<@AnE> The feeling of passing through the portal was like being pushed through a wall of jello. The world seemed to fly by, mirrored, with air rushing past them. It was a strange sensation that might have made some sick to their stomachs, but it didn't last. When they exited, they'd find themselves in a sprawling hall of iridescent marble, ghostly images flickering past them at seemingly random intervals. The keen observer might feel something brushing across their sleeve or pants leg, as if the entire room were bustling with life that couldn't be seen. The hall was entirely empty except for a golden doorway at its very end, a sign posted above in a foreign, but unreadable language. There also seemed to be no way back out, as all traces of coin and portal had vanished when the group had stepped through.
<Shatter> Victoria was through, and while the sensation was odd and disconcerting, it was too different, and short, to trigger much worse than a shudder as she stepped out, hands lifting up to adjust her mirrored glasses. This was it- this was the place. Time to put up or shut up. Taking a few steps forward, she'd glance back to the others and offer a grin. "So, mates. Who wants t' go ahead n' knock on the big golden door?"
<L'angley> Well -that- was an awkward feeling! For a moment, L'angely felt decidedly topsy turvy upon entering the portal. But just when his stomach seemed to turn in on itself.. it was over. Had he turned his clothes inside out? Not at all, but he'd pocketed the props supplied by Sygny and done his damned to remember all the ludicrous tales he'd read the last few days.. He'd even sprinkled a smidge of salt into his back pockets for safe keeping. Pale green-blue eyes cast their gaze here and there as the Canuck looked about. He felt the odd presence rushing past now and then.. If only he'd had his powers, he might have sensed them. But that was why they were here after all, to get them back. Finally his eyes rested upon the golden door at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. "It's now or never, ye?"
<@Ashlynne> Ashy stumbles just a bit as she realizes she just stepped through the StarGate. Were she her normal, ever amused self she'd be looking around for McGyver right about now, content in the knowledge that they were going to win even against unbeatable odds. But she wasn't her normal, ever amused self so all she did was shiver and make a 'bleh' noise. Looking up to Shatter the girl hesitates for a moment, giving people a wave as she steps through, "I'm.. Ashy." Introductions were a good thing, just to be sure. "I can.. if nobody wants to?" She didn't want too, but someone had to right?
<Skuld> Very.... discombobulating, as her grandfather would have said. In Norwegian, mind you, but the idea is the same. Sygny had stepped through the portal after passing out goodies to everyone that wanted one... a silver medallion-the Talisman of the Moon-, meant to protect travelers in foreign lands, a tiny four-leafed clover in a plastic button case, an iron nail, and a small ribbon bracelet with a tiny silver bell on it. No idea, of course, if any of it would work, but maybe there was something to the old stories that would get them through this safely. She is wearing her clothing inside out as well, under a nice blue dress with matching shoes. Specifically, she'd managed to get her bra on inside out, as well as her stockings and undies. The talisman is around her neck, the bell on one wrist, but the clover and the nail are tucked away down the front of her dress. Once the tall Norwegian steps through the portal, shaking off the vertigo after a moment or two, blue eyes pass over their surroundings. "Careful where you step and what you say... they're all around us..." Evidenced by the way the hem of her dress moved without the presence of a breeze, the way her hair fluttered against her arm, moved by the brushings of flickering or unseen hands. Studying the door for a moment or two, when L'angley volunteers to knock, she shrugs. "Might as well."
<@Kraken> What was left of his squiddy instincts and possibly a good portion of his human ones mildly protested the jellolike sensation. Screaming at him unsafe water. But Kevin pushed forward anyway. He winced, stomach flipflopping at what came after the Jello wall. Queasiness ended. Good. It wouldn't do if he got sick right in faerie land. They'd probably see vomit as an insult. Or maybe react in a more animalistic way and take the regurgitated matter as an offer of feeding. Either way insult or gift - that was nasty - Ok ok thoughts on the matter not on possible faerie rules. The here and now. And what a strange place they were in right now. Beautiful, but still strange. Even worse their way back was now blocked... Weren't they supposed to have someone keeping that open? He stared at the door and that note... No idea. He nodded to Sygny. "Got it..."
<Nickypoo> Once on the other side, Nick glances around and staaares up at the door. He glances around and eyes Ashy for a moment. L'angley is next followed by Tori...and someone else. He shakes his head and quietly sighs...and notices Kevin! A friendly wave is offered to the squidman and he jams his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
<Griffin> The first thing that Griffin did upon arrival was check to make sure that he still looked like himself, was still wearing the same clothing, and was still in a single piece. He had a ziplock bag of salt in one pocket and for the sake of it, a small flask of holy water in the other with his wallet. Never hurt to be safe, right? He wouldn't be turning his clothing inside out any time soon, doubting each of the myths and legends to be true. "....Is everyone alright?" No one in several pieces or made into goop hopefully. The nervous feeling was fading now and he gazed forward toward the golden doorway ahead, surprisingly well after the portal ride to never never land.
<Aislinn> The passing through the portal had certainly been disconcerting, Griffin's hand in hers the only thing that kept her from feeling lost or twisted about. It was over quickly at least, though the woman still felt after ripples of teh transport across her senstive skin. Well, that much hadn't changed at least. Her touch felt just the same as it always did, neither dampened down or amped up beyond what was normal for her. Except...she felt brushes, as if someone were passing by and touched her, but no one was there. Odd, that.
* Angel`Pearson a little frown formed after exiting the portal...That had been strange. All goodies given out were greatfully accepted, any help offered was totally welcome, and they were stashed in a little side pocket of his messenger bag. Once they were through he shifted a bit to stand over by Ashy, Kevin, and Nick...sticking by those he felt most comfortable with "All good.." answered in reply to Griffins question.
<Griffin> Someone was molesting him and aside from that everything seemed well. A glance from green eyes determined that Aislinn was well and had arrived unharmed, but then he was gazing forward at the golden doorway again. Now or never. He didn't believe his...additional parts or altered physiology made him invulnerable to fairy trickery and danger, but he loosened his hand from Aislinn's and volunteered to go first by wandering on ahead towards the door to deliver a solid rap of his knuckles against it--just to be polite. And if that didn't open it, he tried to draw it open on his own.
<@AnE> Well, they had a few options. They could stand around and wait for something to happen, like someone to come out of that door, or they could take their chances and knock. What was the worst that could happen? Probably not the smartest question to answer here. They'd be feeling eyes on them from every angle, almost seeming to stare into their souls. It was a chilling feeling, to say the least, as though they were under some kind of intense scrutiny coupled with the lewdest, most primal gaze one would ever have upon them. The longer they lingered in the hallway, the more intense the uncomfortable sensations would appear to become. When Griffin knocked on the door, it, in typical freaky-magical-item fashion, would slowly open, with a blinding light that might seem to draw them in like moths, though that could have just been instinct crying out for them to leave the creepy hidden-eyes in the hall.
<Skuld> Though the inner-Valkyrie is suppressed, Sygny can still feel her, just barely, fighting to get out, that fight-or-flight instinct pulling her in one very distinct direction. -She- wants to run like hell. Skuld, on the other hand, seems to want to go tearing through faeland, ripping and maiming and asking questions later. Thank God it's a compromise of sorts between the two of them. The light pouring forth from the door reflects just the faintest golden glow in her eyes; the presence of her..... presence, is not entirely gone. Like Ted, it is merely suppressed to nearly vacant levels. Speaking of Ted... the fact that he was unable to join them bothers her a little, but with one hand raching up to rub thumb and forefinger on the silver medallion at her throat, she starts forward toward the light, holding her posture straight, head up, and eyes forward.
<L`angely> "I'm okay here.." He said in answer to Griffin's question even as he took a tentative few steps towards the door. When Griffin stepped past though, Langley certainly wasn't one to stop him. He paused rather in his own steps, glancing around them once more. The longer they lingered in the hall, the more comfortable he was becoming. Always one used to seeing into the minds of others but never being seen.. the Canadian was feeling rather nude at the moment with his mind's eye bared without its typical cover to the scrutinizing of the Unseen about them. He fidgeted, shifting from foot to foot as that creepy door creepily opened itself. There was only a moment's hesitation, and then he was following after Sygny. The brilliant light beyond the door paled the color of his already light hued eyes and made him blink some to adjust.
