21:06 <Crion> "What in the--" is all God Above Rejoices in You manages to get out before it sweeps into the clearing. 21:09 <Crion> The Hedge doesn't part, no -- it half-thunders, half-oozes through, a great sinewy feathered black thing with a white, expressionless plate that replaces what would be the face of an owl. It has wings, but they are hard to define and melt into whatever they touch, and it half-flies, half-lopes round and round the clearing, round and round the 'body' of the fallen experiment, knocking the 21:09 <Crion> motley back without care for injury but without intent to hurt, focusing on the mage-thing. 21:13 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart's blown back like a leaf but manages to turn it into this hobbly half-roll thing that sees him back on his feet despite the deep wound in his leg. 21:13 <Crion> Erfva naq Ragenvyf -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA9LRcnKVtc ♫♪ ... ♫♪ ... ♫♪ 21:15 <Crion> LBH LBH OEVAT GUR FDHNYBE NAQ GUR FUNQBJ! GUR FHPX NAQ GUR FBAT! JR JR HAQREFGNAQ VG NF N IBVPR. <YOU YOU BRING THE SQUALOR AND THE SHADOW! THE SUCK AND THE SONG! WE WE UNDERSTAND IT AS A VOICE.> 21:16 <Crion> G.A.R.Y.: "What...what is--Jung ner lbh? Jul ner lbh urer?" <What are you? Why are you here?> 21:17 <Crion> JR JR JNAG. <WE WE WANT.> 21:17 <dammitwho> Ahhhhh geez. 21:18 <banana> Yeah, Melanie's just trying to back up as much as possible and usher others with her. These things can fight to the death hopefully - though the new one reminds her of something from those animes - 21:19 <CBN> Sometimes not getting attention is the best thing that can happen to you. Feels to Tony like this is one of those times. 21:20 <trenchfoot> Nels accepts Melanie pulling her away without complaint. 21:20 <Crion> G.A.R.Y. and the creature stare at each other...and then the mage begins to smile. "Lbh jnag...ab. Ab, lbh qba'g. Lbh qba'g jnag xabjyrqtr naq cbjre, orpnhfr lbh unir vg. Lbh jnag QNGN." <You want...no. No, you don't. You don't want knowledge and power, because you have it. You want DATA.> 21:21 <Crion> "Ohg V qb jnag xabjyrqtr naq cbjre. Naq V nz jvyyvat gb orpbzr lbhe qngn sbe vg." <But I do want knowledge and power. And I am willing to become your data for it.> 21:22 <Crion> It looks at him for a moment; twists its head. Blinks. And then: JR JR NPPRCG. <WE WE ACCEPT.> 21:22 <Crion> And in one whole bite, the Title known as Erfva naq Ragenvyf, Resin and Entrails, swallows the mage known as Gary whole. He drinks him all up! 21:23 <Crion> And laughing in his strange double-voice, flees, oozing and flying, back through the Hedge, towards Arcadia. 21:24 <Crion> So God Above Rejoices in You passed from the world, and this story. At least for a time. 21:24 <CBN> Tony blinks a few times, real slow like, waiting for some hideous other-other-shoe to drop. 21:24 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "..." 21:24 <trenchfoot> Um. 21:24 <Crion> Benjamin, Best Beloved: "Well fuck." 21:24 <banana> Melanie says what they're all thinking: "Normal." 21:25 <banana> "Normal end to a truly normal dude." 21:25 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart coughs a laugh. 21:25 <Crion> The Oracle at Pimlico chuckles and seeps back into Ben's body. with one last caress across his jaw. 21:26 <CBN> Tony: "Man this got weird, even for us. But hey, everyone's still standing, right?" He looks around at the rest of the motley. 21:28 <dammitwho> Maggie, solemnly: "He who makes a wizard of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man." 21:28 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart's flexing the wrist and fingers on his gun hand like he does if he's been at the keyboard for a while. "I'm good." 21:28 <VoxPVoxD> The blood oozing slowly onto his jeans belies that a bit -- but there's not that much of it. 21:29 <banana> It's probably okay to slump in relief at this point. The ersatz thorn-splinters have all fallen out of the air around Melanie, making a wicked little carpet, and her expanded shadow vanishes into them. She's.. moving, no slower than usual; parts of her limbs are straight up snapped and hanging loose and there's no smell of summer heat left at all. 21:30 <CBN> Tony: "Glass-half-full, Gary's not our problem anymore? I think? Stewart, did you follow what was going on with that whole...everything?" 21:31 <Crion> The Hedge itself has gone peaceful again, and the remaining pieces of whatever-that-was have disintegrated with their master gone into Arcadia. You can see the clearing, uh, healing by the minute. Which isn't entirely positive because the Hedge isn't particularly friendly, but it looks like you'll be left with a carveout. 21:32 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "I couldn't understand what they were saying. It seemed like Gary was making an offering of himself more than getting got, but also... he was surprised to see it? Like that can't have been the goal." 21:34 <CBN> Tony: "What was, with any of this? I don't feel like we know the wizards well enough for me to ask them if their plans are always this elaborate and weird but, man, I just." Throws his hands up in the air, casting off bits of soil. 21:34 <banana> Melanie: "Yeah, no, I think before the ghibli owl turned up he was going to be like, and for my next trick-" 21:34 <trenchfoot> Nels: "I mean. If he was offering himself up, he's probably getting something out of it that we wouldn't like. Was it a good surprise? Like, 'can't believe my luck?'" 21:35 <trenchfoot> "'Cause it seemed... kinda? 