Lugh's young daughter has to evade several attempts by strangers to involve her in a friendly chat on her way and she still sees Miria lead Ali into a room, briefly talking to an exployee of the theater beforehand. Eventually, she finds the twitchy man, first seeing him talk to a small group of people apparently oblivious to or ignoring his mannerisms. Once Lauren gets closer to him, she seems him with several glasses of sparkling wine in his hands, apparently getting something to drink for the group he was talking to and himself. When the Scion wants to be seen, the man stops dead in his tracks, looking straight at her, looking completely out of it and twitching, or maybe trembling, a little.
Ali and EllieMiria takes a moment to react. "Hm?" A few heartbeats later, her face reveals that she snaps out of her blissful state and remembers what Ali is asking about, the corners of her mouth dropping a little. "Oh. I... I think so. Could you follow me, Mr. Baraz?" Miria rises from her seat and looks further to the left. A little smile crosses her face as she looks at Remy and Arsen before she turns to Ellie. "Would you like to come too, Ellie?"

The recovering Scion leads Ali (and Ellie, if she decides to come with them) through the almost dreamlike scene composed of the joyful audience. People chat freely, friendly with one another, a rare sight these days. They soon reach their destination, a door leading into a small room, like one with the purpose of providing amenities to a small group. Miria briefly talks to one of the theater's employees nearby, easily convincing the man to make sure they won't be disturbed unless someone wants to see her, apparently using the air of positivity to her advantage.

Once inside, Miria seats herself on an armchair, nervously playing with her shawl and necklace underneath. "So... I guess you want to know what happened back then..."

[Archpaladin Zousha]

"To say the least," Ali replies.

"We are all in this together, and enmities between ourselves should be stopped before they start."

[Limos]

Arsen's tongue feels thick and clumsy in his mouth as he tries to form the words that would make this situation make sense. "Remy, I..." He stops, still confounded. A cold pit develops in the depth of his stomach as the reality of his life hits him. Maybe it was the flinty gaze Gregory was still giving his group that reminded him, maybe his own inability to ever have a good thing in his life. "I don't really know if it's safe for you, with me." his voice drops to a whisper, "Those friends you met, and me too, we're... not normal people. We're on the **** list of some seriously bad... things... and recently it got some other friends of mine killed. They were special too, not that you aren't special, but more like... Superman special." He struggles to think of more to say. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I love you, Remy." he finally admits.

I'm really not one for the lovey dovey stuff, I tried to write something appropriate for Arsen's situation. :smalleek:

[Lesingnon]

Under different circumstances Lauren might have stopped to engage in the idle chatter. But for now, curiosity niggled at her mind and duty called. So she did her best to excuse herself gracefully from all the little conversations popping up. Thankfully grace, social as well as physical, had always been something that came easily to her.

Then she catches sight of herky-jerky man again...and he's still all twitchy. But this time he freezes, hadn't he seemed a bit bolder before? Now he as just standing there, looking all ready to bolt and stuff. She raises one hand slowly, waving it in the air between them. "Helloooo?"

And, belatedly, she looks around to see if she can spot Gregory anywhere...just in case herky-jerky man bolts.

[The_Snark]

There is little time for a follow-up, however, as Ellie is soon politely asked by an elderly man accompanied by his family if she could clear his seat, still holding his ticket in hand.

Ellie nods amicably and vacates her - no, his - seat, moving over to the other side of Lauren. Presumably that's her actual seat. She's not really clear on this, but if somebody has a problem they can just tell her and she'll move again.

Then the show begins. Ellie watches with her usual bemused smile, but she is not so swept up in the narrative as everyone else. It's not that the story isn't good (it is), but that it isn't real. Normally that wouldn't bother Ellie at all; beauty and reality are independent of one another, and anyway she long ago decided not to worry about what was real and what wasn't. Anything perceived must possess a certain degree of reality, otherwise you wouldn't perceive it; therefore you aren't worrying about whether or not something is real but about how real something is, which is not really worth the time. A girl could go crazy thinking about that too much.

But this story is an explicit unreality, an agreement between actors and audience to pay attention to things they don't believe in. That's interesting, because people don't normally pay attention to things they don't believe in. Ellie watches the crowd as much as the actors, and finds the story mirrored in the sea of faces. After a while, she gets caught up in the game of trying to guess what's happening on stage just by watching the audience.

Besides, she hardly ever sees this many people looking happy at once. It's kind of beautiful.

The intermission only half-rouses Ellie from her blissful fugue, but this is hardly any different from the way she normally is. She trails along after Miria and Ali, pleased at being confided in. It crosses her mind that Gregory might not like this, but she doesn't want to refuse Miria either. So she follows and sits and listens, open and attentive.

[Ridai]

ArsenRemy's rush of anticipation is tempered by what Arsen tells her, her eyes silently telling him how much she feels for him because of his loss, but she doesn't look intimidated by the rest. The young woman looks a little unsure as Arsen tries to hit at his supernatural self and her expression eventually begins to turn to sad disappointment as he pauses, fearing that she has been rejected.

However, Arsen's last four words make Remy's head jerk up again as she looks at him in surprise, then bliss, wrapping her athletic arms around his neck in a tight embrace. "I love you, too," she verbally repeats her confession, her voice cracking a little as she follows it up with another long, passionate kiss.

After they part, Remy still leans against Arsen's much bigger form. "When you got into those cage fights, I knew that staying with you might be dangerous. But I didn't go. I wanted to be with you, be strong for you, someone who got your back, who was there for you. It wasn't always easy, but I never regretted taking the hard road. It's what I wanted and I still want it, more than ever. I want to make this work for both of us." She reluctantly moves away from him, but still softly smiles. "Give it some time, hun. Don't worry too much about it, just go with what feels right for you. Maybe we can talk about this later, after the show, in private?"

Planting a quick kiss on Arsen's cheek, Remy excuses herself for the moment and heads to the restroom, leaving him with the decision at hand and free to pursue what he came here for.

Feel free to just happen to run into Lauren or get a glimpse of Miria, Ali and Ellie entering the small room they're now in, if you want.
LaurenWith Gregory nowhere to be found, all that is left is that peculiar man in front of Lauren. Strangely enough, the man is like a haphazard, intricate piece of art or layered, distorted song, the longer the Scion looks at him, the more insights are revealed, layers peeled back one by one.

It seems like he struggles with something, but remains stationary, if jittery. A closer look lets Laure recognize the man as one of the people she and the other Scions freed from the factory, one of those who weren't just gone, mentally. They were kept as slaves, controlled by the cultists, held there to serve, be sacrificed, fed to the lindworm, fulfill baser needs or... be used as living shields. However, they were susceptible to outside influences, allowing Scions with powerful presences to disrupt their masters' commands temporarily, although Miria apparently managed to "deprogram" one of them completely before the cultists were killed.

With that realization comes the recognition of a very faint smell, one that would easily go unnoticed by another being in the sea of excited humans doused in a myriad of different perfumes and colognes, not knowing its significance. The smell of the substance the slaves were given to bend their minds floats over from the man, but also the glasses in his hands. The internal struggle continues, eyes fixed on Lauren, losing and gaining focus rapidly. "Help..." he presses out in a whisper, the shaking becoming more noticable.

THe glasses drop, spilling their contents over the floor. The surrounding mortals briefly turn in surprise, the overall positive atmosphere leading them to ask if the man is alright as an employee moves over to clean the mess up.

The man still stands there. Luck, better known as fate, is on Lauren's side for now, the lingering effects of the play making the mortals much less suspicious, but a former slave in this state is still bad news, with anything resembling a panic being worse during an event as packed as this one. No one could tell what he might do if left unattended, left to the influence lingering in his mind.
Ali and EllieMiria takes a deep breath, gathering the will to retell and relive what happened. "Do you remember when we split up in the factory to try and get more people out of there? We headed deeper into the facility, into what seemed like where they held most of their slaves." She shakes her head in disbelief, gripping her wrist. "I have never seen such misery in all of my life, so many people tortured or outright broken, physically and mentally. Some where just... gone, others were screaming in pain. We saw... we saw a small child tuck at his sister's body to make her respond to him in any way. There were so many restless souls stuck in that hellish place, howling in agony, chained. I don't know how Gregory was able to ignore it." Miria has to stop for a moment, in need of another deep breath, biting her lip.

"It was too much for me, too many things at once. At first, I didn't notice the cultists' ambush, the slaves starting to throw themselves at us. Men, women, children were used as living shields, we didn't want to harm them. We thought we were winning at first, despite everything. We were in bad shape when they called the lindworm. I tried to push Gregory and some of the slaves out of the way..." The Scion reluctantly brushes her hair concealing part of her face aside and slowly pulls off her shawl, revealing the painful-looking scars and large bruises on her face and neck. Ali and Ellie remember the lindworm all too well, it was big and brutal, even for its kind. "Garret got me out of its maw, told me everything would be alright. I could barely see anything, everything was so blurry. I could hear bones break, blood splatter, bodies getting thrown around and crushed. Everything was burning when the lindworm was called away to face you. I could see Garret and Yasuhiro, I think, Garret told Gregory something. I was carried outside by Gregory, he was bleeding so much, he was in so much pain. The next thing I remember is waking up in my bed." Miria talks fast, chaotically as she remembers.

"Gregory didn't trust me, he and Garret were like brothers. I had problems with controlling my powers in the past, he thought I would only cause problems for everyone involved. Seeing his best friend die, trying to save me... I went to the factory when I could walk again. I started to dig through the rubble until my fingers bled. I was hoping they were just caught somewhere in there, alive, I just... I..." The threshold was reached as Miria is unable to continue, tears welling up as she sounded more and more desperate throughout the last part. She hangs her head, covering her eyes as she tries (and partially fails) to keep herself from sobbing silently, tortured and overwhelmed by her memories. The assault was nightmarish for Ali and Ellie, but they can only imagine what it must have been like for the survivors of the other band.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

"You blame yourself for losing focus, and thus causing your Band to be ambushed and nearly annihilated? And Gregory blames you for Garret's death? You are not to blame for either. No one, not even our parents, get used to seeing the atrocities the enemy is capable of creating, and it's not the first time a Scion has accidentally let his or her guard down. As far as I'm concerned, you did what anyone would in that situation. You may think "I'm a Scion, I should be better than this." But what makes a Scion a Scion is humanity. Do not punish yourself for feeling what anyone would feel in that horrific place."

I assume giving a pep talk is an Empathy+Charisma check?

[roll0]

[Lesingnon]

Oh, oh crap, uh oh. She remembered that smell, she'd probably never be able to forget it, and just that whiff of it brought to mind nightmarish memories she'd rather leave buried with the rest of that foul place. Her eyes darted around the lobby, taking in who knew how many individuals packed into the building. And she didn't have any clue how many glasses of that corrupted champagne were circulating. But there were a lot of people here, from all walks of society, some must have been pretty influential.

And so the first priority to cross her mind is to prevent anyone else from drinking anymore of that champagne. And a way to do that flashes across her mind almost as quickly. The thought that it might cause a panic, unfortunately, does not.

So she took a deep breath, an act of will letting her channel her divine heritage so she could give a performance to rival that of just about anyone on stage. And suddenly appeared to all the world (or at least those who could see her) to be a distraught, worried, young woman. Then she screamed, pointing to the spreading pool of spilled liquid dotted with shards of broken glass. "Ohmygod! His drink, there was something wrong with it!"

Which would hopefully get everyone else who had some of it to stop drinking it. And hopefully be loud enough for Ali to hear. She kinda had that feeling that this was going to turn into one of those situations where you needed all those clever little lies and half truths that she wasn't very good with.

Activating Perfect Actor
Willpower: 7->6

[Ridai]

LaurenWith the theater packed and busy as it is, Lauren, as exceptional as her heritage makes her, is still hard to see for many people around her. Still, her mythical powers begin to steer what the onlookers think and feel.

Yet it feels like there is a kind of barrier or resistance, with the ripples caused by Lauren's effect mostly getting swallowed by a bigger wave. The mortals around the Scion mostly look confused, unsure or concerned rather than distressed or frightful, the atmosphere created by the play lingering on. Still, it is lessened and the desired outcome is achieved, as the people put away their drinks and advise others to do as well, mostly assuming the sprakling wine must have gone bad in some way.

The theater's employees are busy with taking back the glasses and getting new bottles, one approaching Lauren to ask her what's wrong and to assure her that the problem will be remedied. The smell seems to dissipate entirely with the puddle getting cleaned up. However, the twitchy man is moving through the crowd, away from Lauren.
Ali and EllieMiria sighs, a frown appearing on her face as she looks upon her knees. "Yet all of you made it through alive, saving so many innocents." She pauses, clutching her arms, silently struggling. "I tried to fix it, but I only made it worse. When we arrived at the factory, we weren't a team anymore-"

Suddenly, Miria is interrupted by a distant, familiar scream, causing the Scion to shudder reflexively, eyes widening. "Was that..." she whispers. It definitely was Lauren's voice. With what Miria talked about just the moment before, a chilling feeling creeps into the Scions' bones, despite the lack of panic from the people in the building. Miria conceals her old wounds quickly. Locating Lauren, as much as she stands out, isn't a difficult task.
ArsenSuddenly, Arsen hears a distant, familiar, female scream. After the moment of surprise passes, it is quickly recognized as Lauren's voice. What could have happened in here without alerting the mortals too much? Locating Lauren shouldn't be too difficult.

[Limos]

Hearing the scream Arsen snaps out of his funk and looks around frantically. "What've you got yourself into now..." He pushes his way through the crowd and looks around for Lauren. He spots her with the twitchy man and moves quickly to her side. "Who's your friend?"

[Archpaladin Zousha]

"We can talk later. For now, it seems we have other problems."

One they arrive at Lauren, Ali immediately moves to speak with her.

"Lauren! What happened?"