<@Kraken> Former Squidman. And seeing as the guy normally slept in a huge aquarium he had acess to a large amount of salt. Pockets were filled with the crystals. That's all he had, not much, but if needed maybe it'll be of some use. There was a nodding to Nick and to Ashy as his bearings were clarified. "Doing alright... We only just arrived. All in one piece. So that's a good thing." Keep optimistic. That was the key. Positive view. Happy thoughts. Angel appeared, Kevin nodded to him. Then shifted from foot to foot in discomfort. Someone was watching them. Or something... And yes that was more than just paranoia speaking. They were in FAERIE LAND. Of course there was something watching them as they arrived. It was their invitation. They probably possessed some degree of omnipotence. And Griffin stepped up to knock. Fingers crossed. He refused to think of the phrase what's the worse that would happen? Thinking it made it worse. Made it more valid. Knowing Fae intentions that could be raining indoors or something... No, no don't think of worses. Stay focused. The door was opened. It would be rude not to enter. They had been invited... and the Fae had something that belonged to them. INK some still squid part of his mind screamed. INK and RUN. Kevin pushed those thoughts aside and pressed forward. The Fae knew they were there. There was no doubt of that, but still announcing one's self seemed the proper thing to do. "Kevin Duncan from Cobalt here." Forward he goes!
<Shatter> "It was a rhetorical ques- ah, whatever. C'mon." She strode after not too far behind Griffin, straightening her denim jacket. Nothing formal or fancy about her, just denim jacket, denim jeans, her boldly colored Union Jack shirt, shin-high shiny black boots, mirrored shades, and a whole lot of attitude. She would stop and at least wait until the doors were fully opened before striding forward. "Don't worry, not going to say anything bloody stupid." The 'eyes' on her bothered her a little, but the at the moment everything was spacious enough that the anger boiling just underneath her surface was enough to keep her driving forward.
<@Ashlynne> The door opens with a bright light and the uncomfortable unglowing girl steps after the group. At least this place was anything but dark! she was still glad she'd chosen to bring her flashlights, because better safe than sorry! Did flashlights even work in fairyland? Her mind raced as she tried not to think of whatever was watching the group. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming... important life lesson there, thanks Dory. Sliding over next to Kevin the girl takes her que from him and smiles, wanting to look friendly, "Ashlynne Clark." She says to nothing in particular.
<Nickypoo> doesn't seem to be bothered by the strange sensations thanks to his damaged nerves. But he is a bit freaked out by the whole wtf of the situation. So he does like Angel does and just sticks near to the people he knows. His hands are yanked out of his pockets and he wraps his fingers around the strap of his manpurse, gripping it tightly. Griffin goes to knock so he just...stands there. And looks between those present and goes back to watching the golden door.
<Aislinn> "I'm alright. Still...me." Her only small way to say that her powers hadn't been taken upon arrival. She swallowed drily as Griffin released her hand and stepped forward to knock, straightening her hsoulders and glancing around the room. She could feel the otherworldly beings watching them, but she couldn't see them. She wondered... It was tempting to amp her vision but she saw no need for it just now, and figured it might be best not to tip her hand until they were further in. The bright light drew her attention, gray eyes blinking a few times until she adjusted to it, and found that she'd taken several steps forward without really realizing she'd done so, putting her just behind Griffin and Tori at the doorway. Another step forward, back to her fiance's side, and she looked up at him with a small smile. "Lets not keep them waiting then..."
<+Griffin> Maybe he was just impulsively trying to escape the creepy sensation of being watched and touched, or maybe it was just killing him inside to watch everyone stare at the same thing. Someone had to knock eventually and once it opened, he felt inclined to let the others begin walking through instead of charging boldly into the great beyond, face turned away from the eerily glowing light that seemed to drown out all else. "Aye, you're right, best not to have them waitin'." Following the example of the Kevin and others who had already begun to travel inside single file, he nodded at Aislinn, let Tori aside, and paused to speak his name out loud before moving forward. "Griffin Lockhart, pleasure to meet the entire lot of you."
<@AnE> When they all began to pass through the light, voices could be heard. Unlike those ghostly touches or steel gazes in the hallway, the sources were quickly identified. As eyes adjusted to the changing light, the blinding beam no longer present, they would find themselves in the company of -- you guessed it. The fae. That door led to a large, circular room, with a series of decorative, cushioned gold chairs in the lowered center ring, while the seating climbed on either side like a huge iMax theater or something similar. On one side of the room, a horde of summer fae, easily recognizable by their loud technicolor silk wardrobes, chatting it up. The other side, however, was nearly empty but for a few faded, sullen-looking faeries with pale blue color schemes and droopy appearances, none of the floppy-eared individuals looking at all happy to be present. Some, one might notice, actually appeared a bit sick, if such a thing were possible. None of them looked particularly important as the winter fae did, dressed in the equivalent of rags and surrounded by a few ghastly figures -- a troll here, a ghoul there, maybe a vampire or two. A massive, spiraling gold throne coupled with a small pedestal stood at the north end of the room, though it was currently unoccupied. The idle chatter died to a deafening silence, however, as the group entered. A tall, thin summer fae stood at the bottom of the pedestal, gesturing toward the ring, "Be seated, mortals."
* +Angel`Pearson did a little shifty foot to foot dance as they waited there, still frowning a bit as it grew steadily more uncomfortble. When the door was opened he followed the others into the light, speaking out nervously as everyone began giving their name "Angel Pearson...Uhm...Hello." sticking by the familiar presences if not exactly faces, of Kevin, Ash, and Nick
<Skuld> Sygny did not give her name, not in here. If anyone didn't know it, they could just yell "hey tall bitch" or something to get her attention if they needed to. She wasn't going to give away any information freely. She felt fairly safe in that lesson anyway, from dealing with Ted's demonic summoning from before. Nor does she speak to thank the fae for their hospitality or anything of the sort; instead, she drops her hands to her sides, keeping her posture straight but neutral, and when the summer fae indicates that they shoud sit, she looks briefly from one side of the room to the other. A shotload of summer fae... as was to be expected, but very, very few winter fae. The winter fae, the demon had said, would be their allies in this. With careful, measured steps, Sygny circles around the offered seating until she reaches the side closest to those precious few winter fae, so that she might have a better view of the summer, and also to place herself closer to what she hoped would be allies. Once there, she pulls a seat out for herself and sits down. The bell on her wrist jingles softly.
<@Ashlynne> They were adorable, the fae, especially the sad Winter ones. Not much had been said to the group, in fact nothing at all, to prepare them so Ash simply thought that's where the gloomygus's sat. Comfort in numbers, sort of deal. She understood why they were upset, since it was hardly their season so they're told to sit she does just that, giving the winter fae an understanding smile before she looks over to the Summer ones and waves just a bit. As she sits she sets her backpack on the floor behind her. This whole thing was quite grand looking and the young girl was in awe.
<@Kraken> Took Ashy's hand and gave it a small reassuring squeeze. Still him... at least still the ginger human him. No tentacles. No gills. Still alive, breathing air. Stay calm and crazy as it seemed. Head towards the light. He looked back to Nick and to Angel, nodded to them. Attention was then back ahead. The door and what lay beyond it. He wished for his powers so much now... Color changing. Camoflauge... Even tentacles. Grab others and run if things went south. Voices sounded. Kevin tried not to wince at them. He should not show his fright. For all he knew they'd be insulted. The room? That was not expected. Well the color gold was. And he honestly didn't really know what he had thought he'd see in Faerie land. THEY were there. The ones who took their powers. (Who else would it be?) Faded blue fae? Could those be the Winters? Yes. Of course. He took the offered (commanded?) seat. Even seated the nerves continued to ring. Mortals...
