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Lisl comes home on the dark of the moon to find signs of a fight (broken furniture, scorch marks on the wall, that sort of thing) and a man collapsed on the floor of the living room. He's six feet tall, short black hair, dressed in black boots, pants, shirt and cloak. He has a black handled sabre strapped to his belt and a large black pearl on a ring on his left hand. Assuming that our man in black is unconscious (and not dead or merely dazed), when he comes to, he will find himself lying on the lumpy yet still moderately tolerable guest couch (as opposed to the comfy couch near the fire), a pillow under his head, a band of medium-weight chain holding his arms to his sides, and the hair-light prickle of a set of four 9-inch long Ginsu-sharp "claws" at his neck. If he was injured (i.e., bleeding anything but ichor), Lisl will have a bowl of water and a rag, and be cleaning his wounds with her free hand while the other guards his gizzard unwaveringly. (Depending on how much time she's got before he wakes, she'll make securing him a priority, and then look over the damage a little. She will DEFINITELY make note of what he smells like, and what other scents (other than the familiar ones) are in the room.). His belt, and the sword and scabbard with it, will be leaning against the opposite wall. Alright, Lisl knows his scent now. Other scents in the room: Michelle and two others that Lisl hasn't encountered before. He wakes when Lisl puts her claws at his throat and not a moment sooner. He doesn't jerk awake or anything, just calmly opens his eyes,"Hello Lisl." * Lisl will make a mental note of the other unfamiliar scents, too (tho', I understand, this may have to wait...the best way to fix a scent is to really get her nose into it, and her nose is otherwise occupied at the moment). <Lisl> ::blink, blink. The claws don't move, and her voice is likewise calm, albeit lightly seasoned with sarcasm towards the end:: So. You know who *I* am. How about telling me who *you* are, and what in the nine hells you were doing in here? And perhaps, if you're feeling really expansive, you could tell me where my roommate has gotten off to. That is, if you're fond of breathing through your nose." [Out of sheer curiosity, what color are his eyes?] The Man in Black's eyes don't have any iris, just pupil and white. <Man In Black> I'm Brad. I'm here because Lann is somehow in this world, and even more impossibly managed to conspire with Yamato to use Arthur's death to free Yamato and the rest are too wounded to come to the surface. Especially Michelle. <Lisl> ::narrowing her eyes:: Back up. You're one of Michelle's...ummm....others? <Brad> ::Brad's voice is COMPLETELY without inflection as he speaks.:: <Jaret> ::there is a knocking at the door:: Lisl? Michelle? It's Jaret. <Brad> I'm the first. <Lisl> ::raising her voice, but not taking her eyes or claws from Brad:: Come on in, Jaret. I'm a little too busy to come to the door at the moment. <Lisl> How do I know you are who you say you are? And what in the nine hells happened here? * Jaret opens the door looks around the room, quickly assessing the situation, and quickly moves to Lisl's side. "Are you all right Lisl?" He looks intently at the man in black "I think I know you from somewhere...." <Brad> Well Jaret should remember me from that little trip he and Michelle took back when Cyric was taking over Jelarthna's arm. <Lisl> ::still without moving her eyes from Brad's:: I'm fine, Jaret. I got here after the fact. Can you confirm what this man is saying? <Brad> As to what happened here. Lann surprised Michelle at the dark of the moon and together with Yamato somehow managed to force Arthur's death, and use the power of Arthur's death to release Yamato. <Jaret> He looks like the man that appeared in Michelle's place when we were on the demiplane trying to save Jelarthna... but he didn't stay long, and was quickly replaced by another. I'm fairly sure that it's him, but not completely. <Lisl> ::eyes widening fractionally, she moves her claws back slightly from their guard position at his neck:: Arthur died? Michelle said he was sick. And Yamato...Michelle didn't trust him. <Lisl> This Lann...who or what is he? <Brad> Michelle's husband. I can't actually confirm that it was Lann. His appearance was correct, and his abilities where similar enough, but Michelle isn't exactly in any kind of condition to confirm whether it's Lann or something using his appearance. <Brad> ::Brad's voice continues to lack ANY inflection.:: <Lisl> ::gnawing on her lip for a moment:: Michelle told me