[Lesingnon]

At least everybody wasn't drinking the wine they'd had anymore. But...now they were bringing out more of it, what if all those bottles were contaminated instead of just the stuff that had already been uncorked? And what could be counteracting her acting like that? She'd never run into anything that could do that.

So her thoughts were a whirl, helping her babble on to the the theater employees for a bit. "The wine, it smelled funny, like someone drugged it or something, and he had some, and then he collapsed and..."

Oh how was she going to get them to stop serving wine without being too suspicious, and keep the guy from crawling away? Then Arsen showed up, and Ali. Oh Gods she hoped Ali could come up with some sort of plan. She could come up with good ideas, sometimes. But they needed a plan, Ali was better at plans.

She spun on the ball of her foot, letting herself kind of fall into both of the guys as she wrapped an arm around each of them. Looking for all the world like a worried young woman trying to draw some sort of comfort from the people she actually knew. Though the double hug-clutch-thing may have looked a bit awkward. But it let her draw both of them closer, and by kinda resting her head on their shoulders it brought her lips close enough to their ears that she could drop her voice into a soft murmur that onlookers shouldn't be able to overhear.

Where, despite her posture and body language, her voice was merely urgent instead of all worried and slightly panicky. But she was still talking pretty fast. Kinda babbling, really, she didn't have her thoughts in order or anything. "That guy, he was in the factory. He smells like that weird potion stuff the mortals were all being fed, so did the wine. I think they're trying to enslave everyone here or something. So I tried to use my appearance and stuff to get everyone to stop drinking it, and they did, but now they're bringing out more bottles, and I don't know if they're tainted, and something was interfering with my knack, and..."

She really hoped Ali had some idea of what to do.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

"If what you say is true," Ali said quietly, "then we'll have to act quickly. We don't know if this wine is tainted or not, but we do know that something is here that is interfering with our powers. Whatever that thing may be, it must be on to us. We'll need to search the theater, discreetly. Best place to start might be at the bar. That wine had to come from somewhere."

[The_Snark]

Ellie listens to Miria with folded hands, letting the words pass through. She doesn't say anything yet; Miria's words are still a jumble inside her. It will take a little while for the right words to emerge from the swirl of her thoughts, and she doesn't have a little while. Somebody outside screams. To Ellie's senses, it sounds like a finger being dragged across a wineglass

Also, she's pretty that's Lauren's voice.

She follows Ali and Miria to the source - it is Lauren - and listens to her whispered explanation. Something in the wine. Huh. Well, there's one way to find out more about that. "I'll go see if there's anything in the new bottles," she says the others, and makes her way off to do just that.

At the bar she asks for a glass from one of the new bottles and takes a sip, swirling it around in her mouth thoughtfully and searching for something besides the taste of wine and alcohol. Ellie knows a lot about poisons, especially this sort, the sort which you take inside yourself of your own will. The secret of them is that they can't hurt you any more than you let them. Her mother showed her that.

Nothing could possibly go wrong with this plan!

Really though, Ellie has the Inner Furnace knack, so she's safer than almost anyone else would be. This is just to see if she can feel or taste anything strange, which is probably a Perception + Awareness roll? Ellie doesn't have Refined Palate, which would come in handy here, but she does have some Epic Perception.

[roll0] +2 autosuccesses

[Ridai]

The employee talking to Lauren looks confused, taking another look around to be sure and asking who collapsed and if she wants to sit down. Right afterwards, as Lauren hugs Ali, he is left with his questions, looking like he momentarily doesn't know what to do, before helping with cleaning up and exchanging the glasses of wine.

As she listens to Lauren, Miria looks shocked and in disbelief, but tries to hide it to some extend to not alert the mortals around her. Her eyes are fixated on the twitching man who is taken into a room by two employees who want to make sure he is alright. While the group navigates towards the bar, she walks next to Lauren. "This can't be, we stopped them, we were there..." her whispered voice is shaky as she has to deal with the possibility that what happened a month ago and still haunts her to this day is not over. The Scion seems lost in her thoughts and anxiety, unable to snap out of it on her own at the moment.

It is remarkable how quickly things seem to go back to how they were before Lauren made a scene, with people idly chatting all around. Ellie receives her glass of sparkling wine with another reassurance that this comes indeed from a new bottle. The sip of wine is carefully evaluated by the Scion's supernatural senses, allowing her to dissect the rather nice taste thoroughly. The result of the examination is clear: there is not even a trace of the substance in the wine.

The only downside is that Ellie attracted the attention of an aging man in a somewhat cheap suit, holding a wine glass as well and looking rather enthusiastic and trying to be perceived as high-class. "Ah, it is rare to see a young lady such as yourself being able to appreciate the delectable palate of such a good wine." The man begins to wind up a longer monologue about bouquets, palates and all things wine-related, clearly being the talkative type. The fact that he tries to appear more refined and educated than he really is through the liberal (and often wrong) use of big words and wine jargon is similarly as plain as day. Just a mortal looking for attention.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali goes to Miria and looks her in the face.

"Miria. This is not the time to shut down. We have work to do."

He says this calmly and evenly, like a stern father.

"Come with me."

He motions to the others to follow as well, and starts going after the slave limping away.

[Limos]

Arsen undoes his tie and drops it on the floor as he pulls open his collar to free the spatha charms around his neck. He leaves them under his shirt for the moment but wants them in reach if trouble arises. With that done he takes point on the group and plows his way through the crowd after the slave, giving angry glares at anyone that looks like they might object to their progress. "I was having a nice time too."

[Lesingnon]

Lauren deftly snatches Arsen's tie from the air before it can hit the ground and tucks it into her purse. It went well with his jacket, or at least she thought it did. No point in losing it.

She also finds herself glancing around a bit, maybe just a little pleased that wearing heels meant she didn't have to get up on tip toe to try and see over the crowd. "Does anyone know where Gregory is?" After all he should at least be told what was going on, right?

[The_Snark]

Ellie lets the man talk at her for a little while, listening good-naturedly. "I don't actually know anything about wine," she admits cheerfully during a pause for breath. "I was just, you know. Tasting it. It's pretty good." She sets her glass down on the bar with a clink.

"I should go find my friends," she says to the air, and starts to turn away only to turn back to the middle-aged guy. "Oh, hey - what's your name?"

[Ridai]

EllieThe middle-aged man's face is tinged in red as he realizes his mistake and begins to appologize profusely for just assuming her to be more familiar with the subject. "Harold Mills, at your service, miss," he politely answers her question with a hesitant smile while patting his right temple dry with a tissue, coming down from his embarrassed state.
Miria bites her lip and forces herself to focus as she is reprimanded by Ali. "I... I need to see this man, see if he is really under the influence." As Lauren inquires about Gregory, the Scion can only shrug. "I don't know, maybe he went to get some fresh air."

Arsen brushes the mortals in the packed halls aside with ease, clearing a path for the others in his wake. With the kind of strength the Scion can bring to bear, some people are only slightly brushed or getting their feet stepped on while others are shoved out of the way, getting pushed into other mortals, spilling drinks and creating one or two unwanted bruises or cuts due to these circumstances. Still, no one dares to oppose the big, muscular man, but it doesn't stop them from scowling at his back and his companions for a moment before turning back to their business. Miria doesn't seem too happy about her fellow Scion's modus operandi, her stare feeling especially piercing, somehow having a much bigger weight to it.

The group steers towards the door the enslaved one was taken through only to be stopped by a talll security man in front of it. "Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen. Staff only." He seems rather determined, as he is getting paid for this after all, but judging from his barely perceptible frown when looking at Arsen, the display from moments ago might also have something to do with it.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali follows Arsen, motioning for the others to come as well. When they're barred by the usher, he sighs.

"City of Boston Health Inspection. Concerns were raised about whether or not that man's drink contained foreign contaminants, so we need to interview the man. You going to let me do my job quietly, or do I need to get a court order and MAKE you?"

Not sure what skill is relevant here, but I'm assuming it's a Command+Manipulation check.

[roll0] with two automatic successes from Epic Manipulation. If Charisma is what I should be using, simply ignore the two automatic successes, as my Charisma and Manipulation are the same, it's just that I don't have Epic Charisma.

[Ridai]

The guard's eyes move across the assembled group, a glimmer of doubt in them that is soon replaced by the looming danger of unemployment, Ali's words proving potent enough for the man to not be willing to take the risk anymore. "That won't be necessary, sir," he meekly states and opens the door, ushering them inside and closing the door behind them.

The hallways and rooms beyond the door are pretty drab affairs, not much space and hardly anything like the opulent interior of the rest of the theater. There is hardly anyone there, as most of the service staff is more than busy outside. The Scions can easily follow the sole voice coming from somewhere in the back, still audible despite the bustle beyond the door behind them.

As they are about to reach the room they can hear a female voice from inside coming closer saying she would get something to drink before the owner of that particular voice rounds the corner into the hallway, stopping right before the Scions. "Um, can I help you?" she asks, eyeballing the diverse group in front of her. A quick look into the room reveals the twitching man sitting on a folding chair towards the back, clutching his knees and looking straight at them, shuddering periodically, more than before.

Manipulation + Presence would be the appropiate combination, but it doesn't make a difference in dice. Command is kind of a niche skill, reserved for handling/directing groups and group efforts (i.e. coordinating a research/investigation group or commanding a combat squad). Most things related to getting someone to do something falls under the domain of Presence, at least that's how I understand it.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Good to know, thanks! :smallsmile:
Ali looks past her at the man.

"I'm not sure, but he certainly can. Some of the patrons expressed a concern that the drinks being served tonight were tainted, and as he was the one serving them, we need to speak with him."

This is a rather long intermission, isn't it?

[Lesingnon]

Lauren looks from her, to the man. The woman who was apparently speaking to him alone, and the man who was apparently being manipulated and controlled by some of the most vile titanspawn she'd ever met. Her quick-witted mind didn't take particularly long to jump to a conclusion.

"Do you two know each other?" The question was on her lips almost as soon as it occurred to her to ask. She probably could have asked it more tactfully...but she'd never been one possessed of enough patience for much tact.

[Ridai]

"Uh, sure. But he is not an employee, sir, he just fetched some glasses for a few people, I believe. I checked with my colleagues and the wine seemed alright when we served it." Soon after, Lauren blurts out her question. "What? No! I just wanted to make sure he's alright a-and doesn't need an ambulance!" The woman is visibly taken aback and shifts uncomfortably, sounding a little frightened at the prospect of being accused as a possible collaborator.

You know, I pretty much gave up on shortening posts. Trying to whittle-down my updates to the most essential bits would actually take me longer than writing long ones and I usually already spend between 10 minutes to 2-3 hours (for the really long ones when I have a few problems with writing) on writing, so I want to keep things managable for me.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali smiles a bit. This was the kind of thing he excelled at.

"You're certain of that? Our investigations may say otherwise. I want to make sure no possibility is overlooked."

He focuses on her, looking for the slightest hint of any lie or deception.

Using Stench of Guilt and Takes One To Know One.

[Ridai]

The woman's face reddens in an instant before her high-pitched answer follows soon after. "I-I don't know him, I swear! I think I saw him on the news, on the news when that place with those, those psychos burned down and some people, some victims got out of there, but that's it, I swear!" Although she becomes more and more nervous, she seems to tell the truth.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

"Thank you. That's all we needed to hear. Know that it speaks well of your character to care about a total stranger. But he may be in grave danger, and he needs our help. May we see him?"

Charisma+Presence check to calm the woman down.

[roll0]

[Ridai]

The young woman still looks agitated, but slowly begins to recover as her expression shifts from frightened to concerned. "Yeah. Yeah, go ahead." She looks over her shoulder to the enslaved man for a moment. "Is there, um, something I can do? I mean, he looks pretty miserable, so..." After a moment of hesitation, her head perks up, remembering something.

"I-I'll go get some water." And with that, she heads past the Scions, down the hallway and through a door to the left. The man still sits there in the room on his chair, knuckles white.

[Lesingnon]

Well that was weird...that she got all agitated so fast like that. But oh well, she was leaving. So Lauren moved past Ali towards the man, lowering herself a bit so she was at about eye level with him. "You asked for my help?" It was a sign, at least, he must be able to kinda throw off the titanspawn's control or something to be able to do that. Maybe with a little bit of prodding, or a reminder, he'd tell them a bit about what was going on?

[Ridai]

The man's eyes are wide open, his face a sweaty grimace of effort and pain. Teeth clenched, a small line of saliva runs from the corner of his mouth down his chin. "They want my body. They want to take it, make me watch again. Again. I don't want this. I don't want them to make me do things again. I-" Suddenly, the man convulses violently for a short moment, making it look like he almost threw up. He groans and breathes heavily, tears starting to flow from the sheer exertion and desperation. "They're coming, they're like needles in my head. Oh god, please help me! Please help me!"

Apparently having finished her examination, Miria steps forward and puts a hand on Lauren's shoulder. "May I take your place?" She moves in front of the man who begins to convulse more heavily, but the Scion remains calm, regarding her fellow Godchildren. "Please close the door, keep a bit of distance and stay silent. I can't explain right now, but watch closely." With that, Miria squats down before the man, her eyes fixed on him.

"Look into my eyes." The man's convulsing has stopped, but whether that is because of Miria is not clear. Suddenly, his hands dart forward, seeking to wring the neck of the woman before him, only to stop inches away from her. He just stares into Miria's eyes, not moving otherwise, apart from shaking. Unphazed, she continues. "May I ask your breathing to match mine. Very slowly." Her voice is calm, soothing even, already sneaking its way into the deepest crevices of each listeners' mind, bringing deep comfort with it. The man begins to relax, but the shivering continues.