21:35 <trenchfoot> " 21:35 <VoxPVoxD> "The owl-thing and the oscillating angel that Gary was riding had similar songs... the willworkers have this idea of 'sympathy', of metaphysical connections that transcend distance. The thing Gary made was like the owl-thing in some way that attracted the owl-thing." 21:35 <VoxPVoxD> "Is my theory." 21:35 <CBN> Tony: "On the other hand, offering himself up to anything that big and that willing and able to just fuck off back in the direction of full-on Arcadia seems like a really bad idea to me. But I'm not a couple hundred? More? Years old dude who still lets people call him Gary." 21:36 <CBN> Tony: "Oh. I would simply not make things that look like fucked up owl monsters then." 21:37 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "He said something about trying to bring about or call on - he said 'prefigure' - something or someone he called 'the Ruin'. I think that was his goal, and owl-thing basically got drawn in by the energy, and Gary had to adapt on the fly." 21:38 <VoxPVoxD> "Whatever he meant to happen... I think we stopped." 21:38 <banana> Melanie: "It was a powerful construct, but unfortunately vulnerable to being hit really hard." 21:40 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Yeah, wow, you guys beat the shit out of that thing." 21:40 <Crion> Ben: "I'm just glad there was so much of it to hit." 21:40 <Crion> "And that none of it was people." 21:40 <CBN> Tony: "So is that the end of the Seers then? Do you think the wizards will give us hats for this?" 21:40 <dammitwho> Maggie: "I was gonna say something like 'never punched a --- before' but I still don't even know what that was." 21:40 <CBN> Tony nods to Ben, patting his shotgun. "Big same on both counts." 21:40 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "There's still all the other ones. Society and Cingular and so on." 21:41 <banana> "I think Nels actually hit some kind of junction point once we'd knocked the rest out of alignment. There were definitely bullets going where it came apart." 21:41 <dammitwho> Maggie: "So! Should we tell our various regents the good news?" 21:41 <Crion> Hedge is closing up real nice and Ben's looking a bit antsy. 21:41 <banana> It's a strange feeling... half-triumphant, but definitely not wanting to ever do it again. 21:42 <VoxPVoxD> "I got the impression that whatever Gary was doing was happening under their noses, even. Or outside their control. We certainly didn't see anyone but him here." 21:42 <CBN> Tony: "Let's talk this over somewhere less-weird, though. Tony looks for the door what brung them. 21:43 <banana> Melanie: "It doesn't really matter. The gist is.. Gary fled to the Hedge and tried to create a.. thing, comma, we smashed it, semicolon; before he could regroup, a Faery took him away because they do that." 21:43 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Yeah." 21:44 <banana> "Whether Mother Franklin wanted him to make this thing is a question for sages and philosophers." 21:44 <banana> "The other ones, I mean." 21:46 <Crion> The portal is still there; this hasn't taken so long. 21:47 <CBN> Tony heads for the Door. "Anyone hungry?" 21:47 <banana> Melanie: "I could sleep." 21:47 <trenchfoot> Nels: "God yes. And exhausted." 21:48 <banana> "Hey, Mr. Best, thanks for all this. I know it's outside the usual line of veterinary work, though the owl did appear sick." 21:48 <Crion> Ben: "And ready to write up an invoice." 21:48 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart smiles at that. 21:48 <Crion> Ben: "Hey, no problem. And both definitions of sick." 21:49 <Crion> "I'm glad you got your...well, we've still got to see about your people. But they've got a fighting chance." 21:49 <Crion> "And we can set Capra to rest properly." 21:50 <Crion> "You couldn't see it, I bet, or didn't care to in the moment, but when that thing fell apart...some ghosts were let loose. I think the rest of him might just find its way home." 21:50 <CBN> Tony nods a little at that. The idea of dead Hedge-adjacent stuff getting out, that's nice. Unexpected. 21:51 <banana> Let's see whether the discomfiting basement is any better given recent alternatives. 21:52 <Crion> Back in the real(?) world, the house is...no longer quiet. 21:53 <Crion> The basement is empty, at least. But you can hear sirens in the distance, boots thumping across the boards above you, and at the top of the basement stairs someone is having a very loud conversation with dispatch about whether he's getting overtime for this. "I gotta fuckin hangover, Marge, but I also got a fucking mortgage. The fuck you think I'm doing this for. You tell the desk I need the 21:53 <Crion> shift lieutenant to--" 21:53 <Crion> And so on. 21:54 <Crion> Turns out a prolonged firefight in the Catonsville suburbs attracts a response. 21:54 <VoxPVoxD> Ah, well. 21:55 <trenchfoot> Oh dear. 21:57 <CBN> Tony scratches his head, and looks at the very large firearm he has in his other hand. Uh oh. 21:59 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart points back at the door. Should we just...? 22:00 <trenchfoot> Nels looks upstairs, then back to the door, then nods. 22:00 <CBN> Tony looks to the top of the stairs, looks back at the door, looks back and forth a few times and shrugs. 