<+Shatter> Looking over the 'court', Tori refrained from letting out a frustrated sigh, the ostentation already getting on her skin. Still, she remained largely impassive and did not look up to throne. She didn't know much about Fae courts, but she did have some offhand knowledge of extremely old British traditions. She kept her gaze forward as she strode through, also not offering a name. She'd position herself in the middle of the seats, no closer to either side than any other one. Her posture was upright, hidden gaze directly ahead of herself.
<+Griffin> He was told ot be seated and sitting is exactly what Griffin chose to do without any argument if only he knew where to have his seat. As he proceeded forward with the collection of mutants and...no telling what that large Nordic woman was, he paid attention to the side that they all seemed to drift toward and followed a few steps behind Kevin and Sygny as if they were in a funeral procession. Hopefully none of the mutants chose to make a confrontation of it or to give lip to the important fairy...figure. He glanced back once to keep tabs on Aislinn, never loosening his grip on her hand. It was like being in a fairytale...quite literally but it took everything that he had not to stare gape jawed at the trolls and other familiar yet strange mystical beings assembled.
<+L`angely> He followed the others through the brightly lit door into the room.. Well, the Fae.. or whatever they actually were.. had taste. Even L'angely had to admit that. It was a very dramatically set bit of scenery. It was the Summer Court crowd that first grabbed his attention, by virtue of their rainbow hued ensembles and costumes. The whole lot of them was just as dramatic as assortment as the decorations they'd strewn about the 'room'. His lips pursed some the longer he studied them. They were all poise and facade, pomp and circumstance. He had no doubt, as he looked towards the other side of the room, that the Winter Court gathered there were just as dangerous.. and powerful, however. Appearances be damned, they were all unsafe wildcards as far as he was concerned. He carried himself with dignity and the discipline a military childhood had helped him to develop. He didn't offer a name.. a nod or even a smile. he merely sat as they 'requested'. he placed himself near Tori, choosing the middle ground as opposed to a place closer to either side as she had. None of them were allies.. not truly, and he wouldn't dignify the notion of choosing one or the other by how he sat just yet.
<+Aislinn> "Aislinn, a pleasure..." Everyone else seemed to be saying their names before passing through that doorway so she did the same. Her gaze was immediately drawn to the wall of Summer Fae in their bright garb, only now really beginning to believe all of this. Faeries. They were real. Pulling her gaze from the bright colors she let her gaze turn next to the emptier side of the room towards the Winter Fae. Her steps faltered for a moment as she gazed on them, their demeanors glum and almost..sickly? Again there was the temptation to amp her sight for a better look. Not yet though. Not until they knew more of what they were dealing with. Griffin's hand around hers got her moving again, and she gave a small bow of her head to the lone fae in the center before taking a seat beside Griffin on the indicated chairs.
* +Angel`Pearson Kevins nod was responded to with a small smile, thankful for the acknowledgment. He took in the sights around them in apprehensive awe...This was his first time actually seeing the fae and their magical friends...He could certainly appreciate the bright colorful pretty of the robes they wore, but this was srs shit and he refrained from gawking as he walked with the group to take a seat.
<+Nickypoo> wonders why people are saying their names and eyes those who do. So he mumbles: "Nicholas." and tightens his grip some more. When instructed to sit, he heads over to one row of seats and settles down, crossing his legs at the knee. The fae and other magical creatures are studied for a minute or two before he directs his attention to the main theater. Where one would watch a movie or expect the event to be orchestrated from. And he falls quiet, waiting for the announcer to continue.
<@AnE> Every now and then, the summer fae could be seen sneering and whispering to one another, maybe giggling. The dome-like room had a huge stained glass skylight-type window that depicted none other than 'Mab' herself. Similar depictions of summer fae could be seen on the walls of the marble room, as if they wanted everyone inside to know just who they were. Naturally, when everyone was seated, the fae by the pedestal would call out for them to stand up again, having no difficulty being heard in the enormous room, "All rise in the presence of Her Gloriousness, The Ray of Dawn's Light, Queen of the Court of the Summer Fae." There was definitely a certain way he said her... title, choosing to leave names out of the equation for the time being. He said it with all the adoration of a willing thrall, following with a flourishing bow. Those on the side of summer rose immediately, though the winter fae, irritable, bored, and downright uncomfortable, hesitated a bit more, aided by their strange supernatural companions to stand out of 'respect'. A golden, twinkling light could be seem descending like a teardrop toward the throne from the brilliant window art overhead. One could never say faeries weren't creative, at least.
Queen Mab and the Firey Advisors, part 1
Queen Mab and the Firey Advisors, part 2
<Skuld> Oh goody, here comes Mabel. Sygny's lips twitch faintly, and she gives a brief glance over her shoulder, turning just her head, to see who had seated themselves where. She stands up, out of respect of course, but she doesn't snap out of her seat like the summer fae. Nor does she hesitate llike the winter; she simply stands on her own time, hands at her sides. She watches the teardrop light descending from the ceiling, reminded of Glinda the Witch of the North from the Wizard of Oz, and yet not at all comforted by the thought. Glinda had been a tyrant in a pink dress, when it came right down to it. The road to hell, good intentions, and all that.
<@Ashlynne> Well, it was a trial and Ashy had seen enough Law & Order to know you stood when they said stand, or else you'd be held in contempt of court. Being held in contempt of a Fairy court didn't seem like a good thing so she rose as the Queen of summer came in. Honeygolden eyes widened as she watched the impressive display. Lips curl up into a bit of an awed smile at the show.
<@Kraken> Do not stare... You've seen stranger looking things. You've been a stranger looking thing. This was it... The begining of whether or not they get their powers back, or someone screws up and makes things even worse than they already were. Do NOT think of just how worse that Worse can be. Positive thoughts. Calming ones. Told to sit. Now instructed to stand again. Kevin rose. It was the proper thing to do afterall.
<+Nickypoo> The announcer holds his attention and he watches that fae with interest. For now he just keeps plying the strap of his bag. His jaw tightens some and he glances around at his fellow buddies but turns his attention back to the speaker. The paintings, stained glass, everything else about the place is ignored for now.
<+Aislinn> She rose to her feet just as it seemed she had sat down. So, the games were to begin. Already trying to put the group at unease - no, that had started the moment they'd arrived with teh phantom looks and touches. This was just to keep them off balance. Her gaze was drawn upwards though, to that pretty golden light as it descended from above.
<+Shatter> Tori waited, longer than the Winter Court, likely longer than anyone else around her. But she wasn't so foolish as not to stand at all. No, she stood up straight, keeping her gaze straight ahead as she held her arms at her side. No fidgeting, no worrying, just waiting for things to procede. The stakes were high and in a ... strange place ... but perhaps it was the overwhelmingness and the stakes that kept the British girl on point.
* +Angel`Pearson ofcourse the moment they were seated, they were told to rise again for the person in charge...Thats how court functions always worked on the teevee. When asked to rise he stood, eyes turning to watch the display of the Summer Queens arrival with awe...Okay, they knew how to make a -fabulous- enterance.
<+L`angely> The summer fae couldn't have been more full of themselves if they tried, he was pretty sure. He did glance around the room to take in the various portraits to perhaps soothe their seething vanity, but his gaze didn't linger. Pale eyes turned back to the front as the announcer manfairy spoke again. There was more vanity to quench, and so L'angely rose with the stateliest manner he could adopt. He watched stoned faced as the teardrop of gold lowered itself with no doubt much todo and aweing to the throne. There was a slight lack of focus in the boy's eyes as he mentally repeated his favored mantra, 'appearances are skin deep'. Before, he could see much more telling things of a person.. and with any luck he'd be able to again once their powers returned. For now, he merely had to remember.
<+Griffin> Griffin certainly had felt ill at ease. The grand display of the summer court's queen had him staring in awe, fascinated with the entrance that was worthy of their friend Angel. It took a moment for him to realize that everyone was rising, and he nearly leapt up to his feet, mildly feeling toyed with. Goodness he wished sometimes, just sometimes, that the woman next to him had a computer brain too for silent conversation. The feeling of being played with like a toy didn't escape Griff. Not at all.