"You are in a place that is yours alone, a private sanctuary, safe from the outside. In your sanctuary, there is only what you bring with you. You accumulated a lot of stress throughout the day. I want you to picture it as negative, crackling energy. It stings a little, lingering around all the stressful parts of your body, your joints, your muscles, your ligaments. It begins to slowly flow through your body, gathering at the top of your head, leaving everything it leaves behind warm and calm. I am going to count down from five to zero and when I snap my fingers, the energy will leave your body and dissipate, leaving your sanctuary pure and perfect and your mind strong and vigilant, denying the energy access to your body and mind. Five, four, three, two, one..." As Miria snaps her fingers, the man slumps in his chair in an instant, the strain leaving his body as he stops twitching and shivering. He takes several deep breaths and as he comes to, he looks around in confusion before relief fills his features. "It stopped! It stopped! Oh god, thank you." He burries his head in his hands, tired, but relieved.

"It'll be alright, just rest for a bit." Miria gets up and heads over to the door, opening it, getting the young woman returning with a bottle of water. "Please look after him for a moment. My colleagues and I have to discuss a few things for a moment." Unsure, the woman agrees as Miria steps out of the room, gesturing to the Scions to follow her and close the door behind them. A bit down the hallway, she finally adresses the band. "I think that should suffice until the drug loses its effect. I hope that was the only one." Miria sighs, waiting for reactions.

Man, it helps to post the whole post.

Grr, tried to come up with a better way of conveying information. This way isn't... active enough for the characters, IMO. :smallannoyed:

[Lesingnon]

Lauren tenses as the man's hands come up, ready to hurl herself across the room and come to Miria's defense. Then relaxes once the hands come up short...slightly. But for the most part she seems ready to spring into action at a moment's notice up until the point where the man seems to indicate that whatever was affecting him had passed.

Afterwards she, slightly reluctantly, follows Miria out of the room. "Was that hypnosis or something? Ooh, and can we ask him what he knows about who's behind this now?

[Ridai]

Miria acknowledges with a nod. "It was hypnosis, even though the sequence was hasty and sloppy. If you'd like, I could teach all of you how to do it, as it basically just boils down to relaxing someone to a great degree. In the slaves' cases, though, some kind of supernatural extras are required, though."

She looks to the door for a moment before weighing in on Lauren's second thought. "I'm... not sure if he even knows anything. The slaves back then were pumped full with that stuff, while that man just had enough to influence him. I'm beginning to think someone slipped the drug into something he drank or ate and he built up a bit of a resistance throughout the month that whoever did it wasn't aware about. But it's just a guess. At least there was no panic." Miria plays with her necklace under her shawl again.

"So, what should we do? Ask him and then see the rest of the show, to make sure? The break's going to be over soon, I think."

[Archpaladin Zousha]

"That seems like a very useful trick. I certainly would like to learn it. I say we follow your advice though. At the very least, we need to make sure he's alright before returning to the show. I get the feeling the show and the use of the drug were connected."

[Ridai]

Miria nods slowly. "That or they wanted to target something with a lot of people in one place."

The Scions enter the room again, seeing the young woman help the exhausted man drink some water. "Careful now..." She turns to the group, looking relieved, even smiling. "He's doing much better now."

[Archpaladin Zousha]

"That is good to know. The poor man has been through absolute hell. Perhaps we'll see you again after the show, see if he's okay?"

[Lesingnon]

"Oh," Lauren seemed somewhat disappointed that they probably wouldn't be able to get any information out of the man. She wanted to find whoever was responsible for this, stop him, prove that her father's face in her was well-placed. She wanted to prove herself, badly. "But we need to figure out who's doing this...somehow."

The only problem was, she had no idea how.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

"Perhaps the show will reveal it."

[Ridai]

Miria manages to smile a little at Lauren's words. "We'll find them soon, I'm sure of it."

In the room, the young woman nods knowingly, the shade of sadness crossing her face momentarily when Ali mentions the man's plight. "I'll look after him, I promise. Oh, by the way, I'm Karen, just ask for me later, I'll tell my colleague to let you in. Ah, break's over soon. Go on, enjoy the show." The soft-hearted mortal flashes a genuine smile at the Scions before tending to the man again, who seems on his way to recovery, but only manages to nod in thanks.

[Limos]

"So no action then? I should have kept the tie..." Arsen starts heading back to his seat as soon as the others are done with the drugged slave. "I'm no use at this psychic stuff, give me something to hack apart and maybe I can do something useful."

[Archpaladin Zousha]

"If what I suspect is true Arsen, you may have foes to hack apart soon."

[The_Snark]

The middle-aged man's face is tinged in red as he realizes his mistake and begins to appologize profusely for just assuming her to be more familiar with the subject. "Harold Mills, at your service, miss," he politely answers her question with a hesitant smile while patting his right temple dry with a tissue, coming down from his embarrassed state.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Mills." She takes one of his hands and shakes it firmly. "I'm Ellie. I really do have to go find my friends now, but maybe I'll catch you after the show, okay? Awesome." She extracts something vaguely like a yes, and departs with a smile to reassure him that she isn't just brushing him off.

She really isn't. Aside from not knowing much about wine, Harold Mills' only crime is wanting someone to pay attention to him for a little while, and on any other evening she'd be happy to indulge him. But there are dangerous things afoot tonight, so she lingers just enough time to spare his feelings and then heads after Ali and the rest.

Too late, unfortunately; she's lost track of them in the crowds. Ellie drifts about the reception area until she spots them re-emerging from a door marked STAFF ONLY (how did they get in there?) and makes a beeline for them.

"The new bottles they brought out are okay," she reports. "What's up? Did you find him?"

[Archpaladin Zousha]

"Yes, and Miria managed to break their control over him. He should be fine now. For now, we should probably get back to our seats. The intermission is almost over."

[Lesingnon]

At the mention of Arsen's tie Lauren fishes it from her purse and gives it a casual toss so that it drapes around his neck. He could tie the thing himself; all the talk she'd heard of Windsors, and Half Windsors, and Royal Windsors, and Lugh knows how many other ways to tie a tie made her head spend. "I hope the show reveals it." And she does seem a little gloomy that they'd hit an apparent dead end for now. Though she does brighten a bit upon learning that the new wine is untainted. At least that had gone right.

[Ridai]

"It's... more like temporarily overpowering the influence and helping to build a resistance. He won't be immune to the stuff, but he should be alright against this dose." Miria quietly says to the band. "To be honest, and I don't mean to be rude, you probably understand this better than me, Ellie."

The band soon heads back to their seats as most of the audience begins to filter into the theater hall again. Arsen finds Remy already sitting on her seat, greeting him with a smile. "Don't worry about the tie, I know you can only be tamed for so long," she whispers to him with a wink before wrapping an arm around his much bigger one, waiting for the show to continue. Eventually, Gregory comes back, and even though his one healthy eye shoots Miria another derisive look, he seems more relaxed.

The lights dim again, causing all idle chatting to be silenced in an instant, hundreds of mortals' attention drawn to the stage. The audience witnesses Finia continuing to aid the heroes behind the scenes at the behest of her unseen master, who seems to show no regard for her safety or the morality of his orders, making his slave bow to his (or her?) will.

While the heroes remain victorious throughout their perils because of their own skill and the hidden help of Finia, their light shining brighter and brighter, things do not look as well for Finia. Forced to commit more and more ruthless acts to unroot "the evil" corrupting the land, even destroying a family in the process, the young assassin's life slowly descends into chaos, even having to corrupt her own lover and turn them against his fellow heroes as the master's agenda gradually becomes harder to comprehend.

Only now do the Scions realize that the downward spiral Finia is caught in is represented visually, as the characters and scenery one by one, ever so subtly, seem to lose their color, going back to the gloomy monochrome tones that were seen at the beginning of the play, with the heroes and their immediate surroundings being the exception. Even the orchestra gradually plays with less instruments, becoming more muted.

Upon learning that she might have sent her lover to his certain death, Finia turns to her master and does this by speaking to several mirrors. Learning her lover is an expected sacrifice and that she is to do nothing, Finia smashes the mirrors and rushes off to save her love. Whether the master was truly at the scene (unseen by the audience) or just a figment of her mind is left open.

As she arrives at the scene, the world is more like a twisted reflection, painted entirely in black-and-white, except for Finia herself, making her stand out with her red dress. She finds many corpses, her lover among them, destroyed property, all because of a large fight her actions caused in order to vanquish the last evil. Although successful, Finia is devastated and abandons all hope, muttering that "it is not over yet, one remains". Snowflakes begin to descend from above as the only part accompanying the scene are a few quiet strings, their sound melancholic. In tears, Finia looks to the sky, then towards the audience and as she lowers her head, she loses her color as well while the light begins to disappear completely. The heroes ca be heard in the distance, faintly calling her name, until everything goes black and the curtain falls.

The audience is dead silent for almost a minute, utterly stunned by what it has witnessed. Finia's impact on the audience grew stronger and stronger as the tragedy unfolded, the heart-wrenching display affecting every single being watching, even, through some small miracle, Ellie. Soon, applause starts to fill the hall, with every single mortal giving standing ovations for a long time. Many of them have tears streaming down their cheeks and the applause manages to become even louder as the cast takes the stage again and bows to its audience, although most is surely directed at the apparently nameless actress portraying Finia. Only several minutes after the cast leaves the stage again, the applause finally subsides.

"Even most Scions would be jealous of that performance." Miria is virtually stunned as she mutters those words, with Gregory only saying "That girl..." and shaking his head. Remy, meanwhile, is trying to compose herself, leaning onto Arsen for support as she wipes a tear from her eye, but looking positively amazed.

Return of the monster posts! Time for aftershow activities.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali applauds without hesitation, but once the emotions die down and he composes himself a bit, he begins to think about the play. Knowing the vagaries of Fate, he ponders if perhaps this play was a bit TOO well put-together.

"This has to be a metaphor for something, or worse, an omen," he says to the others.

[Lesingnon]

The play really was great, excellent. Unfortunately, Lauren has too many troubled thoughts running through her mind to really be able to appreciate it fully. The horrible memories of that infested factory, that mind-slaving substance, the implications of an attempt to spread it here...it was worrisome enough to cast something of a pall even over that marvelous performance. And even how good the performance was worried her. It distinctly reminded Lauren of one of her own divine gifts, that allowed her to be an incredible actress. But when she'd tried to use it out in the lobby it had been deadened, interfered with. This woman's, apparently, hadn't.

Why?

She leans over towards Ali once the applause dies down, her voice hushed but plainly worried. "Do you think she could be...involved with what happened, Titanspawn?"

[Archpaladin Zousha]

"It's a possibility. One we shouldn't rule out. Perhaps we shall see if the cast are in the lobby for a "meet-and-greet." If she's not there, we should find her."

[Ridai]

The audience is slowly filtering out of the theater hall again. Miria leans closer towards Lauren. "Lauren, did you try using the Tuatha's powers during the play? I didn't have much time to think about, but maybe the actress' performance simply overpowered what you tried to do. I couldn't sense any malice or the like coming from her, but if all of you still want to have a talk to her, I'm with you."

Gregory, meanwhile, seems to be about done there. "Ellie, let's get this over with," he calls over to the Scion while beginning to leave.

I'd appreciate it if you would, well, also post what your characters want to do as well. :smallredface:

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali wants to investigate the actress further.

[Limos]

"That was seriously heavy." Arsen mutters to Remy while the others are discussing the play. "Just so you know, some of that weird stuff I mentioned might be going on here so... you know, stick close." He tries not to let his concern show but he doesn't look forward to a fight in a crammed theater with people he needs to protect in the middle of it.

Arsen turns back to the rest of the group. "Hey Miria, can you do your Jedi thing to get us backstage? If there is funny business it's probably going to be back there or coming from the staff areas. I mean I could bust a few heads to get us in too, but that would probably just scare off whatever we are looking for."

[Lesingnon]

"Brehon's eye?" Lauren nibbles briefly at her bottom lip, "I think I'd need to get close to her. I can't use it very often; and I just get reads on people around me, I can't choose. If I tried it here I'd probably just figure stuff out about all you guys."

Lauren wants to investigate all this further, probably in whatever way Ali thinks best since this is more up his alley.

[Ridai]

Remy still doesn't fully understand what is going on, but after she snaps out of her haze, she nods firmly. "Sure thing. But I'm not too concerned," A confident smile appears on her face. "not with you around." Remy winks at her newfound lover. Arsen knows her well enough to be sure that she doesn't take things like this lightly. And apparently, they can't get her down, either.

Miria nods as answer to Ares' son's question. "Getting us backstage shouldn't be too difficult," she says, turning to the group as a whole. "We shouldn't jump to conclusions, things are rarely how they seem at first and it would make learning the truth that much harder. So, what'll it be?" she asks the group. The young Scion seems much more collected now, having had time to adjust to what had been thrown her way. She might be among the youngest of the Scions present (even though her exact age is a little tricky to pinpoint by her appearance and behavior), yet there is the poise and experience she had shown before the assault again.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

"Do you suspect there may be something else at work that doesn't have to do with the actress, Miria?"

[The_Snark]

Ellie watches the play unfold with a feeling of vague unsettlement. She doesn't usually have a taste for made-up tragedies; they are lacking in whatever quality makes a real tragedy compelling, confectionary concoctions with no substance to them. This one is a little different. Maybe it's just the quality of the acting, but Ellie feels as though she is watching the shadow of something real: it has no substance, but it reflects something that happened or will happen.

Or maybe not. Anyway the crowd is pretty subdued compared to their mood during the intermission, and Ellie is likewise quiet. She nods to Gregory and silently slips away with him, waiting for him to speak first.

[Ridai]

Watching Ellie pass by, following Gregory, Miria briefly puts a hand on her shoulder, not to slow her down but to give her a soft, appreciative squeeze. The wounded Scion turns back to Ali. "Not necessarily, but we should still be ready to accept that the two events might not be connected or what we suspect. Because of our awareness of how literally Fate exists and sometimes acts, we are more prone to connect circumstances and events that might be unrelated." Again speaking from experience, it seems. "But still, I don't know anymore than you do, I'm afraid." Afterwards, Miria awaits the decision of the band's informal leader.