that he had been left behind, when she...joined you. And now Arthur is gone, and Michelle is badly wounded...and Yohko and Felice? Is there anything we can do for them? * Jaret continues to study the visitor. * Nacheyla knocks at the door <Nacheyla> Hello? <Lisl> ::sighs:: It's like market square at midday. ::raising her voice again:: Come on in, Nacheyla. Mind the splinters. * Nacheyla carefully opens the door and steps in. <Nacheyla> Is this a bad time? <Brad> You misunderstood Michelle. She met Lann several worlds after she came into being. She killed Lann at the altar. None of them are wounded as you mean it. Yamato was the one who first learned how to change forms. Without him it is far harder to switch as we have grown accustomed to. Additionally Arthur's death, Yamato's betrayal, and Yamato's departure have been severe shocks to all of us. It's conceivable everyone will unravel completely. <Lisl> ::pressing her lips together:: Not if we can do anything about it. Michelle knows she has friends out here, as well as the ones in there. ::tapping Brad's chest lightly with her free hand and sighing again:: For all I know, *you* could be Yamato, and ready to slay us all as soon as I let you up. But this is getting us nowhere. * Nacheyla turns to Jaret. * Lisl leans back, withdrawing her claws from Brad's neck and using them to slice through the metal chains holding Brad in one smooth, effortless motion. <Nacheyla> I'm sure this is a bad time. Who is that, and what's going on? Or should I just leave? <Jaret> ::eyes light up with an idea:: Yamato is a spellcaster, right? <Brad> ::Brad's voice STILL lacks any inflection.:: <Brad> Yes. Arguably the best of us at spellcasting. His and Michelle's schools are so different it's hard to compare them. <Jaret> ::sidelong to Nacheyla:: "The copper piece version is that he's sort of part of Michelle's collection of people, and one of those people died and another one of those people used that person's death to separate from the others, which has left all of the other people weakened, and some of them are badly hurt." * Brad sits up on the couch so that he can face everyone, but otherwise refrains from moving. <Lisl> Nacheyla, this is Brad. He's a...friend of Michelle and Yohko's. To put it simply, it sounds like an old enemy of theirs showed up and trashed them, and my place with it, incidentally. <Nacheyla> I see... <Nacheyla> A pleasure, Brad, I'm sure :sounds dubious:: <Jaret> So, he's not very good with the... ::watches Lisl slice the chains away::... oh, well. So much for that. ::he actually looks a little crestfallen:: <Brad> Nacheyla, how would you track a ghost? * Nacheyla pulls out her sword <Nacheyla> With this, actually <Brad> Could you track Temire with it? <Nacheyla> [there is no sword there at all, just a hilt, although her arm moves as though there were a sword attached to the hilt] <Lisl> Hmmm...you said you were having problems changing since Yamato took off...but Felice knows a bit about that, too, doesn't she? <Nacheyla> Perhaps, if you can show me where she was most recently. <Brad> As did Arthur. Felice is limited to feline forms however. If the resources available to her expand she might be able to develop more generic transformation powers, but for the moment that is her limit, even if I could bring her to the surface. <Brad> Temire hasn't been seen since before the full moon. Will her trail have vanished in that time? <Nacheyla> That depends, really. Is the undead concentration in that area greater than normal? <Lisl> ::looking thoughtful:: If Yamato was that strong, and egging to get out, might *he* have done something to Temire without Michelle's knowledge? <Brad> It's conceivable, but most like he would have need expanded resources in order to accomplish the task. Michelle was the one who specialized in spirit magic. ::Brad's voice continues in its monotone.:: <Brad> I have no idea what constitutes normal, so I have no idea of what the undead concentrations in the Hall, the Tower, or our house are. <Nacheyla> Well, more precisely... if, as an undead, she did not take pains to hide her traces, and more than two undead have not crossed over her path in the time since, then, yes, I can... <Lisl> ::grinning slightly for the first time:: Do gods count as undead? <Nacheyla> only if they're dead <Lisl> Well...he WAS. But then he became a god. <Lisl> ::looking sharply at Brad:: And YOU. Michelle is not a WAS. <Nacheyla> then, no... <Brad> To the best of my knowledge, Erdian never visited the house. Unless Aldis happens to be a god. <Nacheyla> ::grins and shakes her head:: No, I don't think so <Lisl> ::over a sudden fit of coughing:: No, Mother is many things, but she is NOT...::cough, cough:: a god. <Lisl> ::grinning at Brad:: I do believe you actually cracked a joke. I guess you're not moribund, after all. <Brad> As Aldis herself pointed out. How is one to know if they are in fact a god? <Lisl> ::with a somewhat impish grin:: Well, I can guarantee you that she bleeds, for one. <Brad> And where Uranus' blood struck Gaia three Furies arose, to punish those who forsake their parents. <Lisl> ::wry grin:: Okay, you have a point. Mother was furious when I got her (it was an accident, really!), but she didn't spawn Furies from her blood. <Lisl> Well, if it comes to that, how do you know anyone's mortal? Aside from killing them, of course? (And even that's getting difficult, these days...) <Nacheyla> I think that's kind of beside the point, is it not? <Lisl> Well...yes and no. The question in my mind is whether it might have been...umm...Lann's?...fault that we've been so busy lately, or if someone *else* brought him here. ::shaking her head:: I refuse to believe in coincidence, in this case. <Nacheyla> Well, where was Temire, the last time you saw her? Sorting out gods I'll leave to you, as you seem to have thought about it more than I ever will. But Temire, the ghost-girl... her I might be able to do something about <Brad> The Hall was the last place anyone saw her. <Lisl> ::looking at Brad:: She was at Michelle's place after that, wasn't she? <Brad> She was supposed to go to the Tower to warn Zoya of the vampire. She never arrived. <Lisl> Hmmm....that kills the Yamato theory. I was with Michelle the whole time, then. <Nacheyla> On the way to the Tower. Okay. I haven't been there. <Nacheyla> ::turns to Jaret:: I can track her, if you can show me where to start. And I may... may, mind you... need some aid. The sort of creatures that can "trap" a ghost are sometimes very dangerous. It never hurts to have a good comrade at your side. <Lisl> ::suddenly remembering something:: Michelle told me that the person who snatched Temire was stalking her...at least, listening mentally. ::shaking her head:: I didn't quite understand it...but that was the reason she came to stay with me. COULD it have been Lann? <Jaret> I don't precisely know where to start, but I'll gladly accompany you and lend whatever aid I can. <Brad> It would explain the familiarity of the presence as well as why it couldn't be identified. Michelle was quite thorough when she killed Lann. It should not have been possible for him to return. Nor should it have been possible for him to follow us to this world. <Lisl> ::gnawing on her lip again:: Well, all the signals have pointed to some very high-powered individual in the background of all this. You should see what happened to fang-face baron's house. <Lisl> Perhaps whoever-it-was viewed you all ::gesturing to Brad:: as a threat, and saw Lann as the best way to keep you preoccupied. <Lisl> What frightens me is that, if it's true, this person knows everyone involved pretty intimately. <Brad> How did they come by knowledge of Lann? Michelle spoke of him only to you, your mother, and Marta. <Lisl> ::shakes her head:: I've not said anything to anyone. Mother wouldn't speak of it, and I'd frankly be frightened of whatever sort of power might force it from her. Marta...::shrugs:: I don't know. She seemed like a good enough person, and she certainly owed a debt to the Hall. She'd have no reason to betray us. <Lisl> But if gods hear prayers, why couldn't they read thoughts? <Brad> Knowing the deepest secrets of a mortal's heart is a common attribute among gods. If you posit a god as responsible for these actions then you must supply which god and for what motive so that evidence in support or contradiction of your hypothesis can be acquired. <Lisl> ::blinks a few times:: What plane did you say you were from, again? <Brad> Originally or which planes have we visited? * Nacheyla looks over at Jaret <Nacheyla> I don't understand a word of this... shall we go track down Temire? <Jaret> It sounds like a plan, Nacheyla. ::to Lisl:: If we find her, should we try to bring her here? <Lisl> ::shakes her head:: Never mind. It was mostly a rhetorical question. ::grins at Nach:: That makes two of us. Don't bring her here. ::looking around at the damage, somewhat sadly:: This obviously isn't safe enough. Bring her to the Tower. She should be safe, there. <Nacheyla> ::nods:: shall we then? <Jaret> Very well then. ::gestures to Nacheyla, and the door::After you, lady. * Nacheyla opens the door carefully and slips into the night * Jaret follows her out. <Lisl> ::looking