<@AnE> Down did she float like some kind of glorious falling star. The announcement was worthy of her. IN a burst of golden light did 'Mab' appear -- she'd gussied herself up for the occasion, flickering into view on her throne dressed in fine red, gold and yellow silks, with her hair done up in a series of elaborate twists and braids. Tall hair was tall. The feathers adorning her glittering gown may have brought to mind a phoenix -- and given that these were fae, those feathers may have truly been burning. She was androgynously beautiful as were all the fae, though she seemed a bit smaller, not even reaching five feet in height with her twisted golden heels. She appeared almost bored, clutching a golden, jewel-encrusted gavel in one hand. Resting on the arm of her throne, its cap covered with a palm, was that jar, which may or may not have been familiar. Inside, hundreds -- no, thousands of tiny flickering iridescent lights. After a moment of laying her seething blue eyes on the group, she snorted, "Be seated." The two sides immediately dropped. "We are certain that you are aware why you have been called into Our realm, mortals."
<Skuld> Tiny fae are tiny. Tall Sygny is heyoooooge in comparison. Except maybe to the trolls. She briefly wonders if there's troll somewhere in her lineage. Now, however, is not the time. Just like it's not the time to wonder where fairies pee. Thanks, JJ. At least it keeps her mind more centered on something light, as opposed to GODWHYAREWEHERE. Blue eyes zero in on that jar with a quickness though, and there's another faint flicker of gold in her pupils as she stares at it, then up at Mab before setting her jaw and folding herself back into her seat. Her lips remain shut tighter than a drum though.
<@Ashlynne> She was so pretty, everything that Ash would have thought a fairy Queen to look like. She was just about to give her a smile when she noticed that like the Queen at the Olympics.. Mab was not amused! sitting back down the girl felt awkward, not saying much as no question had been asked. Eyeing up the jar the girl chews on her lower lip.
<+L`angely> What tall hair on such a short woman! These were the sorts of things which L'angely noted first. Then he was paying attention once again to the gown and the rest of the woman's adornment in all its overdramatic glory. The jar was noted, and he didn't need his powers to have a fair hint of an idea of what those tiny lights were or at least represented. He didn't respond to the queen's words vocally, having felt they'd satisfied her vanities enough already. No more playing games, as far as the Canuck was concerned. And so, like Sygny he merely seated himself once more, eyes on the Queen. His face remained decided neutral, his control clamped down on his emotions and thoughts like a vice.. or as best he could manage without his powers.
<+Nickypoo> Pretty. Is the only thing that comes to Nick's mind. He downright stares at the display, dat hurr and everything else about the magnificant woman. The comment about them knowing is made and he just...raises a brow. NOPE. He has zero idea. The flyer didn't mention anything about the whys, just to show up. The twinkling jar attracts his attention and he eyes it closely, glances over at Ashy and resumes watching Mab. Ideas, stupid or otherwise, run through his head.
<+Shatter> Again there was a significant delay in Tori's motions. It was hard not to be aware of the Queen, but she Tori didn't look up at her. She kept her gaze dead ahead, and sat down in a slow and deliberate fashion a scant moment after everyone else. Respectful, but Tori certainly wasn't here to please anyone.
<@Kraken> Reclaimed his seat, trying not to stare in awe at Mab's arrival. Staring wasn't proper. Could be seen as a bad thing. Eyes traveled around the room then stopped ahead. He was certainly awed though. This was important. Their surroundings were beautiful. No idea of what was in store for them. A trial right? But was a Fae trial the same as a human one? Hopefully it wouldn't be a mockery like the Quintessons. Great. He was spending too much time around JJ too. Get this over with. Get their powers back. Go home. Promptly suffocate because of heat...
<+Griffin> So much for appearing classy and like less of a slack jawed yokel. Griffin outright begins to stare again as it becomes increasingly difficult to conceal the amount of awe at being in a fairy wonderland. Unlike Kevin and the others who restrain it in wel, he can't quite pull off the same amount of disinterest. Likely because he wasn't stripped of his powers. The queen truly was beautiful, but he snapped out of it in the nick of time and settled into his seat again, only to resume staring for an entirely different reason. Were they supposed to know why they had been brought into the fairy realm? The only reason that he could deduce from the top of his head was that the mutants there all wanted their powers back.
* +Angel`Pearson he totally did gawk as the Queen flashed into sight...Oooo androgynous-pretty. And that outfit! Despite being ancient, arrogant, self righteous, power stealers they had style out the wazzoo. The sparkly jar was eyed much like most of the group had, though he hadn't been there at the original power snatchy it wasn't too hard to figure out what that was. His monkeyfrogness was in there somwhere!
<+Aislinn> Beautiful, was Aislinn's first thought. Why deny what was true? But despite the fiery bright colors of the fae queen, another word came to mind. Cold. Queen of summer she may be, but Aislinn didn't see any warmth in her at all. She retook her seat next to Griffin, hand still twined with his, gaze moving next to the jaw with its thousands of twinkling lights. Her own light could have been in there, if things had gone differently. If she hadn't been in Ireland. It was a sobering thought. No one had spoken yet, save the Queen, and Aislinn wondered if anyone was going to aknowledge the fae woman's words. She herself didn't know the specifics of why they were here, only that they hoped to come back with everyone's powers returned to them.
<@AnE> Hrm. The mortals were less chatty than they had been back at their Hill of Blue. Mab noted this with a silent glance between the 'announcer', who turned out to be her advisor, in reality. She looked from him, to them, then back again. They looked almost confused. "Were they not--" SCOWL. "Did YOU not? We specifically informed YOU to-- USELESS. SWINE. MAL'VARNA DROSHNIEL EMENACH!" With that sudden outburst, her advisor would find his long fluttery robes being set on fire. He squealed girlishly, nearly tripping over himself as he struggled to pat out the flames that were quickly climbing up. The Queen, however, resumed looking bored as she turned to eye the group, "You, mortals, were brought here to convince Us to return your toys to you. To show Us that you can handle such responsibility. As ancient beings of endless power, We will pass judgement. You will be given an account of the events leading up to this day as We recall them." She easily ignored the pained squeals nearby. Advisor? Still on fire.
<Skuld> Well now. That was both unexpected and unsurprising, really. Mab had never been known for being anything other than childish in her outbursts. Even if the demon had informed them that this was some sort of trial, Sygny wasn't about to speak up and give that little tidbit away. She, Ted, and Fergus had told Gains, and so far as she was concerned, she hadn't discussed that conversation with anyone else. If Gains had given that information out, it was his call, but she had kept her lips damn sealed about summoning demons. That wasn't the sort of thing you just flippantly broadcasted out in the courtyard. As Mab resumes speaking again, Sygny lifts her chin a little, doing her best to keep her eyebrows from climbing into her hairline as she also tried not to watch the flaming advisor. Mal'varna Droshniel Emenach. She commits those words to memory, not for use here and now, but for later. She finally speaks up, standing to do so, tone even and steady, but clearly heard. "Let those attending this court take note... those 'toys' as you so call them, were not yours to take away. They belong to us by right of genetic mutation and evolution. It is our right to succeed or fail in learning to use them by the very nature of being human beings." Having spoken, she sits right back down again.
* +Angel`Pearson yes, thank you so much for that wonderful display in using your power responsibly fairy queen lady, your rapidly melting advisor thanks you too. Srsly, who -were- these people to pass judgement on them when they flung about their whacky magic like it was going out of style? Ofcourse these thoughts were kept inside..They were mostly attempting to drown out the superscary thought that maybe he didn't deserve the responsibility of his own mutation...Though he'd been taking steps in attempting to use them to help more often now, and even without them he was doing his best there was a part of him that seriously doubted that would be enough.
<@Ashlynne> Ash shrank back as the fairy Queen errupted in flames. They didn't have spontaneous-combustion judges on Law & Order! Her lips part as her jaw drops open. As Sygny stands and begins to speak the honey eyed girl blinks, at the woman, then at the fairy. She felt like Ray Stanz just told Zuul to go home to the nearest dimension.