EllieEllie's acute senses still manage to pick up the last few bits of what Miria says on the way out. Many people are situated near the main hall, moving to meet members of the cast. Gregory, tall and sturdily built as he is, moves through the crowd away from the aftershow event with ease, incidentally creating a bit of space behind him for Ellie. He leads her up to the far end of the second floor, now mostly empty, looks for a room and soon finds an empty one. Inside, he just leans against a wall, collecting his thoughts, staring at Ellie for a moment.

"You wanna know why I'm mad? Because of godsdamned Miria. Without her around, Garret and Yasuhiro would still be alive. With her track record of getting people and Scions to be at each other's throats or killed, she might as well work for the frickin' Titans and get a medal. Fitting for someone who's the daughter of that traitorous bitch Hel. Here's some advice: stay clear of her. You, your friends and whoever else you don't want to die." Bitterness and anger clearly color Gregory's gravelly voice as he warns against the Scion of a Death goddess. Coming from the son of the Morrigan, that has to have some weight to it.

[The_Snark]

Ellie listens, drinking in Gregory's words like a flower drinks in the sun. She waits a few seconds after he stops talking, to make sure he's finished, and then nods slowly. "You know, that's what she says, too? I mean, she doesn't actually say that the Titans should give her a medal," she corrects herself. "But she's thinking it. I was weak. I made mistakes. People died because I wasn't good enough. That is the kind of thing she thinks when she remembers. She knows it's no good punishing herself, but she feels like she should."

Ellie pauses, remembering Miria's words to Ali. It was a terribly logical sort of self-condemnation, very hard to refute.

"Or maybe it's the other way around. I don't know. But I think she's starting to hate herself for it, at least a little. And I think... you are too. And that matters to her."

Another pause, while Ellie collects stray and scattered thoughts; more than long enough for Gregory to get a word in edgewise.

[Lesingnon]

"But even if she's not involved she's been around here more than us. So she might have seen something, right?" Lauren popped up from her seat to a standing position in one smoothly-sinuous motion that, strictly according to the laws of physics, probably shouldn't even be possible."So isn't she our only lead?" The young woman was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet, certainly eager to get going.

[Ridai]

Lauren, Ali, ArsenMiria smiles patiently at Lauren's question. "She is, which is why we shouldn't jump to conclusions. I didn't claim she isn't involved, but rather that it's possible that she might not be," she explains.

The band leaves the theater hall, having no trouble finding the meet and greet with the play's cast. There is eager chatting all around, the level of enthusiasm shown reflecting on the actors' and actresses' faces, signs of the impact their involvement in the play will have on their career. However, as much as the cast is drowned with attention, the crowd wants to see the mysterious actress who portrayed Finia, seemingly absent from the event, most of all. Several members of the cast try to console the audience, explaining that she would have loved to meet them, but is too exhausted from her performance. Inquiries about her identity are dodged or denied, stating that she will decide when she wants to disclose that information.

The young employee from before, Karen, stands a bit away from the crowd, briefly talking to a colleague, with the saved man beside her. As she spots the band, she grins and waves them over to her. "Hey, hope you liked the show! Nick is doing much better now, thanks to you guys," she says, clearly in good spirits, with the man showing a tired, but grateful smile and nod. "And guess what, seems like someone wants to meet you backstage. Must be nice to be friends with the star of the show."

The young woman looks around, seemingly searching for someone else. "Where's your friend? Also, I was told someone tall, buff, kinda rowdy looking man with an eye-patch is also invited. Ah well, we'll tell 'em when we see 'em. Go on."

EveryoneTurns out I've been walking around with a bacterial infection for the last couple of days. Fun. Shouldn't impact my ability to post that much over the course of the next week or so, but I'll have to post Ellie's update tomorrow. -_-

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali

Ali raises an eyebrow. Apparently they didn't NEED to slip backstage, as the actress wanted to see them.

However, this put things in a whole new light. If this person wished to meet them, she probably knew what they were.

"We must be wary. This could be a trap," he says to the others.

[Limos]

"Trap or not I ain't got any better ideas. Do you?" Arsen says nonchalantly. "We were gonna go back there eventually anyway, may as well go when we won't have to do Miria's Jedi thing or bash any heads in to get there."

[Archpaladin Zousha]

"Good point," Ali replies.

[Ridai]

EllieGregory grunts contemptiously. "Yeah right. And you believed it, didn't you? Tell you what, all that God-given intuition, tricks to know when people are lying and all that stuff. Straight up just doesn't work against Miria. She could tell you anything and you'd eat it right up, like good little sheep. We fell for it, too. We knew she was powerful, thought we might have an edge against the titanspawn with her around. Ended up almost killing each other, 'cause she got off on messing with our heads until we were at the others' throats. From what we could dig up, that bitch really had a thing for being 'the only survivor' and messing people up. Yasuhiro and I wanted to abandon her, but the assault happened and she got Garret good. Ate right out of her hand, asked me to get her, out of all people, out of the factory when he was frickin' dying, for Gods' sakes!" His tone has become caustic and positively furious.

"Should have sent that whore to her mother a long time ago." Gregory remains silent for a while, his anger mostly dissipating in the process. To Ellie's uncanny senses, he seems more like someone who has had enough. It isn't particularly hard to see what kind of path might lie ahead of him right now. That of a lonesome, bitter man. And considering his skillset and connection to death, that thought is not a pleasant one by any stretch of imagination. "You happy now?"

[Lesingnon]

Lauren flashes Karen a bright (she really doesn't seem to have any other kind) smile. "Awesome! Thanks." And, whether dismissing Ali's comments out of hand or just plain not hearing him, she's through the door and into the backstage area before the word "wary" is even out of his mouth.

When's caution ever slowed her down before?

[Ridai]

Lauren, Ali, ArsenLauren and Miria, as well as Ali, Arsen and Remy slightly after them, have no trouble finding their way to their destination. The people they walk past are busy celebrating a little while wrapping up to eventually start the real party at another place. The Scions' eyes are subtly directed towards where they need to go like in a well-made film, the way things happen to lie around, lights and colors pointing towards the next waypoint, eventually culminating in the arrival at a half-opened door, soft light puring out from within.

The band is practically drawn in by the soft humming reaching their ears and soon they lay eyes on the actress herself. Now dressed casually in dark, warm colors, she turns to her guests. "Ah, welcome. Thank you for coming," she greets them, her voice sounding like wonderful song to them as blue eyes like the endless sky and sea framed by flowing blonde hair reaching past her shoulders take in the sight of the young Scions before her. An inviting smile on her lips, she moves over to a coffee table surrounded by couches and armchairs, beckoning to the group to come closer. "Oh please, take a seat, make yourself at home."

It is a little challenging to resist, even without the kind of coercion supernatural beings are sometimes capable of being brought to bear against them, but the Scions are hardly at her mercy due to their nature. On the other hand, Arsen can feel Remy leaning on to him a little more with each passing moment, the young mortal woman unable to do much but stare in a dreamlike haze at the voluptuous being before her, slowly becoming weak in the knees, overwhelmed by the presence and beauty. An understanding look on her face, the actress motions the couple towards a couch before seating herself on a comfortable looking armchair.

"It is rare for beings like us to meet in peaceful times and I didn't want to waste the opportunity. I am honored that you came by this evening, I have heard so much about you recently. Did you enjoy our little play?" The question is honest, amicable warmth spreading from her.

By this point, Lauren can tell that the power lessening the impact of her use of Perfect Actor was simply the actress' use of Perfect Actor overpowering hers.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

"I had wondered if there was something out of the ordinary going on with the performance. Were you aware the titanspawn snuck one of their sleeper agents into the theatre staff? We caught him spiking the drinks with the same vile substance at the factory, but managed to break him free of his compulsion. Forgive me for forgoing small-talk, but this could have been a disaster had others sampled the tainted wine."

[Ridai]

Lauren, Ali, ArsenThe actress inclines her head, her features saddening a bit. "That is indeed troubling. I doubt it was a staff member, though, as I would have noticed the signs earlier." A sigh escapes her lips. "I wish all of you would have been allowed to forget your troubles for the evening, especially with what you have been through. How did you break this compulsion? Is he alright?"

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali

"One of our own, Miria, broke the compulsion. Some secret technique of hers, I believe. We haven't gone to see him yet, but he seemed alright. I don't believe we've been introduced. Ali Baraz, a follower of Mithra's path."

[Lesingnon]

Well she didn't seem to be even the slightest bit manipulative or titanspawn-y. But it was easy to fool people with appearances, especially with that knack. But there were some things that, to a Tuatha, were much more difficult to conceal. So she let her senses just kinda...widen, or something. getting a sense of those little eddies of Fate that only Danu's children could manipulate. After all, she didn't really see any downside to Miria's suggestion.

Meanwhile, she kept that smile on her face. "Oh, as much as we would've loved to we didn't come here tonight to relax." She resists the slight urge to fiddle with her earring, or hair. "Dad was worried that Titanspawn might be up to something."

Brehon's Eye

[Ridai]

Lauren, Ali, ArsenAs she was mentioned, Miria chimes in, her hand going to her shawl again. "It is nothing as grandiose as it may sound like. I am Miria Edgerton, pleased to meet you." The actress regards Miria curiously, her smile restored.

"Likewise. I must say I find your modesty rather intriguing, after all the children of the Gods have every reason to be proud of their achievements." As Miria averts her eyes for a moment, the actress regards the band as a whole. "Names can be a fleeting thing and I sometimes forget what importance they have. Please, call me Faith." Faith then listens to Lauren chime in, lightly holding her chin.

"And I'm afraid his worries turned out to be justified. It does seem rare for most Gods to alert their children of something of this magnitude, though. Looking at you, would your father happen to be..." She examines Lauren closely, considering her features as well as her body. "...Lugh?"

LaurenLauren's senses expand, granting her a deeper glimpse of those around her. She is first drawn to Faith, the enthralling sensations of song and dance passing through her, as well as the desire to fulfill and share her passion, entirely unhindered by vengeful thoughts should others not indulge her. Lauren senses that Faith's Nature is Libertine, with her highest Virtue being Expression while the lowest is Vengeance.

Next up is, perhaps curiously, Miria. A soothing feeling gently envelopes Lauren's entire being, putting her at peace and strengthening her to help her walk her path, regardless of all opposition. Yet there is something else tainting that feeling, something not lending itself to testing her strength and oppose others or sharing her emotions and inspiring others with them. Lauren senses that Miria's Nature is Caregiver, with her highest Virtue being Endurance, while her lowest are Courage and Expression.

Other than that, Lauren only catches a glimpse of Arsen's familiar aura, an intense, driving force crashing through opposition, a towering figure sheltering the innocent against the evil of the World, with no time for thought or consideration before action.
After receiving an answer, Faith leans back in her armchair again, resting her hands in her lap. "So tell me, how can I be of assistance?"

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali

"You'll have to forgive us, Miss Faith, but we were under the suspicion that you might have been involved with this plot. You gave such a spectacular performance that we all guessed there was something supernatural about it, and we were all on edge after discovering the tainted wine. We weren't sure if your performance was supposed to somehow take control of those who'd drank the wine, or something of that nature, and so we felt the best way to allay these suspicions would be to speak with you personally. But we had no idea you were a fellow Scion, and thus you definitely wouldn't be involved in a Titanspawn plot. You have my apologies for our somewhat paranoid actions. Everyone's been a bit hesitant to trust after what happened at the factory."

[The_Snark]

Gregory grunts contemptiously. "Yeah right. And you believed it, didn't you? Tell you what, all that God-given intuition, tricks to know when people are lying and all that stuff. Straight up just doesn't work against Miria. She could tell you anything and you'd eat it right up, like good little sheep. We fell for it, too. We knew she was powerful, thought we might have an edge against the titanspawn with her around. Ended up almost killing each other, 'cause she got off on messing with our heads until we were at the others' throats. From what we could dig up, that bitch really had a thing for being 'the only survivor' and messing people up. Yasuhiro and I wanted to abandon her, but the assault happened and she got Garret good. Ate right out of her hand, asked me to get her, out of all people, out of the factory when he was frickin' dying, for Gods' sakes!" His tone has become caustic and positively furious.

"Should have sent that whore to her mother a long time ago." Gregory remains silent for a while, his anger mostly dissipating in the process. To Ellie's uncanny senses, he seems more like someone who has had enough. It isn't particularly hard to see what kind of path might lie ahead of him right now. That of a lonesome, bitter man. And considering his skillset and connection to death, that thought is not a pleasant one by any stretch of imagination. "You happy now?"

"Huh." Ellie is quiet for a minute as she wraps her mind around this new perspective, like a snake engulfing a particularly cumbersome animal. It isn't the way she normally thinks. But she knows the world doesn't always fit within that way of thinking, and it does make sense. So did Miria's story.

"Okay," she nods at last. "But what are you planning to do about it?"

[Lesingnon]

Traces of surprise flitted across Lauren's face. How had she managed...well, she supposed going from redhead to the Tuatha might not exactly be a daring assumption. But she was a redehead too and seemed to be with the Dodekatheon, and there were still a lot more Tuatha than just her father. "Yep, how'd you guess? Hmm..." she tilted her head slightly to the side as she regarded the other woman, "And is yours Apollo?"

He was a god associated with acting and all that stuff, right?

[Ridai]

Lauren, Ali, ArsenFaith is a blonde, not a redhead. :smallwink:Faith shakes her head. "You merely fulfilled your duty and remained vigilant, Ali, there is no need to apologize. Judging by what happened, it is good to see all of you recovering so well."

Turning to Lauren again, she chuckles. "That is a very flattering thing to say. I am associated with the Dodekatheon, but I am merely a servant not destined for greatness like all of you are. I would simply be beneath the great Apollo's notice. As for how I guessed, I can, as they say, scent the divine, which is also how I knew there were Scions present at the show. Beyond that, I see your emerald eyes, a beautiful athletic body, boundless youthful energy and that distinct joie de vivre inherent in all of Lugh's children. The resemblance made it very easy to guess."