around, eyes widening a moment as she remembers something and walks over to a broken chair, bending to examine it:: Brad, was anyone else here? Besides Lann? <Brad> Not till Yamato showed up. Arthur was here briefly. <Lisl> ::picking up a chair leg, holding it to her nose, and sniffing delicately, as if it were a flower:: Do you know where they stood? <Brad> Everything was pretty much in constant motion. At least until we collapsed. They left after that. <Lisl> Well....::sniffing the chairleg again:: I've got two different scents here...besides Michelle's and your own. <Lisl> ::shakes her head:: It's just too bizarre to me, that you could all share the same body, and have totally different scents. <Brad> I'm not sure what kind of scent Lann would have. Possibly similar to Jaret or Michelle's. Yamato would probably spell like a thunderstorm. <Lisl> ::frowning:: Michelle's I could understand. Why Jaret's? He's not from her world. <Brad> Neither is Lann. Lann's scent might be similar to Jaret's because they both have many of the same qualities. Specifically those qualities that Michelle found sexually desirable in both of them. <Lisl> ::raising a eyebrow sharply:: Are you normally this blunt? <Brad> Yes. <Lisl> ::shaking her head:: They didn't let you out much, did they? ::sighing, and sticking her tongue out delicately to lick the chairleg:: Well, I've got these down pretty well. If I run across them again, I'll know them, but they don't seem familiar at all...damn, I was hoping one of them might turn out to be our minor demon. <Brad> I didn't chose to come out. Becoming Michelle was probably the greatest experience of my life. She taught me how to live. <Lisl> ::looking slightly incredulous:: You were...less lively before? Damn, man, what did you *do* on your world? <Brad> Conducted quantum mechanical and relativistic research. <Lisl> Bless you? <Lisl> I'd gather then, whatever that is, that you didn't interact with humans much? <Brad> Not in the way you mean. Imagine a bunch of mages who never spoke to anyone but other mages, and then only about magely things. <Lisl> ::shakes her head:: That's why my mother comes to visit so often...and why she *doesn't* live with the elves. <Lisl> ::struck by a sudden thought:: If you're not generally an...active person, how is it that you managed to come through without a scratch, when the others are in such bad shape? <Brad> As I attempted to explain earlier. Their wounds are not physical but emotional. When I achieved my mastery of the Void I transcended such things. <Lisl> ::raising an eyebrow:: Sort of like Baba Yaga, who locks her heart in a box? Was it Arthur's death, or did Lann and Yamato do something else to them? <Brad> If I ripped your arm off, how would you feel? <Lisl> Pretty damn angry, actually. <Brad> Now imagine that instead of ripping your arm off I ripped out part of your soul. <Lisl> ::clenching her teeth together:: Been there. ::shakes her head:: But they can't give up. There are still-- how many of you left in there? Yes, it's horrible that one of you died. But you *knew* Arthur was sick...and the rest of you need to keep on *living,* dammit. <Brad> Lisl, imagine having to kill Aldis, then watching her return from the dead with an exact copy of you. Then watching the two of them kill a third copy of you, and then having the two of them rip a piece out of your soul. Then internalize all of that so that you felt everything that each of your copies felt, including the desire of the own that ripped part of your soul out. <Lisl> ::setting her jaw:: Brad, I know more about that sort of pain than you might think. I've killed people once dear to me, I've faced death at the hands of those I thought I could trust-- for Aerdrie's sake, my mother was forced to kill my father to protect me while I was still a babe in arms! If it's horror you want, yes, it's horrible. It's awful to experience, from both sides of the knife. But it's NOT the end. You've lived through it, and now you've got to *keep* living. <Lisl> What else is there-- are you all just planning to give up? Let Yamato and Lann WIN? <Brad> Lisl, who would you be if I removed the wolf from you? <Lisl> ::shakes her head:: I don't know. I'd still be alive, but....very different. <Brad> Would you perhaps go mad? <Lisl> ::laughing without humor:: Probably quite the opposite. It would be like...like losing half my passion, and taking my sight besides. <Brad> Yamato was our ambition. <Lisl> ::shaking her head:: Michelle was...too alive, too strong, to lose it all like this. ::sounding angry:: Does NOTHING else drive you all? What about