<+L`angely> Queeny seemed rather put off by their stoic silence. That was good.. and what was even better was that she seemed to turn on her own rather than them over it. His lips thinned almost imperceptibly at the conflagration that once had been the announcer's pompous robes. He felt a momentary pang of sympathy for the being that might have been betrayed by a glance in the being's direction. It passed quickly from his gaze, though his eyes themselves remained trained on the burning figure a moment. Did the fairy himself burn? It was important, he felt, to see if they could be damaged.. even if it was only by their own magic. Obviously the Fae could easily be turned upon one another. He looked back to the queen, waiting for her to continue. he remained silent however, as if awaiting this proposed recollection of events. He glanced then to Sygny though as she spoke.. and then around at the reactions of the Fae around them, if only to keep himself from staring at burny mcburnerson.
<@Kraken> Technically speaking Griffin didn't have powers to be stripped. All of it was in the robotic parts. No X-gene and all that. Tentacles would be lashing about behind him had the ex-squidman still possessed the noodly apendages. Colors would be flashing in alarm. Certainly colors that would be mesmorizing to see. Though it was a nice break to not literally be wearing his emotions on his sleeve (and everywhere else). What? Why did she just set that one on fire? Ok ok which of them was the designated leader? Or at least the mouth for their little group. And Sygny took the lead.
<+Griffin> Definitely not like Law and Order. Or Judge Judy. If Judge Judy burst into flames during court however, it would be a vast improvement over the show. Griffin swallowed and cast a glance toward the rest of the assembled mutants, offering a briefly reassuring squeeze to Aislinn's hand next, and he certainly didn't answer the fairy queen. When Sygny chose to do so instead, he winced and wished he could curl up and disappear. Great. Piss the fairies off. They're all going to die horrible flaming deaths now. He may not have had powers to strip but he burned in fire and flames like any other individual that wasn't flame retardant.
<+Shatter> Odd. Despite not particularly getting along, Sygny said exactly what Tori would have said- but Tori had decided nobody really wanted her speaking first. Leaning back a little, she offered a faint grin, chuckling to herself. She hadn't lacked for confidence, but it helped knowing that maybe she was more on the same page as some of the others than she thought before.
<+Nickypoo> can't help but crack up at the fire display. Of course he wouldn't be laughing if he was the one on fire! But yes. The bastard gets a kick out of the poor advisor's punishment. He glances over at Sygny, frowns and quietly sighs. His arms are crossed over his chest and wonders how many bottles of water he has in his bag because they're probably going to need them. One? Two? Is Kevin lugging around the water cooler he normally does? Hopefully! So he sighs again and stands. "How would you like us to prove we deserve our toys back, great Queen? I'm sure we would all love the opportunity to prove our worthiness to you. Please only give us a way how." A charming smile is offered along with a small flourish of a bow before he settles back down into his seat.
<+Aislinn> She could only stare as the announcer/advisor was set aflame. And no one seemed to care, not the Queen, not the other fae...not her fellow mutants. The poor advisor though? He seemed to care. "Please stop. Please...help him." The words were out of her mouth before she really gave much thought to it, rising to her feet. "Your Highness... You say we're here to prove that we deserve our abilities. Abilities, its true, that we were born with." She wanted to help the burning fae, but had no powers to do so, and nothing to use to douse the flames. "That is exactly why we're feared. because people think we do this." And she'd point to teh burning fae. "But not all of us do so, and none of us are certainly doing so now. So please, I beg you, help him. Put him out of his misery."
<@AnE> Right. Of. Genetic. Mutation. The members of the Winter Court and their ghoulish friend just sort of murmured amongst themselves while the Summer Fae struggled not to burst into uproarious laughter. The queen, however, broke into a near face-splitting grin, "Oh, this one. This one is humorous. Genetic mutation -- evolution. Your sciences do make attempts to explain every hiccup. It has made vast improvements, We will admit. But if We were speaking in terms of your...computers? Your kind? Would be nothing but a glitch in the system." There was nothing but disdain oozing off of her words despite that bright grin, and she sat upright after a moment. "On the other hand, We...? We transcend time itself." Oh, yes, boasting! She twirled a finger around the lid of the jar, raising a brow high, "We require--" Oh, poop. She looked towards Aislinn and scowled, then rolled her gaze toward her burning advisor. Snapping her fingers resulted in the flames vanishing and the fae being no worse for wear, though his brows were singed and he was in his glorious red silk unmentionables. He screamed for a while longer, looked down at himself, and 'meeped' in shock. "Ugh. You lay too much weight on your so-called morality. Now, as We were saying. Following the careless death of the Talbot Simonson, which We would have pursued ourselves, the Circle of Crows and Our slimy Winter cousins-" Winter Fae begin to mutter angrily. "-have sought to take control over Our domain. Mortals and Fae do not work together, but We suppose in their desparation they sought mortal help." Mocking laughter from the Summer side. "We were unprepared. You have spoiled Our plans. Now. We expect YOU mortals, who refused to aid US in OUR time of need, TO EXPLAIN TO US WHY WE should GIVE YOU back these toys that you so CARELESSLY ABUUUUUUUSE." By the end, her voice was positively booming.
<@Ashlynne> At least she didn't ask if Sygny was a God and when told 'no' try to blast them all off the edge of a building, so that was a bonus! The Queen did, however, obviously make fun of what was said. Ash didn't know much, that was certain, but she'd watched enough TV to know that fairies aren't probably the most logic minded creatures. Who says TV never provides anything useful?! Ashlynne blinks at Mabby, her head tilting, "Well, you kind of didn't ask ALL of us? I mean, no fairy came up to me and asked me for help. How do you know everyone would have refused you?" The girl shrugs slender shoulders, "Maybe if you gave us our powers back and told all of us what was going on? Maybe we could use our abilities in a way that isn't abusing them?" Made sense to her?
<+Griffin> Her fellow mutants may not care, but Griffin certainly did. He cared about now joining the fae and being set on fire too! He cared about going home and cared about all of them leaving the way they arrived plus with powers for those who ought to have them. Does it surprise him that the outspoken voice is his own fiancee or that she was speaking out for one of the fae. He winces and puts his head down, sighs and sneaks a side glance at Nick who snickers and seems to think the entire thing is one hell of an amusing show. No, it wasn't supposed to be easy after all, but the faeries seem rightly disgusted with mutant kind as a whole. No one was offering apologies, no one was asking nicely for their powers back, they'd all come expecting it seemed. The word please did go a long way. "Then, may I ask what would y'have us do to earn their powers and abilities back, lady queen? They're young, many of them children who know no better, and are only learnin' now to be responsible with their powers. If you were to only give them a chance, they'll do their best to fulfill what you're askin'. They're sorry fer failin' to help, and had anyone known, they would have given aid. But now that they're without powers, they'll not be able to help anyone that way, includin' you." And now he wanted to shrivel away within his seat to die.
<@Kraken> Indeed, Kevin kept a more than healthy supplu of water bottles with him most of the time, but as of the last few days the amount was considerably less so, but he still had a few bottles with him. Fae on fire... He had to do something. Waters were taken out from the ex-squid's ever present messanger bag and he sprang to his feet only to sit right back down as the advisor was extinguished in an instant. And they were called glitches. Wonderful... Haughtiness... Of course. The Fae were like that. He shouldn't've expected any less. He held his tongue... Their TOYS?! Abused? She speaks of morality and then tosses around that word? Pot! Not to mention they hadn't abused their toys towards the Fae or any of their plans. That had been carried out solely by words and actions, not mutations. Ashy started... Ok he should add... "How were our Toys used in such a manner towards or against you? How did we abuse them?" Inaction? That's the only thing it could be. He certainly NEVER inked a faerie.