With that, Faith ascends from her armchair and bows deeply. "I shouldn't keep you any longer. It has been an honor and pleasure to hopefully have entertained you and be graced by your presence. If I should learn anything about those titanspawn, I will let you know. I wish all of you well and I look forward to the moment we meet again." Remembering something, Faith regards Arsen and Remy. "Keep her close. Love between a Scion and a mortal is a very fragile, but beautiful thing. Don't be afraid to let her be your guide."
Ellie"Nothing." Gregory walks a few steps, taking deep breaths. "I'll stay clear, get some distance. Promised Garret to get her out alive, don't wanna risk wringing her neck and pissing all over his last wish in the process. Hope she does the same and you as well." At last, he gets ready to leave, opening the door. "C'mon, don't keep your buddies waitin'."

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali

"Thank you, Faith. Here's my card."

He hands her his business card.

"Please keep in touch."

[Limos]

Arsen

"So that's it then?" Arsen mutters unhappily. "The slave was just a slave, the actress wasn't involved? That can't be it, why would we get sent here if that was the only thing going on? There just has to be more that we ain't seen here."

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali

"I don't normally care for Freud, but he was onto something when he said "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." Perhaps this was just the vagaries of Fate feeling the need to show us something. If it makes you feel better, Arsen, we can go talk to the guy again, see if he's any better after the show."

[Ridai]

Lauren, Ali, Arsen"I will," Faith answers Ali and takes the card, handing the Scions as well as Remy simple white cards back, each with a telefone number beautifully handwritten on them. "If any of you need anything, perhaps even a private show, some help to relax or simply someone to keep you company for the evening, please don't hesitate."

Faith gives an apologetic look as she hears Arsen talk. "I am sorry I can't be of more assistance right now."

As the band begins to leave, Miria approaches Faith, jotting down her phone number. "I hope we'll meet again soon," she says. Faith simply brushes aside the hair concealing Miria's bruises and hugs the perplexed young woman lightly. "There is no need for you to hide. You are too precious to let yourself wither in the dark." Confused and lightly blushing, Miria thanks the actress and heads out with the others.

The man, Nick, is still about where the Scions last saw him, with Karen nearby serving some last few drinks to the costumers that are still around. Things are winding down, the evening slowly coming to a conclusion. Remy, meanwhile, has mostly regained her senses again, looking a little tired but content, having to lean on Arsen's muscular frame. "I'll remember this day for a long time," she says.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali

Ali hands Nick a business card as well.

"If you need help, or maybe legal advice, don't hesitate to call me. You've been through a lot."

[Lesingnon]

Were she possessed of more than a token's worth of modesty or self-consciousness Lauren probably would have flushed scarlet as Faith told them how she'd guessed who her dad was. But she wasn't, so she managed to keep the color in her cheeks down. Even if she wasn't really able to hide the disappointment felt at hitting a complete dead end. Which is why she looks towards Ali as they leave. "So...now what?"

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali

"We find your dad. Or more likely, he'll find us."

[The_Snark]

Ellie

"Oh, right." Ellie laughs. "They were gonna try to slip backstage to check things out. They're probably there already, but maybe I can catch up with them if I hurry."

But she pauses in the doorway to put a hand on Gregory's shoulder. He isn't the sort of man who invites touching, but she does it anyway. "Hey. Thanks. For talking to me."

[Ridai]

Ellie"You do that. I'm headin' home," Gregory says as Ellie begins to leave, before she reaches up to put a hand on his muscular shoulder. At first, it is hard to tell how he might react, as he silently gives her a piercing stare.

"You're a strange girl, Ellie. Keep it that way." He gives Ellie a friendly push to tell her to get going, his features relaxing somewhat. As they part, Ellie smells the very faint feminine scent on Gregory, which might point to him not being as much of an abrasive loner as he appears to be.

Heading down the stairs and through the entrance area, Ellie's senses spot her fellow Scions nearby the "staff only" door from before with ease and she is able to get over to them equally well, given how most of the crowd has filtered out of the building.
Nick takes the card and lowers his voice a little so that Karen can't hear him. "I can't thank you enough for all you did for me, for saving me twice, I mean." He pulls out small vials and covertly hands them to Ali. "This is the stuff I was forced to put in the glasses I got when you found me. I don't know how or where I got them, but I don't really know when I was drugged either, I'm afraid. Still, hope it might help in some way." He briefly glances over to Karen who heads into the staff only area, an at first peaceful then troubled expression on his face.

"To think what I might have done to Karen if you wouldn't have been there. She lost her childhood friend a month ago and she's such an innocent angel, I... I don't want her to get hurt. Please, find whoever did this, I beg you." Soon after, Karen comes back out.

"Hey there. Sorry I couldn't find your friends, it was so busy in here, but it looks like you found one of them again." The young woman looks towards Ellie, seeming to be in good spirits. "Caught a bit of flak for bringing a customer in there, but I don't mind. Anyway, I'm heading out. Don't worry about Nick, I'll drive him home." The man looks like he wants to say something, but Karen stops him. "Ah ah ah, no complaints. I won't be able to sleep well if I don't know you made it home okay."

She jots down a number on a piece of paper she pulls out of a messenger bag and hands it to the Scions. "Hope I'll see you guys around." Karen waves goodbye and pulls Nick after her, who simply shakes his head, smiling as he complies.

Most of the audience has gone home by now, leaving the band in an increasingly empty hallway. "Do you have a way to contact Lugh? Or should we just head home and wait for him to contact you?" Miria can't help but be curious about meeting a God, especially one of the more pleasant ones, making her glance at Lauren for a moment.

[Lesingnon]

"Umm...pray?" Gods could hear that, right? Because it was the only way she knew to contact him. "We won't find him unless he wants us to...he's really good with illusions." She just wished they'd have more to show him from their night out.

[Ridai]

"Right. When and where do you plan to do that? We should get going." Miria tries to draw the answers from Lauren.

[The_Snark]

Ellie rejoins the others with an nod of greeting for the two people she doesn't know. That's the guy with the drugged wine, yeah? And probably whoever they talked into letting them backstage. Cool. She waves amicably to the pair as they leave.

"So what'd you find?" she asks, intrigued by all the talk of summoning Lugh. Must be something important, right?

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali

"The actress was actually looking to meet us, and is without doubt a Scion herself, or some other supernatural being. Apparently she was unconnected to the actions of that one slave. Other than that, it seems that there's nothing more to investigate here. We prevented the tainted wine from being drunk and the show did have some divine power backing it. Nothing more and nothing less. What did you discover talking to Gregory?"

[Lesingnon]

"Umm...my apartment, maybe? I don't think it really matters as long as we don't have to be careful about what we say." He'd certainly never struck her as the picky type. Ellie is greeted by a small wave and tight smile as she rejoins them, but Lauren decides to let Ali fill her in about what had happened. He could probably do a better job of summarizing than he could anyway.

[Ridai]

Miria nods. "Makes sense. Let's go."

Having had a long and eventful day, Remy yawns, covering her mouth with a hand. "I think I'll get myself a cab and go home, still gotta work tomorrow. Good luck to you guys, hope to see you soon. As for you, hun" The young woman lays her arms around Arsen's neck, kissing him passionately. "I'll see you tomorrow evening. In something more casual." She winks to Ares' son, waves to the Scions and heads out of the theater, leaving the Godchildren to their own devices.

The night is cool, moreso because of the breeze sweeping through the streets and the light drizzling rain from the cloudy sky.

Feel free to skip ahead to Lauren's apartment and do anything you'd like beforehand. Also, please describe the apartment, Lesingnon. :smallsmile:

[The_Snark]

Ellie pauses. Should she tell them? If Gregory is right but they don't believe her it might give Miria cracks to work with, and if Gregory is wrong it'll only be saying hurtful things. If they are both true, as Ellie is beginning to suspect... well, she needs some more time to think about that. "Personal stuff, mostly," she says at last. "I think it helped."

She brightens on hearing where they're going. Lauren's apartment is where she left her real clothes!

[Lesingnon]

Lauren kinda sorta scurries between awnings and overhangs on her way back to the apartment. All the better to keep kinda sorta dry. At least she managed to do so gracefully. Then she remembers the little trick Lugh showed her earlier and stops caring about getting wet.

Soon enough they're back at Lauren's apartment, a one-bedroom affair on the top floor of her apartment floor. It has a welcoming feel, and contains an impressive (and seemingly random) array of knick knacks from all over the place that somehow manage to blend together into a rather nice whole. And it appears to be kept, perhaps surprisingly, clean and orderly.

The first thing she does upon walking inside is to use that trick again, feeling those invigorating winds dry and smooth her clothes and hair. Then she sits down at her kitchen table. "Umm...Lugh, Dad, if you can hear this? We found some stuff out at the show and wanted to talk to you about it. So, umm..." How did this always work in the movies again? "If you can hear me give us a sign?"

[Limos]

Arsen walks Remy out to her car, splitting up from the others for the moment. "It was really great to see you. Sorry about the crazy stuff kind of wrecking everything..." He scratches the back of his head awkwardly. "I think we have to go do more crazy stuff, you okay getting home on your own? Say Hi to your sister for me..."

Once Remy is on her way Arsen returns to his hummer and gathers his armaments, then drives to Lauren's apartment to meet with the others. On the way there he strips off his suit jacket and shirt and throws on a wifebeater. Once he reaches the building he awkwardly changes out of his slacks and dress shoes into his normally camo pants and combat boots. He parks the massive vehicle wherever he can manage to cram it in and walks to the building to meet the others.

[Ridai]

ArsenStanding near her cab, Remy smiles at Arsen. "I'll do that. You should come visit her some time, she still looks up to you like to a big brother. Don't worry about me, though, I'm a big girl. See you tomorrow, handsome." A teasing look later, Remy gets into the cab, heading home.
Eagerly emulating her father, Lauren's first attempt to use Lugh's little trick works surprisingly well. Granted, tiny droplets of water got propelled in many directions, her hair looks quite unruly and it took some quick adjustments to prevent a supernatural wardrobe malfunction, but it worked.

Miria's curious eyes' gaze wanders about the apartment, letting everything soak in as all the little details tell her little bits and pieces of their master. A smile spreads across her face as if she was discovering those certain nuances of a fine piece of art and she chuckles when she discovers the array of sticky notes forming a winking smilie face on one of the walls. "I like this place. It's like everything in here has a little story to tell."

Everything is silent as the Scions wait for an answer of the divine being, whatever form it might actually take. As anticipation builds, it ultimately culminates into... nothing. Lauren's mind begins to recall her father's words clearly, telling the Scions about the meeting of Gods and the band's need to remain vigilant. That is what she is left with, in all of it's anticlimactic glory, with no God to hold her hand.

[Lesingnon]

"They do! I bought most of them myself."

Then came the prayer, and the waiting, and even more waiting...and, well, she'd never really been all that patient. "Sooo...can we trace the vials, or something?"

[Archpaladin Zousha]

"Maybe I could see if my connections in the DA's office can get our local CSI unit to examine them, but I doubt they'll find anything helpful to us. Even if they do, they probably won't know what to look for in the first place."

[Ridai]

"I am sure Lugh heard you, the Gods just are very busy most of the time." Miria says to Lauren.

"It seems we'll have to rely on the usual modus operandi. Mortals frequently misinterpret supernatural events, so reports on strange accidents or events might actually give us a clue about titanspawn activity in the area. Mmh, remember when the news half a year ago reported that someone mysteriously broke into a museum, stole one exhibit and smashed all terracotta warrior statues, with their display cases smashed open from the inside? That was actually a group of Scions trying to secure an artefact before titanspawn could get to it, but it's terracotta guardians animated because a divine being took it, leading to a fight. The titanspawn today, however, will probably be more careful than a month back. I think we should get some rest, clear our heads and start looking in the morning. If nothing else, Fate has a habit of bringing us into the fold."

Whether or not you want to follow Miria's advice, I'd like to what you guys will be doing throughout the rest of the night and the morning. Feel free to describe some mundane stuff as well if you'd like, as I find getting to know your characters quite enjoyable. :smallsmile:

[The_Snark]

It takes less than a minute after arriving at Lauren's apartment for Ellie to vanish into the bathroom and reemerge wearing her usual clothing. She flops onto Lauren's couch and watches the haphazard attempt at contacting Lugh with some amusement. It's not a very practiced prayer, which isn't all that surprising, Lauren being about as nonreligious as the daughter of a god can get. Do the Children of Danu not teach their sons and daughters how to pray to them properly? Ellie knows the rites to draw her mother's ear, though even those do not guarantee an answer. But Lugh is a pretty chill guy for a god, so maybe it'll work.

Then again, maybe not.

Ellie asks to see the vial again, sniffing at it. "Yah, that's pretty distinctive. I don't know if I can follow it when it was, like, corked up and in that guy's pocket for most of the evening, but I guess can try."

[Lesingnon]

"Morning it is then, I guess." And with that seemingly being the plan Lauren ducked into her bedroom. Kinda haphazardly kicking the door most of the way closed as she slipped out of her dress and into a pair of sweats and a tank top. And by the time she opens the door again she's already twisting her hair up into a messy bun. "Well, I'm going to get in a work out before bed." It always seemed to help center her, calm her thoughts. "You can come with if you want, or crash here or whatever."

[Ridai]

"I'll have to pass, I'm not fully healed up yet and I doubt I'd be able to keep up with you." Miria adjusts her shawl another time and puts on her coat again. "I'll see if I can find any trace. Anyway, it was good to see all of you again." Reluctant at first, Miria moves to embrace the Scions one after another. "I'll meet you in the morning. Good night." She exchanges phone numbers and with that, the young woman leaves the apartment, heading out into the cold night.