Temire? Don't you care for her? What will happen to her if you just give up? <Brad> You are the only one who has stated that we have given up. <Lisl> ::stopped in mid-tirade by Brad's implacable logic::But-- you just said Yamato was your ambition, and you lost Yamato. You've been telling me how you're all on the brink of madness, and how emotionally damaged the others are...? <Brad> Yes. It is possible the wounds that Yamato inflicted upon us are sufficient to cause our demise. It is also possible that the wound swill lead to the unraveling of our mind and drive us mad. In neither possibility did I preclude our attempting to recover. <Brad> This topic began when you asked how I was able to function while the others were incapacitated. The answer is that I transcend the harms that Yamato and Lann inflicted upon us. <Lisl> ::staring at Brad, mouth slightly agape, non-plussed::So-- ::closing her mouth, thinking for a long moment, and trying again, speaking slowly as if she's trying out a foreign language:: So then, what would you say is the...umm...probability of their recovery? <Brad> Harold is our instinct. He'll fight until he dies and quite possibly afterwards as well. However, he is entirely capable of driving the others mad. <Brad> Deanna is our passion. She also will fight. <Brad> Yohko is our combativeness. Additionally she won't rest until she knows that Temire can protect herself. <Lisl> ::under her breath:: two more I haven't met.... <Brad> Michelle is our nurturing. Combined with her knowledge of spirit magic she could almost certainly guarantee our recovery. However she's fallen into despair, and her grief tears at the others. <Brad> Felice and Adam won't be much help. They'll fight and lend their strength, but this lies outside of their realms of expertise. <Lisl> ::wrinkling her brows in thought:: Adam's another I don't know...but Felice...you asked before what I would be like if you took the wolf out of me. Felice...well, it's only a cat, but she's got the beast in her, too. Don't underestimate that. <Brad> I can not. But what is even the most ferocious cat when compared to a berserker. She'll help as she can, but what aid she can offer will pale before Harold's contributions. <Lisl> ::shaking her head:: And despair...it's a vicious circle. You've got to get her to concentrate on something other than her loss...something to distract her, or it will eat her heart out. Temire's not enough of a distraction for Michelle? <Lisl> ::grinning:: Cats have cunning along with ferocity, and they have nine lives... <Brad> She killed her love at the altar and abandoned their child at its birth. Now she's been rejected by the lover she sought to replace him with, lost the child she sought to replace her own with, and been punished by the man she killed, the father of her child. She believes she has every reason to despair. <Lisl> ::grasping at Brad's words:: She hasn't lost Temire yet. Nacheyla's tracking her right now. And I thought the man she killed was psycho? <Brad> No, he merely chose to ally himself with dark powers. Most likely it seemed necessary to him at the time. <Lisl> ::twisting her mouth:: Like I said, a psycho. It always seems necessary "at the time." "The dark powers" find it in their own best interest to show you as few choices as possible. <Lisl> But she's got reasons not to despair-- if she manages to drag you all down with her, I doubt there would be a soul left on this earth who could take down Lann and Yamato, not to mention stopping the plot that got this whole mess rolling in the first place. And I have yet to see Michelle let down a fiend. <Brad> Lann could be very dangerous in this world. Like Michelle his magic is far different from that practiced by your mages and priests. Yamato is dangerous, but I properly organized and prepared party should be able to defeat him. <Lisl> ::raising an eyebrow:: And how would we be properly prepared if you lot died and we had no idea how to defeat him? Leaving aside Lann, for the moment. <Lisl> ::sounding offhand:: Of course, there's the other option, too-- if you all went mad, just think of what *that* could unleash on this world. <Brad> You've survived Yb. <Lisl> ::shuddering:: That remains to be seen, I think.::tugging briefly at her collar:: And I think she's getting stronger...you should have seen her playing sandcastles in the Ethereal plane. <Lisl> Besides, at least Yb's only a wild mage. I don't understand Michelle's magic any more than I do Moon Dancer's. <Brad> Yb is possessed by elemental chaos. If you're looking fora divinity she's a likely candidate. Michelle and Moon Dancer meant