<Skuld> This time she does raise a brow, rising again, and stepping out and away from her seat. She addresses not only the summer fae in front of her, but turns her back to them to speak to the winters behind her, the side on which she sits, well, stands now. "Perhaps we are but a glitch in the system of evolution. But it is a glitch which has lasted for thousands of years now and which has evolved to the point which you see now. What was once considered impossible is now in the realm of not only the possible, but the mundane, daily inevitable." Of course, she's not a mutant, so it's a little different, but in general? The same principle. "On the contrary. It is our mortality that sets us apart. We strive to accomplish in such a short time what you, as you say, have eternity to do. The death of Talbot Simonson was not the collaboration of humans and fae. It was... an inevitable accident in the pursuit of a cure for a curse that magic had wrought on innocent people who had -nothing- to do with whatever conflict you have amongst yourselves. If you transcend time, if your powers are so infinite, why would you stoop so low as to even needing the help of mere mortals? Mortals who are weak, who have fear, doubt, uncertainty... surely you don't really need us, or our powers. What good are they to you? Meanwhile..." She looks over the crowd again, stopping to focus on the winter fae, expression passive, but concerned. "You have preyed on the weak and left many of us dying, crippled, or maimed. How is that a demonstration of your supreme powers?"
<+Nickypoo> glances over at Griffin, quirks a brow and joins in the groveling. "Oh yes. Many are still learning how to use them in the first place. Any mortal child with a new toy will wear it out until they eventually grow bored with it, powers included." He bobs his head in a nod and continues that charming smile. "I believe we need our powers back to learn how to properly use them. They are tools, after all, and shouldn't be treated like toys. Will you please allow us to help you, to show our worthiness?" He glances over at Sygny, winces, but turns his attention back to Mab, trying to look as pleasant as he possibly can.
<+Shatter> ".... 'would have pursued'. Oh, we're all right sure you would have done in Simonson, on your own time, when our fellow Sanctum members were dead. No doubt in our mind ye'd have handled it some day in the future when the particular whim suited you. But we didn't really have your time table to wait. Our goals weren't to interrupt you and yours, or even to get involved." Tori snorted, glancing to the others before looking up to the throne. "And yet at every turn we're drawn deeper in, n' why? Because we handled a problem for you ahead of time? Because ... what, other mortals are annoying you? Well welcome back to the real world where things happen that are bloody well annoying." She offered a glance to Sygny and smirked faintly. "It is a precise demonstation of their supreme powers in that they need to remind everyone they have them. Well, congratulations. We're reminded. We're no longer in doubt that you are still very powerful, and we're also well aware that as long as it isn't their bloody season, the Winter court could care less."
<+L`angely> He wasn't entirely surprised that MabbyPoo was unswayed by the notion of their mutations being theirs by genetic right. After all, Ms. Cray was setting people on fire and claiming to be beyond time. A breath escaped him, a hollow echo of a sigh as he studied the woman.. and then the advisor who was mercifully dowsed of the flames which had been consuming him. He didn't seem harmed beyond a little singing of the eyebrows.. and looks were deceiving. Too bad, no weaknesses shown there beyond the Queen's penchant for temper tantrums. His gaze passed amongst them as they started speaking, the lot of mutant 'ambassadors' to the Faerie Court. Finally, after Sygny's doubt of wordvomit, he rose once again to speak. He didn't look around. Instead, he kept his eyes trained upon the Queen. "More importantly.. majesty. I'm curious why it is you want to keep our powers for yourself.. if you are so ordained by the cosmos with supreme power and life out of time itself. If our powers are mere -toys- to you.. why do you want them for your help or hinderance?"
<+Aislinn> It had been a bold move on her part. Foolish even. But...she wasn't set aflame herself and the poor advisor was put out at least. And alive. She hadn't even realized she'd been holding her breath after her plea until it came out in a soft whoosh, sinking back down into her seat. She did glance towards the advisor though, checking to make sure he was ok, then looked back to the queen on her dias. She knew nothing of the Circle of Crows or even this Simonson person. Did any of them have the whole story? By now she was annoyed that they'd been sent down without the whole story from their view because she had nothing to compare what the Queen was saying to. She listened to the others speak, wincing at some and nodding at others.
* +Angel`Pearson sat listening intently with a small frown...These creatures were so full of themselves, barking about responsibility and in the same breath flippantly tossing about their own magic-mojo. Anything he may have thought to say was spoken by other members of the group. He'd had zero knowledge of the fae before they'd popped up and made off with everyones powers, so he knew nothing about their being refused help, and his thoughts about being given a chance to prove they deserved their gifts had already been stated by the others so he just listened for now...Though he couldn't help the reoccuring thought that these were not their 'toys' to take away and pass judgement on...If they were so beneath the fae, then what did it matter to them?
<@AnE> First, Mab looked toward Ashlynne, scowling. "We requested the aid of the one who spoke for the Hill of Cobalt. Twice. Two different men were presented to Us. Both rejected Our requests for help, in spite of Our promises that aiding us would see that your Hill of Cobalt would not burn to ashes when We conquered the region. We believed that we were VERY GENEROUS." She boomed again, cheeks puffing out in a pouty display before she turned her searing gaze on Griffin, "We. Must decide this. We must--" Kevin's question had her throwing another small fit -- some of the stained-glass windows began to crack as she kicked her feet and pounded her fists, "YOU, LIKE THE CROWS, MEDDLED IN THINGS YOU COULD NOT POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND! YOU AND THOSE PATHETIC MORTAL MAGES HAVE UPSET THE BALANCE WE STRIVE TO MAINTAIN!" With a shriek and another fist-pound, the windows exploded outward, and Mab seemed to calm down immediately, her gaze dragging toward Sygny. Was there a vein pulsing in her head? "If the weak die, then it is the way it was meant to be." Eyeing Nick, the formerly giggling fool, she snorted, "...fair points, Rancid One." While the others spoke, she waved a hand, and those members of the Summer Court rose, beginning to file out of a doorway that appeared within the room. "Mortals are annoying in their very existence. But, you--" To L'angely. "We are generous when we must be. Things worse than the Crows or the traitorous Winters are upon us, however. One's refusal could result in disaster. We must deliberate. We will return shortly." The room was soon completely cleared out, except for our heroes, of course.
<@Ashlynne> Well, it was a trial and Ashy had seen enough Law & Order to know you stood when they said stand, or else you'd be held in contempt of court. Being held in contempt of a Fairy court didn't seem like a good thing so she rose as the Queen of summer came in. Honeygolden eyes widened as she watched the impressive display. Lips curl up into a bit of an awed smile at the show.
<@Kraken> Do not stare... You've seen stranger looking things. You've been a stranger looking thing. This was it... The begining of whether or not they get their powers back, or someone screws up and makes things even worse than they already were. Do NOT think of just how worse that Worse can be. Positive thoughts. Calming ones. Told to sit. Now instructed to stand again. Kevin rose. It was the proper thing to do afterall.
<+Nickypoo> The announcer holds his attention and he watches that fae with interest. For now he just keeps plying the strap of his bag. His jaw tightens some and he glances around at his fellow buddies but turns his attention back to the speaker. The paintings, stained glass, everything else about the place is ignored for now.
<+Aislinn> She rose to her feet just as it seemed she had sat down. So, the games were to begin. Already trying to put the group at unease - no, that had started the moment they'd arrived with teh phantom looks and touches. This was just to keep them off balance. Her gaze was drawn upwards though, to that pretty golden light as it descended from above.
<+Shatter> Tori waited, longer than the Winter Court, likely longer than anyone else around her. But she wasn't so foolish as not to stand at all. No, she stood up straight, keeping her gaze straight ahead as she held her arms at her side. No fidgeting, no worrying, just waiting for things to procede. The stakes were high and in a ... strange place ... but perhaps it was the overwhelmingness and the stakes that kept the British girl on point.
* +Angel`Pearson ofcourse the moment they were seated, they were told to rise again for the person in charge...Thats how court functions always worked on the teevee. When asked to rise he stood, eyes turning to watch the display of the Summer Queens arrival with awe...Okay, they knew how to make a -fabulous- enterance.