LaurenAs Lauren's workout goes on, cold air and the fluid motions help her to get into a more blissful state of mind, helping her mind unwind, whereas other people might just watch TV or take a warm shower. Well, perhaps the latter will follow afterwards. Still, for all her boundless energy, Lauren feels herself lured to bed, her mind relaxed as much as it can be, soon and quickly drifting to peaceful sleep after lying down on it.

The next moment, the young Scion finds herself standing on a futuristic and yet fantastical looking rooftop of a skyscraper, the world around her shining in bright colors, a wondrous city stretching out as far as the eye can see. The thought is instinctive. Inspiration flows through her like the fresh air she breathes and the vibrant strength suffusing her form. Lauren sees the opportunities of the city below. It is her personal playground. Simply jumping from the roof, she catches her reflection in the windows of the skyscraper. Her entire form is shining brightly, her hair a vibrant red just like how her eyes are of a brilliant emerald color. There is a sense of power and freedom coming from her form, accompanying the feeling of being as light as the air, with her form sporting what seems like visible currents of wind flowing from it.

After indulging in her newfound powers and having traversed the city in ways that seemed impossible before, Lauren stops in a lush park. Sensing someone else, she quickly spots Lugh, looking equally as fantastical as herself. "I do like what I see in here. I think you are ready to take the next step." The God reaches out to his daughter, making beautiful patterns of golden light appear on her body, infusing her with power in accordance to her wishes yet unknown. "This is a geas. It will aid you in your endeavors, strengthening the ichor in your veins, as long as you defend the weak, like a true hero should. Fail, however, and your power will wane until you have repented according to the task imposed by the geas and you have restored enech." A deep level of understanding enters her mind as she listens, allowing her to fully grasp the gift she has been given.

"Now that that's out of the way, I think we can talk for a moment. Let's go out for a walk, shall we?" Lugh leads his daughter through the park that steadily blooms further into a fantastical garden around them every time they take a step. "Sorry I couldn't answer earlier, finding some time between talks can be a bit tricky. Luckily, time flows a little different inside the world of dreams. So, what would you like to tell me?"
EllieFollowing the trace seems as difficult as expected, but doable. With Lauren away doing her workout, Ellie manages to make some progress, even being able to spot some false leads due to all the other smells attached to the vial. Still, it becomes harder to concentrate as she is out and about, the thought of having Lauren's warm, soft couch all for herself, all night sneaking itself into her mind in all its seductive beauty. Facing another temporary dead end in an alley, heading back to Lauren's appartment seems to be the most desirable option and once there, peaceful sleep comes quickly.

Soon, Ellie is greeted by curious sights and sounds, wondrous, full of life and personal like only those that come to the dreaming mind can be. It is like Ellie stands right in the middle of a vivid fairy talke version of the play, the changes in sounds and color all that more powerful. Yet Ellie's lucid mind is not bound to a chaotic script like other dreamers are. Instead, she can plot her own course, possessing an almost mesmerizing clarity in this world. Her thoughts, her moves, her sounds make swirls of color, alluring sounds and vibrant figures spring to life, seamlessly integrating into the proceedings around her, like they completely belong. Ultimately, everything leads to Finia, the woman's presence filling the world around Ellie in it's entirety, her enrapting beauty and song being there only for the Scion.
ArsenWith little else to do but wait for something, anything allowing the band to close in on the titanspawn, sleep seems like a good thing to pass the time. After Arsen has arrived at home, he receives a message from Remy.

Forgot 2 mention the restaurant. Call u in the mornin
PS heres a little somethin 2 dream about ;)

Attached to the message is a picture Remy took of herself with her smartphone, her expression cute and mischievous, while the rest of the picture is rather enticing, showing her sitting on her bed in her nightdress, giving her lover a good view of her athletic, shapely body. With that picture in mind, sleep eventually manages to defeat even Ares' son.

The world in his dreams is a simple affair, just how he likes it. A bit cheesy, perhaps, but how often can he just go for it like this? Embroiled in combat, Arsen is fighting his way through hordes of titanspawn, his swords in hands deep red with the blood of his enemies, the ground invisible under the bodies crushed beneath Arsen's feat as he strikes fear into the diminishing hordes as their leaders begin to panic, even beg for mercy. Suddenly, he notices someone is fighting with him as he spots Remy, in one word the epitomy of an Amazonian queen, hacking the titanspawn to pieces alongside her beloved king. King? Apparently so. The battle's outcome is entirely in Arsen's hands, his power the only that applies in this place.
AliRetiring to his home, getting word to the cultists of Mithra serving Ali is just a call away. With the endurance inherent in the son of the great Mithra, Ali can resist the sweet temptation of sleep in the face of seeking the foul titanspawn, the memories of the evening, all those little signs returning to him, soon joined by the experience of the factory, all being reevaluated by vigilant eyes. Somewhere, there has to be a trace, something that will let the band bring the foul creatures to justice.
EveryoneI'm so sorry that I couldn't think of a more worthy scene for Ali, Zousha. :smallfrown:

Try to wrap up things in one big post, but still, go wild, have fun. Dreams are strange things, they should be enjoyed while they last. :smallwink:

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali

Ali begins mentally re-evaluating everything he'd seen that night. It’s all in perfect clarity, replaying over and over like the security tapes he often saw in the courtroom. Some mortals claimed to have a sharp memory, but Ali never forgot anything. He regretted that his father granted him no particular insight into the mysteries of the world and Fate's vagaries, but hopefully he'd find some lead regarding the slave and and his masters.

He also begins digging up any information he can find about the band's companions for the evening. In his line of work it was important to know everything about anyone worth knowing. He hadn't been able to get a bead on Miria or Faith, Gregory's cold anger being obvious. But he felt that if he at least knew their lineage it might give him more insight into who they were. Something wasn't right, and he had to figure out what.

Do I use Intelligence + Investigation or Wits + Investigation? This isn’t so much quick thinking as combing for information. Also, Ali will be utilizing his Perfect Memory knack, so there shouldn’t be any gaps in what he’s thinking about, aside from stuff he wasn’t present to witness.

And don't worry about not having a cool dream for Ali to romp through. This captures his workaholic nature excellently. If you need inspiration, I can direct you to some information about Persian myths that may help.

[Lesingnon]

This place was weird, and cool...trippy almost. At least she thought it seemed kinda trippy-ish, Lauren didn't exactly do any drugs. Maybe she could ask Ellie sometime. But she was getting distracted. What was important was that she had a chance to talk with her Dad again, or at least she was pretty sure she was. That or it was just some sort of crazy dream. But even if it was just a dream there was no reason to stay quiet, right?

So the words tumbled forth in their usual haphazard fashion as the young Scion spoke whilst collecting her thoughts. "Well there was this guy there I recognized from the...factory a few months back." Even in the strangely idealistic dream-world she couldn't suppress a shudder thinking about the place. "He was under some sort of mind control or something, Miria snapped him out of it later. But anyway, he was passing out these drinks spiked with a drug the titanspawn had been using in that awful place. I managed to make a scene and get those drinks sent away, but we couldn't find out who was behind it. The guy did give us vials of the stuff he was spiking the drinks with. Sooo maybe we can track it or something."

[Limos]

Arsen awakes with a smile on his face, feeling a bit of the tension he has been carrying since the botched mission melt away. The stubborn knot of frustration continues to pull between his shoulder blades but the dream had been incredibly cathartic. Hacking apart some real Titanspawn would be just what he needs to get rid of the rest, but the elusive creatures were making it difficult.

He stumbles out of bed and gets cleaned up, pulling on some fresh clothes and checking his weapons are all in place. With that done he picks up the phone and considers calling Remy. Nah, she'll call me... he thinks as he dials Ali instead. He puts the phone to his ear and listens to the phone ring.

[Ridai]

AliScenes, moments, impressions loop again and again in Ali's mind, his analytical mind examining everything from multiple angles.

Closer inspection of his interaction with Miria paints the same sad picture of a young woman weighed down by guilt and who is trying to put her life back together. No trace of lies can be found, even though she was not very keen on talking about herself and what had happened, for obvious reasons. Purely judged by her abilities and some of her Central/Northern European feautures, there are only a few Gods of the Aesir that would fit as far as her lineage goes (if one disregards the possibility of Scions developing differently from their parents), making Odin and Hel the most likely candidates, followed by Loki. Truth be told, however, Miria doesn't quite seem to fit any of those archetypes particularly well.

Faith, on the other hand, remains an enigma. If she is a Scion, Apollo would be a good fit. If she isn't, there are a number beings from Greek mythology that roughly fit the description of having a strong presence, possessing great beauty and being fond of an art of some kind.

The most disturbing bit, however, is that Ali manages to recall seeing other people move somewhat erratically at the event, apart from Nick. It must have slipped his notice as he was talking to Miria and his companions at the time before the show started. The effects were a lot more subtle compared to the freed slave and there is the possibility that some or all of them just weren't feeling well that evening or nervous about attending an event like that. None of those signs caught Ali's eye after the show paused, making things even more difficult to pin down.

Lost in thought, time simply flies by until he is stirred from his thoughts by his ringing mobile phone, showing an incoming call from Arsen on its display. A quick look at the corner of the display reveals it is already quite late in the morning, a testament to Ali's sheer focus.
ArsenThe dream continued briefly with Arsen achieving glorious victory, making an example of the leading titanspawn. Afterwards, he returned to his castle with Remy, where she invited him to a private "celebration". The dream ended at that point, almost teasingly so.

Arsen feels incredibly refreshed as he awakens and a quick look at the clock reveals the reason for that very quickly, as he has slept through most of the morning. Despite the time of day, Remy apparently has not called yet, which is a little unusual since she is not the forgetful or tardy type. Arsen can recall her talking about having to go to work early in the morning, so things might be pretty busy on her end.

Meanwhile, the phone is ringing steadily on the other end.
EllieAs Ellie steps closer, Finia turns towards her with an impossibly beautiful smile, literally brightening and coloring the world around both of them intensely. However, her gaze seems to wander from Ellie's to just over her shoulder, resulting in Finia's expression to sadden quickly. Once Ellie has turned around, the world around her is shattered, all black-and-white, as Miria slumps against her.

Her wounds are terrible, her blood shining in a bright red, mixing with tears of pain. "Help me! Oh please, help me!" Her voice is a mess, panic, fear and pain slurring her words in between sharp intakes of air and sobs. Behind her, there is a vast darkness stretching ever further and suddenly, a multitude of disfigured arms shoot out of it, grasping Miria's body harshly as she gasps in pain. They throw her to the ground, seeking to drag her into the darkness, as a cacophony of primal screams, hideous laughter and twisted lewd sounds echoes out of it. "No! Please help me! Ellie!" With a final scream and before Ellie can do anything, Miria is dragged into the black void and soon the cacophony grows as screams of pure agony and terror as well as terrifying gruesome noises are added to it, placing a stabbing and twisting sensation into Ellie's stomach and chest.

Ellie is yanked backwards, with the echoes hounding her, a smell of human decay, blood and the titanspawn's drug lodging itself in her nose. She catches a brief glimpse of a number of warehouses, dilapitated and overgrown with gruesome fleshy parts before she abruptly awakens on Lauren's couch. Despite her plans, it is already late in the morning, the entirety of the impressions still in her head in crystal clarity, but already starting to fade if she lets them.
LaurenLugh's divine brow furrows a little as he listens to his daughter's report. "Than my hunch turned out to be correct." The God's easygoing manner turns to seriousness as he stops and turns to face Lauren. "Lauren, do whatever it takes to stop the Titan's servants once and for all. Be thorough, even a single one left could let the cult take root again. Keep your band together and keep looking, Fate has a tendency to thrust our kind right into the middle of things, but you must not rely on it. Keep me informed through prayers, but I won't be able to answer over the next few days unless the threat is several orders of magnitude bigger than what it seems like right now. Be careful and fulfill your duty as your heritage and enech demand."

With the briefing over, Lugh looks up to the sky, his form beginning to ascend towards heaven as the world turns to white, dissolving and floating upwards along the God.

Lauren awakens in her bed late in the morning, feeling completely refreshed, if still a bit sleepy. Next to her, her mobile phone is ringing relentlessly, stabbing through the lingering haze in her mind. Answering the call quickly kicks her mind fully awake. "Lauren? Lauren, thank the Gods you picked up!" It is Miria, barely audible over nearly indeterminable noises in the background, like an ongoing droning sound and other things that are hard to hear through the static-ridden connection. "The cult, they're back, they got me. Broke into my apartment when I was sleeping. They kidnapped several mortals, too. I'm- I'm somewhere industrial, uh, run down, I think near the coastline. Please, hurry, fin-" A loud noise overpowers the rest, followed by one directly next to the microphone and the call ends.

Outside of her bedroom, Lauren can hear Ellie awaken.

[Lesingnon]

A scant few seconds later the door to Lauren's bedroom flies open as the young Scion stumbles out. Yes, stumbles, apparently even her divine grace has its limits. And they've been reached somewhere around trying to simultaneously put on her pants, shirt, and kevlar vest whilst tapping out a text to Arsen and Ali. Words tumbling form her mouth in a rush as she struggles to sort out the mess of cloth and armor. "Cult's in the industrial region, by the coast, they have mortals, and Miria, we've gotta hurry!"

The tone chirps in affirmation of the text sent to the other two members of the band, as its haphazardly tossed to the nearest soft surface so that Lauren can free up her other hand.

SOS from Miria! Cult resurfaced in industrial area near coast, hurry!!!

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali

Ali answers the phone.

"Yes, Arsen?"

[The_Snark]

"Yes," says Ellie, already awake. She's lying on her back with her hands laced over her chest, staring up at the ceiling. It takes her a moment to. "Oh! You mean it happened. Okay."

She sits up. "Let's go. Where do you wanna meet Arsen and Ali?"