22:00 <banana> Melanie turns around. 22:00 <Crion> The cop above: "Look I just -- wait, what do you mean?" 22:01 <Crion> "How can the Eastern District just be gone?" 22:01 <trenchfoot> ...? 22:01 <Crion> "The BUILDING?" 22:01 <VoxPVoxD> Okay, now it's time to go. Stewart starts back into the Hedge. 22:02 <CBN> Tony follows, noting a loud 'the fuck' for when they're somewhere it's safe to be loud. 22:02 <Crion> "Well, we're county, so we can't..." The cop's voice will fade as you head back into the Hedge. 22:03 <dammitwho> Just gonna scootch by you there as fast as we possibly can. 22:05 <VoxPVoxD> How hard is the trip back to the Wherehouse? 22:06 <Crion> From the suburbs into downtown Baltimore? Well, you've got the Beltway trod and the I-95 trod which help, but it's still gonna be a hike. 22:08 <Crion> Ben: "Sooo...what am I supposed to do about my truck? Can I get a lift back to it?" 22:08 <Crion> "Wait, you all drove too." 22:09 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "We should be able to come out on the other side and get back to our cars. We parked a couple blocks away." 22:14 <Crion> As you head back into the Hedge...it's changed. You're still at the correct door, but suddenly instead of being a rapidly-filling field, it's a strangely-Hedgerowed expanse of houses...with faces...that are milling about the "streets," making strange creaking noises at each other. 22:15 <Crion> They don't seem to have seen you yet... 22:15 <Crion> Ben: "What the f--" The Oracle puts a ghostly hand across his mouth to save you the trouble. 22:17 <Crion> Any of you who have watched the Charlie Brown cartoons probably think these things sound like the adults in those productions, except made with squealing old wood instead of a trombone. 22:19 <CBN> Tony tries to chart a course to get the group out of these streets and onto slightly less mean-looking-streets, but of course, the Hedge is the Hedge, so success isn't what it could be. 22:20 <dammitwho> Buncha gawkers and looky-loos. 22:21 <trenchfoot> ...this sort of thing never gets any less weird. 22:23 <Crion> The sound of a dozen bike bells ringing all at once, and there they are...almost two-dimensional props of paperboys riding two-dimensional props of bikes, driving a set distance down the street in unison, pausing in unison, and hucking what looks like a brick with writing on it at each house in unison. One or two of the houses get angry and stomp at their 'paperboys,' but the bike bells ring 22:23 <Crion> again and they move up and repeat the pattern...coming towards you. 22:26 <Crion> Ben just kind of shakes his head. 22:34 <dammitwho> Maggie looks around, darts to the side of the street, and pries apart two fence pickets to make a gap wide enough for the rest of the gang to follow. We can take back yards until we're away from these messed up paperboys. 22:36 <dammitwho> A few blocks away, she can push more fenceposts together enough to form a triangle arch tall enough that they can squeeze underneath... and out of the Hedge. 22:36 <Crion> With a bit of gumption and a dollop of Glamour, you're back on the streets of Catonsville, MD...and your timing is lucky, because those cop cars tearing down the block were in the sweet spot where they couldn't see you stepping out while looking forward or looking in their side mirrors. 22:36 <CBN> For what it's worth, Tony's happy to see paperboys somewhere. Those don't seem to exist in Baltimore anymore, at least not how he remembers them, it's all sullen middle-agers in rusted hatchbacks like his. Nevertheless, this nostalgia does not slow him down one step in fucking off right out of there on Maggie's heels. 22:37 <Crion> Seems these guys are leaving 301 Locust Drive, not heading for it. 22:40 <trenchfoot> Like they just finished up and someone told them that a building vanished? 22:41 <Crion> Unclear whether they even finished up, but you'd have to head back to see the police presence still there. 22:42 <dammitwho> Shan't. 22:42 <Crion> Well that's where Stewart's car is. 22:43 <trenchfoot> Shall, then. 22:43 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart can go get it and swing back around if people are real paranoid. 22:44 <dammitwho> Oh, right. Cars. Very well. 22:45 <banana> Melanie takes her moment to settle her Mask, tug ragged sweater bits over the illusionary cuts and bruises, et cetera. The goal is to look like someone who's had a rough night out last night and really needs to get home, officer, rather than a kidnap victim. 22:48 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Alright, someone come with me to get the car from the cops." 22:48 <VoxPVoxD> He lays a hand on his leg and the wound blurs into pixels that then upscale back into intact skin. 22:49 <VoxPVoxD> He looks up, and for a moment the sun behind them gets in his eyes and they look like silhouettes on a party select screen. 22:50 <banana> "...I'd either piss them off or look like a victim." Melanie doesn't enjoy admitting this. 22:51 <trenchfoot> Nels looks around the group and... "...I think I'm the best bet." 22:52 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart's eyes refocus quite slowly. He peers at Melanie and Nels through the glare. "...alright, come on." 22:52 <Crion> ...How visibly injured is Nels, again? 22:52 <trenchfoot> Oh. Right. Extremely. 