<+L`angely> The summer fae couldn't have been more full of themselves if they tried, he was pretty sure. He did glance around the room to take in the various portraits to perhaps soothe their seething vanity, but his gaze didn't linger. Pale eyes turned back to the front as the announcer manfairy spoke again. There was more vanity to quench, and so L'angely rose with the stateliest manner he could adopt. He watched stoned faced as the teardrop of gold lowered itself with no doubt much todo and aweing to the throne. There was a slight lack of focus in the boy's eyes as he mentally repeated his favored mantra, 'appearances are skin deep'. Before, he could see much more telling things of a person.. and with any luck he'd be able to again once their powers returned. For now, he merely had to remember.
<+Griffin> Griffin certainly had felt ill at ease. The grand display of the summer court's queen had him staring in awe, fascinated with the entrance that was worthy of their friend Angel. It took a moment for him to realize that everyone was rising, and he nearly leapt up to his feet, mildly feeling toyed with. Goodness he wished sometimes, just sometimes, that the woman next to him had a computer brain too for silent conversation. The feeling of being played with like a toy didn't escape Griff. Not at all.
<@AnE> Down did she float like some kind of glorious falling star. The announcement was worthy of her. IN a burst of golden light did 'Mab' appear -- she'd gussied herself up for the occasion, flickering into view on her throne dressed in fine red, gold and yellow silks, with her hair done up in a series of elaborate twists and braids. Tall hair was tall. The feathers adorning her glittering gown may have brought to mind a phoenix -- and given that these were fae, those feathers may have truly been burning. She was androgynously beautiful as were all the fae, though she seemed a bit smaller, not even reaching five feet in height with her twisted golden heels. She appeared almost bored, clutching a golden, jewel-encrusted gavel in one hand. Resting on the arm of her throne, its cap covered with a palm, was that jar, which may or may not have been familiar. Inside, hundreds -- no, thousands of tiny flickering iridescent lights. After a moment of laying her seething blue eyes on the group, she snorted, "Be seated." The two sides immediately dropped. "We are certain that you are aware why you have been called into Our realm, mortals."
<Skuld> Tiny fae are tiny. Tall Sygny is heyoooooge in comparison. Except maybe to the trolls. She briefly wonders if there's troll somewhere in her lineage. Now, however, is not the time. Just like it's not the time to wonder where fairies pee. Thanks, JJ. At least it keeps her mind more centered on something light, as opposed to GODWHYAREWEHERE. Blue eyes zero in on that jar with a quickness though, and there's another faint flicker of gold in her pupils as she stares at it, then up at Mab before setting her jaw and folding herself back into her seat. Her lips remain shut tighter than a drum though.
<@Ashlynne> She was so pretty, everything that Ash would have thought a fairy Queen to look like. She was just about to give her a smile when she noticed that like the Queen at the Olympics.. Mab was not amused! sitting back down the girl felt awkward, not saying much as no question had been asked. Eyeing up the jar the girl chews on her lower lip.
<+L`angely> What tall hair on such a short woman! These were the sorts of things which L'angely noted first. Then he was paying attention once again to the gown and the rest of the woman's adornment in all its overdramatic glory. The jar was noted, and he didn't need his powers to have a fair hint of an idea of what those tiny lights were or at least represented. He didn't respond to the queen's words vocally, having felt they'd satisfied her vanities enough already. No more playing games, as far as the Canuck was concerned. And so, like Sygny he merely seated himself once more, eyes on the Queen. His face remained decided neutral, his control clamped down on his emotions and thoughts like a vice.. or as best he could manage without his powers.
<+Nickypoo> Pretty. Is the only thing that comes to Nick's mind. He downright stares at the display, dat hurr and everything else about the magnificant woman. The comment about them knowing is made and he just...raises a brow. NOPE. He has zero idea. The flyer didn't mention anything about the whys, just to show up. The twinkling jar attracts his attention and he eyes it closely, glances over at Ashy and resumes watching Mab. Ideas, stupid or otherwise, run through his head.
<+Shatter> Again there was a significant delay in Tori's motions. It was hard not to be aware of the Queen, but she Tori didn't look up at her. She kept her gaze dead ahead, and sat down in a slow and deliberate fashion a scant moment after everyone else. Respectful, but Tori certainly wasn't here to please anyone.
<@Kraken> Reclaimed his seat, trying not to stare in awe at Mab's arrival. Staring wasn't proper. Could be seen as a bad thing. Eyes traveled around the room then stopped ahead. He was certainly awed though. This was important. Their surroundings were beautiful. No idea of what was in store for them. A trial right? But was a Fae trial the same as a human one? Hopefully it wouldn't be a mockery like the Quintessons. Great. He was spending too much time around JJ too. Get this over with. Get their powers back. Go home. Promptly suffocate because of heat...
<+Griffin> So much for appearing classy and like less of a slack jawed yokel. Griffin outright begins to stare again as it becomes increasingly difficult to conceal the amount of awe at being in a fairy wonderland. Unlike Kevin and the others who restrain it in wel, he can't quite pull off the same amount of disinterest. Likely because he wasn't stripped of his powers. The queen truly was beautiful, but he snapped out of it in the nick of time and settled into his seat again, only to resume staring for an entirely different reason. Were they supposed to know why they had been brought into the fairy realm? The only reason that he could deduce from the top of his head was that the mutants there all wanted their powers back.
* +Angel`Pearson he totally did gawk as the Queen flashed into sight...Oooo androgynous-pretty. And that outfit! Despite being ancient, arrogant, self righteous, power stealers they had style out the wazzoo. The sparkly jar was eyed much like most of the group had, though he hadn't been there at the original power snatchy it wasn't too hard to figure out what that was. His monkeyfrogness was in there somwhere!
<+Aislinn> Beautiful, was Aislinn's first thought. Why deny what was true? But despite the fiery bright colors of the fae queen, another word came to mind. Cold. Queen of summer she may be, but Aislinn didn't see any warmth in her at all. She retook her seat next to Griffin, hand still twined with his, gaze moving next to the jaw with its thousands of twinkling lights. Her own light could have been in there, if things had gone differently. If she hadn't been in Ireland. It was a sobering thought. No one had spoken yet, save the Queen, and Aislinn wondered if anyone was going to aknowledge the fae woman's words. She herself didn't know the specifics of why they were here, only that they hoped to come back with everyone's powers returned to them.
<@AnE> Hrm. The mortals were less chatty than they had been back at their Hill of Blue. Mab noted this with a silent glance between the 'announcer', who turned out to be her advisor, in reality. She looked from him, to them, then back again. They looked almost confused. "Were they not--" SCOWL. "Did YOU not? We specifically informed YOU to-- USELESS. SWINE. MAL'VARNA DROSHNIEL EMENACH!" With that sudden outburst, her advisor would find his long fluttery robes being set on fire. He squealed girlishly, nearly tripping over himself as he struggled to pat out the flames that were quickly climbing up. The Queen, however, resumed looking bored as she turned to eye the group, "You, mortals, were brought here to convince Us to return your toys to you. To show Us that you can handle such responsibility. As ancient beings of endless power, We will pass judgement. You will be given an account of the events leading up to this day as We recall them." She easily ignored the pained squeals nearby. Advisor? Still on fire.
<Skuld> Well now. That was both unexpected and unsurprising, really. Mab had never been known for being anything other than childish in her outbursts. Even if the demon had informed them that this was some sort of trial, Sygny wasn't about to speak up and give that little tidbit away. She, Ted, and Fergus had told Gains, and so far as she was concerned, she hadn't discussed that conversation with anyone else. If Gains had given that information out, it was his call, but she had kept her lips damn sealed about summoning demons. That wasn't the sort of thing you just flippantly broadcasted out in the courtyard. As Mab resumes speaking again, Sygny lifts her chin a little, doing her best to keep her eyebrows from climbing into her hairline as she also tried not to watch the flaming advisor. Mal'varna Droshniel Emenach. She commits those words to memory, not for use here and now, but for later. She finally speaks up, standing to do so, tone even and steady, but clearly heard. "Let those attending this court take note... those 'toys' as you so call them, were not yours to take away. They belong to us by right of genetic mutation and evolution. It is our right to succeed or fail in learning to use them by the very nature of being human beings." Having spoken, she sits right back down again.