[Lesingnon]

A few hops followed by an unlikely jumping spin later, Lauren somehow manages to get everything on and sorted out properly. Then she grabs her phone, and bag of shuriken, stuffing them both into pockets. "In the industrial area...traffic sucks this time of day, if we pick everyone up then go it'll take forever." She skips over to the window, sliding it open and extending a hand to Ellie. "Grab on, let's go."

Apparently she really didn't want to have to worry about traffic.

[The_Snark]

Ellie blinks. "Uh, okay." She takes Lauren's hand uncertainly. Are they really going to...

... knowing Lauren, yeah, probably.

[Lesingnon]

Lauren turned a graceful half spin as soon as Ellie grabbed her hand, draping the other girls' arm over her shoulder. And in the same motion...she leaped, carrying the two of them out the window. Not that they fell. Instead angling sharply upwards until just barely cresting the top of the next building. Then Lauren leveled off and just took off.

She stayed relatively low, and did her best to make sure the tall buildings of the city were between her and the mortals on ground. But other than that, she wasted no time in making her way towards the industrial sector with all possible haste.

(Spending 1L and 1W to activate Wind's Freedom.)

[The_Snark]

Yeah. Totally right about that one.

Ellie clings tightly as Lauren starts running. She's not usually bad with heights, but she doesn't normally jump out of windows either. And she doesn't much like being out in the open like this either. It's not that she cares so much about keeping the mythic world hidden from the eyes of humanity at large; it's just that this is so flamboyant, and Ellie is by nature a creature of alleyways and moonlight, whispered confidences and treasured secrets.

But hey. They're in a hurry. So Ellie puts up with it, relaxing as Lauren settles her into a less precarious position (cradled against Lauren's chest). She closes her eyes and listens to the air rushing past them, and the city sounds coming faintly from beneath, as her friend dances on the wind. Ahead of her, there is a place where blood and oil and rust and old screams mingle, and somebody who needs their help.

She doesn't know where Miria is, but she does know where to go to find her.

Using Ariadne's Thread to track Miria. 1 Legend spent.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali

Before Arsen can say anything, Ali's phone starts buzzing again.

"Hang on, Arsen, I've got another message coming in."

When he reads the text message, his eyes widen. So soon?

"Sorry Arsen, gonna have to cut it short. Lauren just sent me a text that the cult's back in action at the industrial area by the coast. We can talk more once they're neutralized."

Ali opens his briefcase and takes out what appears to be an old leather apron. Ancient, even. But it was more. So much more. The Derafsh-e Kaviani. A symbol of the gods' justice, the protection of mortals and of the only response to titanspawn. War. He slipped it on over his clothes. It felt like something of a desecration to wear the relic, but he didn't have time to find a flagpole to drag with him. Besides, it kind of looked like the tabard of a medieval knight or crusading caliph. It'd have to do for now.

Ali then contacts his cultists and instructs them to clear the way to the industrial area so he could get there quickly. Make up some excuse, like a terrorist being there or something.

He gets in his car and drives.

[Ridai]

Lauren soars like a leaf on the wind, guided by Ellie's intuition, the latter's mind sensing the subtle echoes emanating from Miria's form somewhere in the distance. The weather is cold, the wind harsh, dark clouds robbing the world below of some of its color. Halfway to their target, drizzling rain begins to fall and prepares itself to intensify as time passes. Relaying the exact destination once the Scions spot it is a simple task, but a necessary one when one considers the size of the area.

Despite the traffic and Boston's notorious street layout, Ali manages to find a way quickly, often managing to slip past zones before the flow gets bogged down. He receives word from his loyal servants that they are not as lucky, due to having to get ready, moving out and crossing the bigger distance in this kind of traffic. A sense of shame accompanies the tone of the message as their arrival will be delayed. Eventually, Ali spots Arsen's sizable car and the two Scions quickly drive through the coastal area, moving from the busy parts to the more rundown or even closed ones, where only few mortals tread these days.

As the band arrives and is reunited, they set eyes on their destination: a relatively sizable building, several storeys tall, surrounded by other dilapitated installations that shelter the central building from sight to some extent. The walls are of a dirty grey color, most of the windows are bolted shut with sheet metal and the rough leftovers of a paved street, interspersed with mud and debris, leads to the large entrance. The building feels wrong, monolithic, foreboding, reaching towards the sky amongst the debris surrounding it. The feeling is easy to identify for the young Scions.

The factory felt the same.

@Everyone: Well, time for you guys to tackle this thing. Do tell me what you want Arsen to do, he'll basically follow your orders. I still have to figure out what to do with him in the long run if Limos doesn't come back, though...

@Zousha: Sorry things didn't go as planned with your cultists, but I wasn't sure how ten cultists were supposed to clear a way through a good part of Boston. Also, just as a general warning, the cultists are far from invincible. If they die, your background points aren't gone forever, but it will take time to replace them. Judging by the short length I planned for this campaign, they might end up being an one-time advantage if most of them should perish. The Guide part of the background will remain mostly intact, however.

[Lesingnon]

The wind blows briefly through Lauren's hair once more, straightening it as she fishes a hair tie from a pocket. Deft fingers rise to weave her hair into a tight fighting braid. Then Ghathanna na Maidine appears in her hand; divine steel, gold, and silver bright despite the dreary weather. Her eyes fixate on the building in front of them, lacking their usual joy and laughter. In its place is a cold determination as the Daughter of Lugh starts making her way to one of the unbarricaded windows.

She was an athlete, a free-spirit, dancer, charmer...but above all else she was of the Tuatha de Danaan. And every descendant of that great Goddess was also a warrior. It showed now in her eyes, expression, and stance. It showed in the way her blade was wielded with an easy, effortless, grace. And it was obvious that there wasn't much in the world that could dissuade her as she approached her chosen method of entry. "Let's go."

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali takes out his gun as they get together. It wasn't much, but he wasn't nearly the warrior Lauren or Arsen were. He was the tactician, the general. The one who rallied and guided.

"Lauren. Any objections to taking point?"

[Ridai]

Approaching the building feels like crossing a threshold, the Scions stepping into territory that harbors chaos boiling just beneath the decaying surface. By the time Lauren reaches the lone open window on the first floor, the constant drizzling begins to change into rain, maybe even winding up to become more severe.

Weapons drawn, Arsen follows behind Lugh's daughter, Ali and Ellie close behind. The large window is incredibly dirty and scratched up, already showing a few fractures, but the frame seems relatively sturdy. The room on the other side of the glass seems to be mostly empty apart from the general disarray it is in (at least judging by what the Scions can make out through the window), with a barely open door on the far side, very faint and cold artificial light seeping through the gap.

[Lesingnon]

"Nope." Lauren barely spares the glass, the room behind it, or the frame a second glance. Divine steel flashes in the dim light as she lashes out, shattering the glass to open their path into the den of chaos and depravity. Then lets the wind carry her into a twisting leap forward through the broken pane.

She lands lightly on the balls of her feet, sword held out in front of her. Perfectly poised, ready to either dodge aside or press the attack should anyone charge in to investigate the noise.

(Spending 1L to activate Untouchable Opponent)

[Ridai]

The thick glass shatters easily under the Scion's might, showering the chaotic room beyond with shards. Arsen follows immediately behind, maneuvering his muscular frame through the window. The cramped room is littered with small pieces of debris and smashed furniture, the floors and walls looking carved up for some reason and covered in old brown or black smears and stains, one of them looking a lot like part of a handprint. A foul stench fills the room, a mixture of an animalistic smell, bodily excretions and coagulated blood.

Approaching the rusty door, barely anything is visible through the gap, but faint sounds can be heard. "...n' dump, killer here'd too much in there," a deep, slurred male voice says, followed by two different ones, emitting short gloating laughs. "Heh, yeah." "Man, we should be up there, show that chicks who's boss 'n' what they get for actin' up." More, even dirtier laughs. From how it sounds, the room beyond the door seems to be quite a bit larger and more open, also filled with a subtle electric humming and barely audible chatter from a television program. Heavy steps are coming closer to the door. Whoever it is, he weighs a lot and doesn't seem too suspicious yet.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali

Ali tries his best not to puke as they advance. When they reach the door, he readies his gun, and murmurs a prayer under his breath.

"Humata, principle of Good Thoughts. Grant me the speed and agility to run down and slay those who would cage and abuse the innocent. Father, hear me as I call to you in our hour of need. Make me a swift and mighty sword in your hand, to bring these vile things, man or monster, to justice."

He feels a warmth surge from inside his head and spread through his body, making him feel limber, even a bit twitchy.

Ali spends one point of Legend to utilize the Humata boon, granting him a temporary dot in Epic Dexterity for the remainder of the scene.

[Lesingnon]

"Ali," Lauren's voice is low, soft, and urgent. Her usual joyfulness is as absent from her tone as it is from her body language. "Open the door for me." Her body sank into a low crouch, sword held out to the side. Every muscle is tense, ready to spring. And she can all but feel the tingle of the Geas sweeping through her, urging her to act against the titans and their cultists. "Then get out of the way."

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali

Ali nods and moves towards the door, then he gives it a strong heave and jumps out of Lauren's way. Arsen and Lauren were one-Scion wrecking crews. They'd carry the day today.

[Lesingnon]

Lauren barely waited for Ali to clear the doorway before shooting forward like a bullet from a sling. She allowed herself to fall forward, practically skimming the ground as she bursts into the next room. Emerald eyes flash briefly with divine radiance as they glance about, seeking the men she'd heard speaking. And her sword is poised at her side, ready to strike.

[The_Snark]

Ellie drifts along behind the others like a balloon on an uneasy tether. The place makes her a little queasy. It isn't the grime, or the rust, or even the smell of blood and filth. All of those are just part of the world. They're not evil, even if most people think they're ugly. This place just has a bad vibe.

Maybe it's the voices of the guys in the next room? Ellie doesn't like to judge, but they're not good voices, full of unkind things and leering threats. Her uncle has a couple of friends who sound like that when they get drunk; Ellie usually finds somewhere else to be when they come over Friday nights.

[Ridai]

The door flies open with a loud, painful screech from the rusty hinges, almost slamming into the man who has been walking towards it from the other side. The room is revealed as a middle-sized abandoned production hall, with only little light seeping through the filthy windows and out of the few functioning flickering flourescent tubes on the ceiling. The hall is littered with debris and scrap and other junk, the few remaining machines clearly broken down, rusty and demolished. Three large vans with black-tinted windows are parked near the large entrance, with another, smaller car nearby.

As Lauren comes darting out of the smaller room, she quickly encounters a huge figure, dressed in filthy, stinking street clothes. The sheer mass on him looks unnatural and almost sickening, as if over a hundred pounds of muscles were crammed onto the nearly seven feet tall frame in way too little time, giving him a neck like a bull with bulging sinews and arms thicker than the average man's thigh. The dull eyes peering out from under the black hood are intensely bloodshot and frantic looking, the bits of visible skin riddled with clearly visible veins, stretch marks and small tears. In his thick hand rests the handle of a very large (and well-used) sledgehammer.

Two more similar figures are sitting on old, damaged furniture before a flickering TV, reaching for their weapons (a large, horrid-looking makeshift axe and a light machine gun, respectively), with a third charging out of what could be the remains of a small office room situated in the same hall, coming to a halt next to his colleagues, large hatchet in hand, staring towards the Scions.

And thus begins the warmup. Join Battle rolls in the OOC, please. The enemies receive a -2 to Join Battle due to the sudden entry and them being generally distracted.

[Ridai]

With the sudden entrance of the children of the Gods, the titanspawns' lackeys are slow to react to their onslaught. Too slow.

I rolled Join Battle for everyone but Lauren to speed things up. Arsen got three successes, Ali five and Ellie eight. The foes botched.

Initiative order:
Tick 0: Ellie
Tick 3: Lauren, Ali
Tick 5: Arsen
Tick 6: 4 thralls

You guys do not need to post in the initiative order. Everyone acting before the next enemy's turn can post, I'll resolve the actions together with the enemies' turns and update the order. Please state the Speed of your actions.

Unless Snark posts before everyone else has (well, Lesingnon and Zousha), I'm assuming she aims (as previously discussed in the OOC) in favor of Lauren, then Arsen, for this period of time. I'll add the dice to the attack results, Lesingnon, so just roll normal attacks (or whatever you have planned).

Go get them and stunt like you mean it! :smallbiggrin:

[Lesingnon]

Lauren's gaze sweeps over the room as she comes flying in, stopping on the two big men reaching for that nasty-looking axe and machine gun. Nasty-looking weapons that she really didn't want to see them use. So she darted between and launched into a tight spin, hand/arm darting out to scoop up both the axe and machine gun before she pops straight up like a cork from a bottle of champagne.

Using a combined action to grab both the weapons, and then moving straight up out of their reach. I'm assuming she has enough ticks worth of movement to pull that off before they can act, let me know if I'm wrong. Also, she'll be looking for some high out of the way place to toss them. The action is speed 5.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali

Ali enters after Lauren and strikes a dramatic pose, raising both his fists in the air.

"STAND STRONG, CHILDREN OF THE GODS! TODAY WE STAND AGAINST THE THRALLS OF EVIL THAT WOULD BAR OUR WAY! IN THERE THE INNOCENT LIE IN WAIT OF A CHAMPION! WE ARE THAT CHAMPION! IF DOUBT OR FEAR SHOULD WEAKEN YOUR HEART, REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE SCIONS! TITANSPAWN FLEE WHEN THEY HEAR OUR CRIES! THEY BREAK AGAINST OUR SHIELDS, FALL AGAINST OUR SWORDS, FLEE IN TERROR FROM OUR MIGHT! SO I SAY TO YOU, ALL OF YOU, TODAY, WE SAVE THE PEOPLE TRAPPED HERE! TODAY WE AVENGE THEIR CRUEL TREATMENT AT THE HANDS OF THESE MINIONS! BUT MOST OF ALL, TODAY WE SHOW OUR DIVINE PARENTS THAT WE REMEMBER AND HONOR THEIR SACRIFICES IN THE NAME OF MORTALS! FOR BOSTON! FOR THE GOOOOOOODS!!!"