22:52 <Crion> Mmmm. 22:53 <trenchfoot> Pretend I didn't say that. 22:53 <Crion> Thankfully, you may reload from checkpoint. 22:58 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "You'd look like *my* victim. Let me just... I'll be right back, okay?" 22:58 <VoxPVoxD> Can't afford to eat the social penalty here. This is a clearly telegraphed failure condition. 22:58 <trenchfoot> Nels sends a weak thumbs up. 23:00 <banana> :C "Good luck Stewart." 23:03 <Crion> When Stewart gets in sight of 301 Locust Drive, there are a lot fewer cops there than it sounded like there were upstairs. Two cruisers out front; one guy putting up crime scene tape, and one guy at the end of the driveway, fiddling with his phone. Presumably anyone else is still inside. Should be home free to the vehicle...but the cop glances up and sees him. 23:03 <Crion> Kinda gormless, kinda vacant, probably on steroids. Not really moving yet. 23:03 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart slinks to his car - not trying to hide so much as trying to will himself to sink into the earth. He looks chagrined but not concerned by the sight of the police officer. He points awkwardly at his car. "Morning." Fake wince. "Afternoon." 23:04 <Crion> The cop frowns. "Your car?" 23:04 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Yeah." He produces the keys, using them to gesture again at the driver's side door. 23:05 <Crion> The cop pockets the phone and saunters down towards him. Gets too close. "What're you here for." 23:05 <banana> Melanie leans on one of the fenceposts and tries to remain awake. "He'll be ok. Everyone did really really well." 23:05 <Crion> "You live here." 23:05 <Crion> "See what happened." 23:07 <trenchfoot> Nels: "We did." She wants to sleep for a week. Maybe after eating something. 23:07 <Crion> *Rewind sound* 23:07 <Crion> *Fast forward sound* 23:07 <trenchfoot> Sorry, I should have prefaced with "To Melanie:" instead of "Nels:" 23:08 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart squints in confusion, then looks past the cop and lets his eyes widen a couple of ticks. This isn't jackknifing out of control. He(it?) doesn't suspect anything. Look dumb, but not too dumb, and mostly embarrassed. "Oh, shit- no, I, ah, I was just-- I was just visiting friends. We were up pretty late. I didn't see anything." 23:08 <VoxPVoxD> He points back the way he came, but at an angle, like he turned a corner he didn't. 23:08 <VoxPVoxD> "Sorry, sir." 23:10 <Crion> The cop squints. "Visiting friends." He reaches up...and flicks the keys in Stewart's hand, jangling them, hard enough to dislodge them if Stewart weren't quite the shrinking violet this pig thinks he is. "This ain't a college town. Go on, git." 23:11 <Crion> He'll walk off. 23:12 <Crion> Stewart is free to go. 23:13 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart gets in his car without another word, and pends a minute hyperventiliating. He has to call Lauren -- no. He has to see Lauren. Obviously- obviously the phone isn't fucking safe. But he's gotta pick up the others either way, and he does, fingers flexing on the wheel as he pulls up by the motley. 23:14 <Crion> Ben nods as the car rolls up; he's about ready to go in his truck. "You all need me further or should I just punch out at...let's say 1 P.M.?" 23:15 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Should be able to take it from here! Thanks so much!" 23:15 <trenchfoot> Nels: "I think we're good?" She'll get into Stewart's car after that and just slump. 23:15 <CBN> Tony looks at his watchless wrist. "Wow, is it 3 P.M. already?" He nods to Ben. "Owe ya for a lot more than that today man." 23:19 <Crion> Ben smiles and nods. "I appreciate it. Y'all have my number." He pauses. "In emergencies, we can negotiate the rate after the fact." 23:19 <Crion> "When we win." 23:20 <CBN> Tony nods. 23:21 <banana> Melanie: "Do you need one of us to drive Stewart?" 23:22 <VoxPVoxD> ?! "No, it's fine, my leg's all patched up. Just need to go home and take a really long shower." 23:23 <banana> Melanie: ":) Ok. You can drop Tony and me at the Oberon or Lexington, whatever's on the way." 23:24 <Crion> Ben's off. 23:25 <CBN> Tony: "Yes please! Hoping Steve didn't eat all my leftovers." 23:27 <banana> To Tony: "My car's still at the club, so I can take us from there or pick it up later." 23:27 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart goes, focusing on the road. Focusing very hard. The Oberon's first. 23:27 <CBN> Tony: "Sounds good." 23:37 <Crion> The Oberon is still closed. One of the day dancers is pulling out of the parking lot as you arrive; she appears to have been paid for the day by David Smote, who is sitting on the steps to the entrance. He'll stand as you arrive and wave someone off behind him. A couple seconds later, Nissa of Fives will step through the door, holstering a gun under her white coat. Both look a bit shook. 23:37 <VoxPVoxD> Do Nels and Maggie want to get out too? 23:38 <dammitwho> Huh. Might as well. 23:38 <CBN> Tony's as chipper as you can be for dodging cops and what looked like certain death multiple times in the last few hours. He gives a little wave and stuffs his shotgun under his jacket as best he can as he steps out. 23:38 <Crion> Smote: "Are you good?" He pauses to see who's getting out of the car. "Are all of you like, alive?" 23:39 <dammitwho> Maggie: "A little shaken up, but we're fine." 23:39 <Crion> Smote: "Good, that's good. You run into any wizards?" 