to talk and compare their magics, but Moon Dancer never seemed to be available. <Lisl> ::frowning:: Wait-- Yb? You can't be serious. She's insane. She could never come up with something as convoluted and well-planned as this seems to be.........could she? <Brad> Chaos is often defined as infinite potential. <Lisl> But-- chaos also means...::frowning again, as she thinks it through::...it means lack of order. No planning. This thing has been planned for...well, I'm not sure, but it certainly seems like whoever is behind this set it in motion some time ago. At *least* ten years, most likely more. <Brad> If you spoke with Zoya I suspect she would tell you that chaos permits seemingly insignificant events to produce monumental effects through simple, orderly processes. <Lisl> ::blinks:: She'd probably use words I could understand...but...do you mean, it makes things happen by coincidence? <Brad> It can. It can also mean that given sufficient time the beat of a butterfly's wings can cause a hurricane. <Lisl> ::closing her hanging jaw with a snap:: *Please* tell me you're kidding. <Brad> No. <Brad> As I said, chaos is often defined as infinite potential. <Lisl> But-- but-- ::grasping:: At least tell me the probabilities are so small as to be laughable. <Brad> Meteorology wasn't my specialty. <Lisl> ::staring dumbly at Brad for a moment before plopping down on an intact stool and breaking into laughter:: Brad...you may not mean to be, but you're a riot. <Lisl> ::shaking her head again as she calms down:: For such a smart man, though, you seem awfully short on ideas. Can you think of*anything* that might get Michelle out of her funk? <Brad> Not while we're unable to change forms. <Lisl> ::propping her head on her chin and thinking, idly sifting through splinters:: Do you even know if she can hear what's going on around her? <Brad> I don't know. It depends on how deeply she's fallen into despair. <Lisl> ::glumly:: I wish Mother were here. She might be able to tell...the two of them talked long enough into the night. <Brad> Aldis' insight would be invaluable, not only for healing Michelle, but also for finding and defeating Lann and Yamato. <Lisl> ::lifting her head:: Hang on...say that again? The bit about insight... <Brad> I said, "Aldis' insight would be invaluable, not only for healing Michelle, but also for finding and defeating Lann and Yamato." <Lisl> ::steepling her fingers over the bridge of her nose::Hang on... there's an idea in there somewhere...dammit, what was it? Insight, insight....healing insight... <Lisl> Wait-- of course!! The Goody! <Lisl> If anyone can comfort Michelle, Goody Bea could...::looking a trifle wry:: And those damn cats might get Felice out to play. I wouldn't put it past them to go in and get her, in fact.... <Brad> Such a course of action seems logical. Should we inform the Goody of our nature, or should we keep it a secret? <Lisl> ::looking Brad up and down critically:: You look presentable enough. Tho' if she starts calling you my young man, I'm running. ::grinning a little:: I'm not sure it's *possible* to keep secrets from Goody Bea. She knows everything...eventually. <Lisl> ::looking around the room:: I'll have to leave things as they are for a bit. No time to hunt...we can pick up something from the market on the way over.... <Brad> Then shall we go. ::Stands, holds his arm out to his sabre. The sabre flies to his hand. He belts it on.:: <Lisl> ::muttering:: So much for leaving it on the other side of the room...could you have done that when you were chained up? <Brad> Yes. <Lisl> ::rolling her eyes:: Wonderful. ::pausing a moment::*You* don't happen to be a god, do you? <Brad> How do you define divinity? <Lisl> ::looking at him a long moment:: Can you be killed? <Brad> Yes. <Lisl> ::thinking for a moment about how his mind works:: Can you be killed by a fairly ordinary mortal? <Brad> In principle. <Lisl> ::nodding firmly:: Fair enough. Not a god. Let's get over to the Goody's...I hope you like tea and biscuits, because I think you'll be getting a lot of them in the near future. <Brad> They're not nutritionally balanced, but are suitable sources of liquids and calories. <Lisl> ::shaking her head:: You and Gloss would get along famously, I think. Well, maybe Goody Bea can take care of that, too, while she's got you. <Brad> Lead the way Lisl. <Lisl> ::strides out through the door without a backward glance, whistling something that sounds remarkably like "Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go..." * Brad follows Lisl out, closing the door behind him. |
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