Dust seems to blow away from the Banner revealing an ancient Persian symbol of heroism upon it. As Ali's speech becomes louder and more energetic, the symbol begins to glow. Soon it's as bright as a strong lightbulb, and the other Scions feel their own bravery growing with its light. They feel like they could take on the Titans themselves!

Ali uses the Blessing of Bravery boon.

Charisma + Command:[roll0]

Everyone in the band (as well as anyone else in the fight who's on Ali's side for some reason), get a point of Willpower and two temporary bonus dots of Valor that last until the end of the fight.

[Ridai]

1 stunt die for Lauren, adding no and one success to her disarm attempts, respectively.
+3 dice because of Ellie's aiming action, adding five (!) successes to her first disarm attempt.

2 stunt dice for Ali
The scene explodes into a chaotic frenzy, Scions clashing with the titanspawn's thralls, Lauren and Arsen guided by Ali's booming words empowered with the impetus and fury of the gods and Ellie's immaculate insights defying the boundaries of mundane logic and perception, with thunderous, deep shouts being everything the huge mortals can meet the Scions' first onslaught with.

Lauren's swift, light steps carry her over to the three thralls near the office in few heartbeats, her divine grace ripping the axe out of the hands of one thrall and sending it flying on top of the office, where it embeds itself audibly in the ceiling with a loud, deep noise. The machine gun is likewise lifted from the hands of it's owner, but Lauren's aim is a little off as it sails through the air only to end up hitting the ground a few feet behind her.

Slightly baffled by Lauren just passes him by, the thrall standing in front of the door barely is able to register Arsen coming at him in his frenzied haze. The son of Ares moves with deadly speed, carried forward by powerful muscles and booming steps towards his prey, bringing doom to his enemy. The thrall can't even manage to raise his sledgehammer in time as, seemingly in an blink of an eye, Agapi rends right through his thick clothes, the armor below and his skin, crushing bones and organs in his torso and almost taking his arm off, a large amount of blood spraying from the grievous wounds onto Arsen's blade and the room around him. As the disfigured man spins and reels from the strike, his now gurgling, blood-spitting shouts becoming more that of pain than fury, Arsen is already beside him, Misos delivering a strike straight through his abdomen so brutal it cleaves the thrall in half, propelling his weapon, bodily halves, copious amounts of blood and entrails backwards in a wide arc, creating a gruesome display (and smear) for all to see and tremble in despair before.

The remaining thralls' insane frenzy grows only deeper as they see their ally getting shredded apart. "YOU'LL ******* PAY, ************! WE'LL ENJOY FEEDING ON YOUR ******* GUTS!" one of them shouts in Arsen's direction, spit flying from his mouth. They turn to Lauren, moving to surround her. "GET THE *****, THEN HIM!" The three huge men throw themselves at Lugh's daughter with all they have like rabid animals. Yet they fail, Lauren eluding all of them with ease, even in spite of the large opening in her defense (by her standards).

Initiative order:
Tick 0: Ellie
Tick 3: Lauren, Ali
Tick 5: Arsen, Ellie
Tick 6: 4 thralls
Tick 7: Lauren
Tick 8: Ali
Tick 9: Arsen
Tick 11: 3 thralls

I rolled two simultaneous disarm attempts for Lauren after crossing the distance at the end of tick 4 (allowing her to attack in that tick), achieving a total of 13 and 9 successes, even despite the -4 penalty for simultaneous actions.

Arsen scored 10 and 7 successes on his attacks, dealing a total of 10 health levels worth of lethal damage after soak, killing the thrall instantly.

[Lesingnon]

Having three people lunge at you could be tricky. They could do a pretty good job of surrounding you and closing in, making it hard to doge from side to side or anything. Of course...it was less of an issue if you could fly. So she just went straight up, out of their reach. Her back arches as she tumbles almost lazily into a backflip, inverting herself in midair as her sword whistled through the air. The spin halting and sword tip darting as she lined it up...eyes narrowing a she sought to drive it through the mouth of the one that had called her a *****.

It would work better than washing it out with soap, right?

[roll0]
+2 autosuccesses, applicable stunt dice, and maybe an altitude bonus? Scion Hero states that being higher than your opponent may grant a 1-3 dice bonus to attack as well as a bonus of 1-3 to DV

[Ridai]

2 stunt dice, netting 1 extra success.
2 aiming dice from Ellie, netting 2 extra successes.
Superior mobility for Lauren, so she has a +2 DV vs. the thralls and the thralls take a -2 penalty to DV.
Lauren's blade finds it's target, biting deep into the thralls flesh, but the huge man still manages to avoid getting his head impaled, twisting out of the way. accompanied by the thrall's howl, Ghathanna na Maidine slashes right through his tongue, cheek and the bone above it, sending blood and teeth flying and leaving the thrall's face a gruesome, oozing mess, but the former axe-wielder is still standing. Barely.

Lauren dealt six levels of lethal damage to the formerly axe-wielding thrall.

Initiative order:
Tick 0: Ellie
Tick 3: Lauren, Ali
Tick 5: Arsen, Ellie
Tick 6: 4 thralls
Tick 7: Lauren, Ellie
Tick 8: Ali
Tick 9: Arsen
Tick 10: Lauren
Tick 11: 3 thralls

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali

Ali strides up to the former axe-wielder, gun ready. He points the gun at the man and speaks.

"You poor, delusional drugged-out fool. Did some hulking man force feed you blood to turn you into this? Were you persuaded into trying a designer drug by some tall and oddly chilly-looking woman? Victim, or villain, it matters not now. You were made into a monster, and the only way to save you is to end your life. Had you the will to fight it, you would have known not to stand against us. For we are Scions. We are the harbingers of inevitable justice to the Titans and their spawn. And so you must fall. For we are the righteous, before whom no force can stand."

His words seem to transfix the thrall, for he stares blankly instead of attacking Ali. Then Ali pulls the trigger, shooting the battered creature in the face, point blank range.

"Righteous..."

[Lesingnon]

A flick of Lauren's face cleared her blade from the man's face as blood flew, a drifting twirl ensuring that none of that so much as spattered her clothing. And with Ali moving towards half-face she turned her deadly attentions towards the next man in line...and simply continued her spin. Tightening it, speeding it as she whirled about. She adjusted the angle of her sword as she slipped downward a bit, letting it whirl around her like the edge of a screw. The gleaming edge sliding along the thug's flesh in one long, twisting slice.

Using the last stunt to replenish a point of WP
[roll0] + 2 autosuccesses

[Ridai]

Ali receives 2 stunt die, granting 1 extra success
Lauren receives 1 stunt die, granting 0 extra successes
Arsen received 2 aim dice from Ellie, granting 0 extra successes
Ali's hand is guided by the very divine righteousness as his voice becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy of things to come. The moment the trigger is pulled carries the omen of his target's doom, the sound fo the shot echoing through the hall before the thrall's suffering is ended, sending him falling to the floor with a bullet piercing his corrupted heart.

Arsen makes his way to Lauren with few, powerful steps, bringing swift vengeance to the unarmed thrall who tried to lay his dirty hands on his sister-in-arms, divine fury and steel shattering the puny mortal's body, brutally tearing it into pieces with one resounding strike accompanied by the sounds of flesh and bones giving way to the blade. Twisting around Lauren's nimble form, Arsen catches the remaining thrall off-guard, viciously slashing him from neck to waist, blood splattering to the ground, but not felling him.

The bleeding thrall reaches out to Lauren, who can recognize a golden ring around the appropiate finger, as if to grip her and try to tear her apart, shouting incoherently. However, there soon is utter silence, a single fluid motion as swift as lightning carrying Lugh's daughter past the titanspawn's slave. No new blood dared to cling to her blade. A moment passes before a thin red line appears across the thralls torso. His eyes become glassy, but in that final moment, the unending depravity and rage are gone, ending his inescapable torment and allowing him to end his life with a final moment of clarity. "Vivian..." As life leaves his body, he falls backwards onto the ground. Lauren can be sure that, in this very moment, she did her father proud with her masterful display.

After what seemed like only a few moments of violence, there is an eery quietness in the hall, only disrupted by distant droning sound from somewhere further up... and faint breathing from inside the office room.

Ali deals 2L damage levels, killing the wounded thrall.
Arsen deals 8L to the former machine-gun wielder, killing him, and 6L to the machete-wielder, severely wounding him.
Lauren deals a whooping 11L to the machete-wielder, killing him.

Combat is officially over. Well done, everyone. :smallsmile:

Since Limos isn't around anymore and things slowed down during the fight, I'm considering to reduce the planned frequency of fights and making it more like narrative scenes in some cases.

I'd very much appreciate your feedback on this short introductory fight. I want this part of the game to be as enjoyable as possible.

[Lesingnon]

Lauren's eyes soften in the brief instant before the man's death, as the man's humanity shines through the titans' corruption. Then she rotates slowly, righting herself in midair before touching lightly down amidst the blood spatter. And she spends a few seconds looking down at the fallen man, the ring on his finger, regret lurking in her emerald eyes.

Then she snaps out of it, eyes bright and alert once more. Though they don't quite hide the troubled thoughts starting to swirl in her mind as she motions towards the office door with her blade. "Do you hear that?"

[The_Snark]

The scent of blood, so sickly sweet: like rotted fruit, black and swollen with poisonous promise as it hangs from the arms of the tree of life. A knife in an alleyway; an old oak staircase lurking in the dark, solid and humdrum and hard as iron to the unlucky head that plunges to meet it; screeching tires and twisted metal and broken bodies crushed between them; a lunging serpent, its eyes glittering like sharpened diamond; little dull hurts that sting so long and so slow that only the rope brings blessed surcease; a giant of a man, his fist like a hammer against the skull of a child; broken glass stained scarlet; a white table with a masked man standing before you like God, cold scalpel poised above your heart; needles and rust on a cold concrete sidewalk; screams, fumbling hands on the trigger, a gunshot, blood mixing with tears on the carpet; a bright sword flashing cleanly through the chest—

("That one," she says in her mind's eye, and reaches out to make it so.)

—these are the things that kill.

There are three truths to this place. The first is the truth of rust, of once-vibrant things now decayed, great things brought low, and young things grown crabbed and bitter in their old age. It is the truth of decay, of ugliness. There is no beauty here, except when the light shines just right and reminds you of what it was like before it was ruined. The second truth is the truth of iron, of hardness and cruelty. It is a truth like an unsheathed blade, razor-sharp and without mercy. Grief and remorse are strangers to this place. The third truth is the truth of blood, without which a place cannot really matter. It doesn't matter how beautiful or majestic or sickening it is; without blood, without life and the possibility that it might end, it's just a game.

These are the truths of this place.

Ellie kneels on the floor by the dead man with the golden ring, her eyes dilated wide the way they get when she's really tripping out, or in the throes of prophecy, or (as is more and more common these days) both. She trails a finger in the blood pooling beside him, tracing patterns on the crimson-stained linoleum.

Ellie is using the Mystery purview, spending a point of Legend to add 3 successes.

[roll0] plus any stunt dice plus 3 autosuccesses. Questions will be asked via PM!

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ali reloads his gun.

"Once we get through this, remind me to talk to you about hand-to-hand combat lessons, Lauren."

[Lesingnon]

"Umm...I don't know much hand to hand." Her blade twirled gracefully through the air, flicking any lingering drops of blood off of it. "I could teach you fencing and stuff?"

She lifts off the ground as she finishes speaking, all the better to remain quieter in case anyone was listening as she (literally) drifted over to the door to the office. And her hand turned the knob ever so slightly to see if it was locked or anything. Better to find any surprises that might be in there now, right?

[Ridai]

Lauren finds the door and as she floats through the opening, she is greeted by a foul, thick smell. What little cold, filtered sunlight streams through the door and windows is barely enough to illuminate the room, revealing the decaying, trashed office with its rusting and rotting furniture strewn across the room. Luckily, no surprises await Lugh's daughter, at least not of the dangerous kind.

The quiet breathing comes from somewhere in the back, around a corner. It sounds shallow, if a bit strained. There are several filthy mattresses towards the back, all of them empty, except the one not visible from the door. Rounding the corner, Lauren sees what seems to a middle-aged, athletic woman, lying half on the side, half on her stomach. The relative darkness conceals most of her form, but the Scion can still see the bruises and the exhaustion as the mortal woman barely moves to look up to Lauren. However, one detail is very noticable to her: the gleam of a familiar golden ring.

[Lesingnon]

"Oh..."

It occurred to her that seeing someone barge in with a sword probably wouldn't be all that comforting to the woman. So it shrinks back down to a ring on her finger as she rushes forward, the thought that something dangerous might be lurking in this room apparently not occurring to her. She kneels down, gently rolling the woman over onto her back.

And trying not to look too much at the ring on her finger as she did.

"Oh, are you okay?" She turns to call back over her shoulder, "Ellie! We need you in here!"

Just as a remember, Piercing Gaze mean Lauren's not at all hindered by dim light, just complete darkness.

[Ridai]

Gah! I'll correct this right away. Sorry. :smallfrown:
The shadows futilely try to hide no more servants of the Titans before Lauren's eyes, only more signs of decay in the room. Sadly, she is also keenly aware of all the large bruises from ongoing abuse covering her entire body, with some dried blood here or there. A quiet whimper of pain escapes the woman's lips as Lauren rolls her over, probably a sign of bone fractures. At first, she looks up at the Scion in fear, her lips moving soundlessly, wincing as she is touched, but soon some relief washes over here features when she realizes Lauren won't harm here.

"I-I...I'm..." the woman begins with a shaky voice, not knowing how to answer the question.