23:39 <CBN> Tony: "Everybody's alive, one wizard, gone now." 23:40 <Crion> Smote nods, not seeming really surprised to hear that. "Yeah, that's...how long you been out of pocket?" 23:40 <Crion> "They said you were out in Catonsville or some shit?" 23:41 <CBN> Tony nods again: "And then the Hedge, and then back in Catonsville. The Hedge stuff was, woof. Probably wanna talk about that one with the wizards around so we don't have to repeat it twice." 23:41 <trenchfoot> Nels is out too, then. "Yes." It was... it was a thing. 23:41 <dammitwho> Maggie: "I dunno... time is a little... I heard the police say something about the Eastern District being gone?" 23:41 <Crion> Smote: "Okay so-- let's go inside." 23:41 <Crion> Nissa, checking the parking lot again, will open the door. 23:42 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart's the last out of the car and quietly follows the others in. 23:44 <Crion> Once everyone's inside, Smote: "So, at, 10:00 AM this morning, the Freehold and the Consilium of Baltimore went to war with the Pylon of Baltimore. Formally speaking." 23:45 <banana> Melanie's not saying much today, but it's not like the old times when she would hide away in fear of trying to be human. She's just very tired. "Yeah. Maybe they didn't mean that but it's too late." 23:45 <dammitwho> Maggie: "After seeing what they did..." 23:45 <Crion> "At 10:32 AM that war ended when a perfect, fucking--what was it." 23:46 <Crion> Nissa: "50-meter diameter orb." 23:46 <Crion> "50-meter diameter orb of the Eastern District of the Baltimore Police Department disappeared." 23:46 <banana> Oh? "Eh." 23:46 <Crion> He spreads his hands wide and looks at you with calm eyes. "They removed that orb from space." 23:46 <CBN> Tony: "Oh shit. That's a lot of Police Department." 23:46 <Crion> "And it was gone." 23:46 <dammitwho> Maggie: "Golly." Oh, phew. She thought that the 'Eastern District' was part of the whole city or something. Though probably people would be way more upset. 23:47 <Crion> Nissa: "And then one of the wizards blew the rest of the building up to cover for it because you know how they are." 23:47 <trenchfoot> Nels: "...okay, I was going to ask, because a perfect sphere of space just disappearing probably raises a lot of questions." 23:48 <Crion> Smote: "Well, all we know is it blew up." 23:48 <Crion> "But apparently the regents and the Winter King and almost everyone is fine and just...are coming back the normal way. Or a less obvious way." 23:49 <Crion> Smote: "...So how did you guys do? You get that Gary?" 23:49 <dammitwho> Maggie: "Well, you can tell the regents and the good wizards that while the evil wizard we were goin' after isn't dead, if he ever comes back he'll be one of us. Not one of them." 23:49 <Crion> Nissa: "Oh shit." 23:49 <trenchfoot> Nels: "He, um. Got eaten by a weird owl thing. Willingly." 23:50 <CBN> Tony: "He got...taken, eaten, gave him himself up to? A big owl-lookin' Keeper. After we like half beat him all to shit, to be clear." 23:50 <Crion> Smote's face gets very serious for the half-second where it's not clear that you didn't inflict this on Gary. Then it's, "Damn. They even make stupid wizards, too." 23:51 <VoxPVoxD> Pulled away like the owl was a stage hook. 23:51 <banana> Melanie: "Um, the actual report, in case it matters..." 23:52 <banana> "G.A.R.Y. fled to the Hedge where he was preparing a.. thing. Big magic monster. He was obsessed with this to the exclusion of his allies' plans." 23:52 <banana> "We destroyed the thing, and the whole process made enough noise to call in a Keeper. Stewart detected.. sympathy, arcane connection - the thing he made was like this fae." 23:53 <Crion> Smote: "Fuuuuuck." 23:53 <banana> "So it took him, and being a fucking mad bastard he talked himself into believing this was a good thing.." 23:53 <Crion> He points at Stewart. "Don't mean to tell you your business but you need to get with Santander on this. If this dude's riled up the Gentry..." 23:54 <banana> "For the record the Title was owl-like, masked like the spirits in a Japanese Anime." 23:54 <Crion> Nissa openly hisses at that. The 'good thing' part. 23:54 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart looks up sharply. "Yeah, yep. Definitely." 23:54 <banana> Melanie concludes: "We left the Hedge, the police had caught on, so we dropped back in to come out one block over. On their radios they were mentioning the Eastern District, so it's nice to know about that." 23:55 <Crion> Nissa: "How's that hot undertaker doing?" 23:55 <banana> "Subjective." 23:55 <Crion> She shrugs. "So alive." 23:56 <banana> Melanie: "He's fine, and so is his ghost GF." 23:56 <Crion> Smote, to Nissa: "Means I win the bet." 23:56 <Crion> "Yeah, yeah." 23:56 <Crion> "It's on Winter's tab." 23:57 <dammitwho> Maggie: "What's a Japanese Anime?" 23:57 <Crion> Smote, to the motley: "Okay. We're all on a standdown or--what?" 23:57 <banana> Aside: "Like Neon Genesis Evangelion." 23:57 <Crion> Smote: "Someone show this lady Akira." 23:57 <banana> "Lauren's movies." 23:57 <trenchfoot> Nels: "That was good. Weird. But good." 23:57 <trenchfoot> Those were good* 23:58 <CBN> Tony's completely lost but he's just gonna let this ride, feels like that's been the winning strategy since we started the whole rune orb owl shenanigan sequence. 23:58 <dammitwho> Maggie: "I know all those words but that phrase makes no sense..." 23:58 <banana> "Oh hey, maybe you weren't there for that." 23:58 <banana> "Stewart, you have got to ask Lauren if- um, maybe later." 00:00 <CBN> Tony clears his throat. "So uh. It just happened but what's going on, around this side of things, what with a police station exploding? Anything else fucked up we should know about yet? God this has been the longest morning." 00:01 <Crion> Smote: "Far as we know, it's a shelter-in-place thing. The willworkers are handling the rest. Apparently it involves massaging reality, or some shit. That dude Union said meet up here around 8 PM. So we're holding it down." 00:03 <banana> Melanie: "Just to be super clear.. the Pylon Seers were in the district, and the friendly wizards, from the Consilium, are the ones who removed it? Good for them." 00:03 <Crion> Smote: "I have no idea who removed it. Just that all our people were inside at the time. And are apparently fine...ish." 00:04 <CBN> Tony furrows his brow. "Inside and...ish?" 00:05 <dammitwho> Maggie: "Eh?" 00:06 <Crion> Smote: "Union said wait until 8. You can call him." 00:07 <CBN> Tony nods. "But we're good now? No offense but we all need to clean up pretty bad." 00:07 <Crion> Smote: "Oh yeah, you're not being held here or nothing." 00:07 <CBN> Tony: "Unless that uh, whaddya call it in place thing? Is that gonna be a thing?" 00:07 <Crion> Nissa: "Did you fuck up any cops? Do we have to worry about cops showing up?" 00:09 <CBN> Tony shakes his head: "Shouldn't be, it was all weird interchangeable grey lil' guys on the way in, and sneaking around on the way out." 00:09 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Only cops who saw any of us was one guy who saw me get my car." 00:10 <Crion> Smote: "County cop?" 00:11 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart nods. 00:11 <Crion> Smote: "Should be all good then." 00:12 <VoxPVoxD> How many ranks deep do the actual people go? 00:13 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart's got a lot to do. First, he drops people off at the Wherehouse or Nels at her place. Then he goes home and takes a long shower, and makes his report to Santander through Ravens. It should've been obvious all along what Ravens was. 00:14 <VoxPVoxD> The report is complete and painstaking. No sense leaving anything out. 00:14 <Crion> Ravens dutifully passes it along...but there's no response from Santander. 00:14 <VoxPVoxD> What's it setting up now...? 00:16 <dammitwho> Maggie will wait anxiously until 8 before calling Union. 00:17 <Crion> If she's at the Oberon at 8 PM, she won't have to call him. He shows up around 7:30. 00:17 <trenchfoot> Nels will make sure to contact David Smitten to let him know she's returned, once she's safely back home. And about... everything else. 00:17 <VoxPVoxD> Now he's cleaned up and dressed - announcement goes out that the stream will be a couple hours late tonight - and ready to go see Lauren. Panic grips his chest iron-tight and spins the room around its axis. There's not much in his stomach to bring up, but he makes a good old go at it. 00:17 <VoxPVoxD> Where does the water go, he wonders as it flushes. Where are the seams? 00:19 <dammitwho> Ah, nice. She'll head back to the Oberon by 8, then. 00:21 <VoxPVoxD> A glass of vodka and icewater later and he's settled down enough to swim through his own thoughts. There has to be a methodology. There has to be a strategy. But he needs more information, and he needs more time. But he knows now. And as long as he acts along, he can have more of both. 00:21 <banana> Once home, Melanie gets a garbage bag from the kitchen for her tattered clothing and lays out a new set. She's aware of creaks like an old home as she steps into her bedroom to rest, torso unbent, arms raised toward the artificial sun. This is the furthest she's pushed her seemingly-invulnerable new form and it makes her aware that it isn't. It's neither just an ugly container for Mind 00:21 <banana> nor a deceptive and unstoppable strength - just another kind of human body. 00:22 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart doesn't actually make it back to the Wherehouse until 7:15, and he ends up taking a ride up and down the Lexington Market elevator before he works up the nerve to go inside. 00:23 <VoxPVoxD> Was him realizing part of the sequence? What level is it operating on? How many people has it taken? How many people has it turned? 00:24 <Crion> Someone's watching something in the other room, a bit too loud, when he steps in -- but Steve's sitting there on the main table in their shared living area, twenty-three empties in front of him, a twenty-fourth paused beneath his beak. 00:24 <Crion> The goose looks up, then HONKS. 00:24 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart falls backward. 00:24 <Crion> And Lauren flies in a straight wire-guided line from three rooms into Stewart's arms. Or he into hers. 00:25 <Crion> Either way, Steve nods, hefts his beer, and rides off on Chup, who has sauntered in from the other room. 00:26 <VoxPVoxD> He bounces back from the wall into her arms, squeezing tightly. Lauren can feel Stewart's heart racing. He manages a strangled "Hey." 00:26 <Crion> "Hey." She kisses him. "Hey." Again. "Hey. Hey." 00:26 <CBN> Tony heaves a sigh at Steve, grabs a tin-foiled plate of leftovers out of the fridge, and heads towards his hovel. "Missed you too buddy." Nods and shuts the door. The rest of the place is everyone else's now. 00:27 <trenchfoot> Report given, Nels collapses into bed for a few hours - sleeping fitfully but dreamlessly - until she finally makes her way to the Wherehouse to hide away and pluck at her guitar nervously while waiting for 8pm. 00:28 <Crion> Smitten is, startlingly, actually available to take a report, though he's very worried and somewhat cagey as he does. 00:29 <Crion> He does tell her she's done an excellent job, though. Maggie too, if Maggie checks in. 00:29 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart holds her face, looking directly into her gently glowing eyes, before kissing her one more time. The stone of terror bobbing in his gut feels remote. Calmer than he's been since noon: "Hey. Everyone alright here?" 00:30 <Crion> Her eyes flare warm red. "Yes. Yeah." She buries her face in his chest. "Steve's been problem drinking for fun. I don't know if he can actually get drunk." 00:32 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Oh no. Is Tony out of beer?" 00:32 <Crion> Lauren scrunches up her face. "We can buy him more." 00:32 <Crion> "You weren't at the police station?" 00:33 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart shakes his head. "We were in the Hedge. The others pulled the Seer's EVA apart and a Fae came and carried him off." 00:33 <Crion> Lauren: "Fuuuuuck." 00:33 <Crion> "No...thing...we knew?" 00:35 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "You ever heard of a stretched-out owl manticore called Resin and Entrails?" 00:36 <Crion> Lauren: "...Not by that name. Santander's mentioned something like that before?" 00:36 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart shakes his head. "I put it in the report, no word back. Was he down at the station?" 00:37 <Crion> Lauren: "He always sends word back. And I didn't hear from him today either. So...I hope? I think?" 00:38 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart's eyes narrow slightly. Could be nothing... could be sweeping pieces off the board. Making room for... what? "What about Gerald? Kingsley? No word?" 00:38 <Crion> "...No." 00:39 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Union's supposed to debrief at the Oberon at 8. You want to come?" 00:39 <Crion> "Yeah. Let me get dressed." 00:41 <VoxPVoxD> When she's out of sight the nerves boil back up. His throat wants to close. But he stays even. He's got to. His eyes settle on Steve. "Evening." 00:42 <Crion> The goose nods in approval. "Honk, honk honk." Hedge is weird, but fuck that kind of strange. 00:43 <banana> Melanie emerges into her library after some hours. She could get a few minutes' work done, arrange some bibliography. Doesn't feel like it, so she goes out into the communal areas looking for someone to complain to. 00:44 <Crion> The Oberon, approaching 8 PM. Place is a bit more full when you make your returns around the deadline. 00:44 <Crion> The parking lot is patrolled by Sidereal bouncers who aren't particularly trying to conceal their machine pistols. Nissa's still on the door and will let you in as you arrive. Union will be waiting there, pensive, with a hurt Canterbury in a sling and a nervous Cider Stitch. And others: Gaunt Rose, Cormorant, The Kitchen making food in said space, Serrato Colt conferring with Smote and Smitten 00:44 <Crion> behind the bar, Jackie Ordinary looking angry while they converse with The Mainer in undertones. No other vampires are here, though. 00:44 <Crion> Union is shooting some kind of brown liquor -- probably rail whiskey, honestly -- and seems to be the center of attention, though not because he's doing anything in particular besides drinking. He'll wave you over as you enter, but you're not constrained by him. 00:45 <CBN> Tony's got a decent recliner and some records in his room for a reason: Passing the fuck out after a stupid-rough day, even if that day's only a few hours old. So he's a little more refreshed than one would normally be by mid-evening. 00:45 <VoxPVoxD> Is he hurt? Is anyone? Anyone from Autumn here? 00:45 <Crion> Rose and Cormorant, and of course you and Lauren. No management, though. 00:45 <banana> The whole place looks better when they don't have room for the strippers. 00:46 <Crion> Also Mainer technically isn't a vampire, but. Has the right sleep schedule. 00:46 <CBN> Not quite a spring in his step but definitely less beaten-to-shit-and-afraid-of-the-end-of-things as he's been for the last few times he's been around people outside the motley. Tony's feelin' good. Or okay. 00:47 <Crion> Canterbury and Cider Stitch will wave Tony over immediately, and frankly are just as inviting to the rest of the motley for various reasons. Canterbury oddly might be the freeholder Stewart and Nels have seen the most outside of the motley. 00:47 <banana> Melanie's cleaned up - still hurts, but makeup exists - and if not Union she'll be heading straight for someone with information. Having to get the status of all our fellows out of a wizard is.. concerning. A number of things are concerning, even though the basics are covered. 00:48 <Crion> He's also clearly lost use of his left arm for another month or so, pending various magic. 00:48 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart's glad to see people from Winter all the same. "Glad you're okay," he says to Canterbury by way of greeting. 00:48 <CBN> Tony heads on over just as quickly, snagging a bottle of water on the way. "Hell of a day holy shit, I mean hi." 00:49 <Crion> The four-eyed shooter grins. "Just a scratch, mate. Only five figures on the health insurance." 00:49 <dammitwho> Relieved, Maggie will head over to the weed wizard. "Union!" 00:49 <Crion> Cider Stitch: "Tony!" Canterbury: "Aye, it's the big man." 00:50 <Crion> Union grins. "Hey, Mags. Heard you fucked up God Approved me for a Real Yeet." 00:51 <CBN> Tony, to Canterbury and Cider Stitch: "How're you all holding up, considering?" 00:51 <trenchfoot> Nels will sidle in near Tony and Stewart, glad to be off her legs again. "Hi, everyone." 00:52 <banana> Melanie joins Maggie and Union, but without saying much. She's trying to work out the etiquette for collectively blowing off steam vs demanding answers vs et cetera. 00:53 <Crion> To Melanie: "Hey. You read comics?" 00:53 <Crion> Oh he's vaping too, of course. 00:54 <dammitwho> Maggie: "Oh, we gave his big triangle rune thing a few bops. He decided to talk himself off the field, though." 00:54 <Crion> Cider Stitch to Tony: "Dude! War sucks!" 00:54 <banana> Melanie frowns for a moment. "I probably used to. Don't remember any of them though." 00:54 <banana> Re: the bops: "She had brass knuckles. Of incredible elemental potency." 00:54 <Crion> Canterbury: "Well I got shot a few times but I'm alive and I think they're all dead now, thanks to you." 00:56 <Crion> Union, to Melanie: "Batman's got this villain lady who is mostly a tree but gets her bag kind of through subterfuge, persuasion, whatever. Had you filed that way until I heard what went down and now I think you're more that plant fuck from the swamp who just straight murders people." 00:56 <CBN> Tony, to CS: "It sucks so bad!" And to Canterbury, chagrined but still feeling a sense of pride he's not totally comfortable with: "Hey, everyone did their part in this whole thing, I think?" 00:56 <Crion> Union: "Anyway, so, someone fucked up downtown today." 00:57 <banana> Melanie: "Oh, I do prefer to persuade people with reasoned arguments. After beating enough monsters to death I'm hoping to learn how." 00:58 <banana> "Someone who was.. a twenty-five metre radius sphere...?" 00:58 <Crion> Canterbury to Nels: "Ma'am. You look like you wore one, no offense." 00:59 <Crion> Union: "Well. Do you know what paradox is? Opening that up to, uh, the floor." 00:59 <trenchfoot> Nels grimaces. "It went about as well as could be expected. You should see the other... on second thought, maybe don't." 01:01 <dammitwho> Maggie: "Is it... a sphere?" 01:02 <banana> Melanie: "Yeah, properly it's the ontological state of self-contradiction but more colloquially a persuasive argument which leads to such a state. Given any two predicates, if you can satisfy p while negating n, the proposition input is paradoxical." 01:02 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Paradox is like, metafriction, right, from rubbing your magic against phenomenal reality." 01:03 <VoxPVoxD> He wonders where it got the idea for that from. It doesn't *invent* anything. Could these guys have real-world counterparts? 01:03 <Crion> Union: "Yyy--yeah, exactly. The world doesn't like it when we do magic. We don't have a series of agreements with it like you do. We have the attempt, made through our Awakened souls, to put our shit down, and the world saying no, I want to pick that shit back up. 01:04 <Crion> "And the more we want to do, the worse it gets correspondingly. It's why we don't go around throwing fireballs at people like you see in the Tolkeins and the animes. Or, you know, trying to remove fifty-meter orbs from police stations or some shit." 01:04 <banana> "So logically, that happened while someone was not trying to do it." 01:06 <Crion> Union: "Yes and no. What happened was someone tried to do something, the Fallen World said l-o-l f-u-c-k, and a compromise was reached. Because you can either put Paradox on your soul and contain it...or you can release it." 01:06 <Crion> "And then what you've done suddenly maybe isn't what you wanted to do." 01:07 <Crion> Union: "I dunno what happened in there really but a Seer, I think, did something Seers really aren't supposed to do, and then Jesuit and Everafter had to do something in response." 01:08 <Crion> Union: "And--" 01:08 <Crion> The lights flicker. 01:09 <Crion> Union: "Oh, here we go." 01:09 <Crion> They flicker again...and again...and again and again...and the shitty old LED clock above the bar hits 8:00 PM. 01:12 <Crion> The Young Street, Langford List, the Winter King, Amelia Banthem, Harlan Jape, Santander, Spring, Gerald, Kingsley, Fireman, Everafter, and Jesuit all blink into existence six feet above the ground and fall hard. Jesuit and Everafter are bleeding badly from every orifice, covered in weird hives. 01:12 <Crion> There's a weird sizzling sound and a smell like ozone. 01:13 <Crion> Jesuit pulls himself to his feet. "Paradox is still there, Union, so don't test it." 01:13 <Crion> David Smote: "What the fuck?" 01:14 <Crion> Jesuit: "For every decision, there is a consequence. Sometimes those consequences occur in outer space." He leans forward. "Bartender, a taste." 01:14 <Crion> NEXT WEEK: Medical assistance, etc. 01:15 <banana> It's only after 8PM that you can get away with a line like that.