* +Angel`Pearson yes, thank you so much for that wonderful display in using your power responsibly fairy queen lady, your rapidly melting advisor thanks you too. Srsly, who -were- these people to pass judgement on them when they flung about their whacky magic like it was going out of style? Ofcourse these thoughts were kept inside..They were mostly attempting to drown out the superscary thought that maybe he didn't deserve the responsibility of his own mutation...Though he'd been taking steps in attempting to use them to help more often now, and even without them he was doing his best there was a part of him that seriously doubted that would be enough.
<@Ashlynne> Ash shrank back as the fairy Queen errupted in flames. They didn't have spontaneous-combustion judges on Law & Order! Her lips part as her jaw drops open. As Sygny stands and begins to speak the honey eyed girl blinks, at the woman, then at the fairy. She felt like Ray Stanz just told Zuul to go home to the nearest dimension.
<+L`angely> Queeny seemed rather put off by their stoic silence. That was good.. and what was even better was that she seemed to turn on her own rather than them over it. His lips thinned almost imperceptibly at the conflagration that once had been the announcer's pompous robes. He felt a momentary pang of sympathy for the being that might have been betrayed by a glance in the being's direction. It passed quickly from his gaze, though his eyes themselves remained trained on the burning figure a moment. Did the fairy himself burn? It was important, he felt, to see if they could be damaged.. even if it was only by their own magic. Obviously the Fae could easily be turned upon one another. He looked back to the queen, waiting for her to continue. he remained silent however, as if awaiting this proposed recollection of events. He glanced then to Sygny though as she spoke.. and then around at the reactions of the Fae around them, if only to keep himself from staring at burny mcburnerson.
<@Kraken> Technically speaking Griffin didn't have powers to be stripped. All of it was in the robotic parts. No X-gene and all that. Tentacles would be lashing about behind him had the ex-squidman still possessed the noodly apendages. Colors would be flashing in alarm. Certainly colors that would be mesmorizing to see. Though it was a nice break to not literally be wearing his emotions on his sleeve (and everywhere else). What? Why did she just set that one on fire? Ok ok which of them was the designated leader? Or at least the mouth for their little group. And Sygny took the lead.
<+Griffin> Definitely not like Law and Order. Or Judge Judy. If Judge Judy burst into flames during court however, it would be a vast improvement over the show. Griffin swallowed and cast a glance toward the rest of the assembled mutants, offering a briefly reassuring squeeze to Aislinn's hand next, and he certainly didn't answer the fairy queen. When Sygny chose to do so instead, he winced and wished he could curl up and disappear. Great. Piss the fairies off. They're all going to die horrible flaming deaths now. He may not have had powers to strip but he burned in fire and flames like any other individual that wasn't flame retardant.
<+Shatter> Odd. Despite not particularly getting along, Sygny said exactly what Tori would have said- but Tori had decided nobody really wanted her speaking first. Leaning back a little, she offered a faint grin, chuckling to herself. She hadn't lacked for confidence, but it helped knowing that maybe she was more on the same page as some of the others than she thought before.
<+Nickypoo> can't help but crack up at the fire display. Of course he wouldn't be laughing if he was the one on fire! But yes. The bastard gets a kick out of the poor advisor's punishment. He glances over at Sygny, frowns and quietly sighs. His arms are crossed over his chest and wonders how many bottles of water he has in his bag because they're probably going to need them. One? Two? Is Kevin lugging around the water cooler he normally does? Hopefully! So he sighs again and stands. "How would you like us to prove we deserve our toys back, great Queen? I'm sure we would all love the opportunity to prove our worthiness to you. Please only give us a way how." A charming smile is offered along with a small flourish of a bow before he settles back down into his seat.
<+Aislinn> She could only stare as the announcer/advisor was set aflame. And no one seemed to care, not the Queen, not the other fae...not her fellow mutants. The poor advisor though? He seemed to care. "Please stop. Please...help him." The words were out of her mouth before she really gave much thought to it, rising to her feet. "Your Highness... You say we're here to prove that we deserve our abilities. Abilities, its true, that we were born with." She wanted to help the burning fae, but had no powers to do so, and nothing to use to douse the flames. "That is exactly why we're feared. because people think we do this." And she'd point to teh burning fae. "But not all of us do so, and none of us are certainly doing so now. So please, I beg you, help him. Put him out of his misery."
<@AnE> Right. Of. Genetic. Mutation. The members of the Winter Court and their ghoulish friend just sort of murmured amongst themselves while the Summer Fae struggled not to burst into uproarious laughter. The queen, however, broke into a near face-splitting grin, "Oh, this one. This one is humorous. Genetic mutation -- evolution. Your sciences do make attempts to explain every hiccup. It has made vast improvements, We will admit. But if We were speaking in terms of your...computers? Your kind? Would be nothing but a glitch in the system." There was nothing but disdain oozing off of her words despite that bright grin, and she sat upright after a moment. "On the other hand, We...? We transcend time itself." Oh, yes, boasting! She twirled a finger around the lid of the jar, raising a brow high, "We require--" Oh, poop. She looked towards Aislinn and scowled, then rolled her gaze toward her burning advisor. Snapping her fingers resulted in the flames vanishing and the fae being no worse for wear, though his brows were singed and he was in his glorious red silk unmentionables. He screamed for a while longer, looked down at himself, and 'meeped' in shock. "Ugh. You lay too much weight on your so-called morality. Now, as We were saying. Following the careless death of the Talbot Simonson, which We would have pursued ourselves, the Circle of Crows and Our slimy Winter cousins-" Winter Fae begin to mutter angrily. "-have sought to take control over Our domain. Mortals and Fae do not work together, but We suppose in their desparation they sought mortal help." Mocking laughter from the Summer side. "We were unprepared. You have spoiled Our plans. Now. We expect YOU mortals, who refused to aid US in OUR time of need, TO EXPLAIN TO US WHY WE should GIVE YOU back these toys that you so CARELESSLY ABUUUUUUUSE." By the end, her voice was positively booming.
<@Ashlynne> At least she didn't ask if Sygny was a God and when told 'no' try to blast them all off the edge of a building, so that was a bonus! The Queen did, however, obviously make fun of what was said. Ash didn't know much, that was certain, but she'd watched enough TV to know that fairies aren't probably the most logic minded creatures. Who says TV never provides anything useful?! Ashlynne blinks at Mabby, her head tilting, "Well, you kind of didn't ask ALL of us? I mean, no fairy came up to me and asked me for help. How do you know everyone would have refused you?" The girl shrugs slender shoulders, "Maybe if you gave us our powers back and told all of us what was going on? Maybe we could use our abilities in a way that isn't abusing them?" Made sense to her?
<+Griffin> Her fellow mutants may not care, but Griffin certainly did. He cared about now joining the fae and being set on fire too! He cared about going home and cared about all of them leaving the way they arrived plus with powers for those who ought to have them. Does it surprise him that the outspoken voice is his own fiancee or that she was speaking out for one of the fae. He winces and puts his head down, sighs and sneaks a side glance at Nick who snickers and seems to think the entire thing is one hell of an amusing show. No, it wasn't supposed to be easy after all, but the faeries seem rightly disgusted with mutant kind as a whole. No one was offering apologies, no one was asking nicely for their powers back, they'd all come expecting it seemed. The word please did go a long way. "Then, may I ask what would y'have us do to earn their powers and abilities back, lady queen? They're young, many of them children who know no better, and are only learnin' now to be responsible with their powers. If you were to only give them a chance, they'll do their best to fulfill what you're askin'. They're sorry fer failin' to help, and had anyone known, they would have given aid. But now that they're without powers, they'll not be able to help anyone that way, includin' you." And now he wanted to shrivel away within his seat to die.
<@Kraken> Indeed, Kevin kept a more than healthy supplu of water bottles with him most of the time, but as of the last few days the amount was considerably less so, but he still had a few bottles with him. Fae on fire... He had to do something. Waters were taken out from the ex-squid's ever present messanger bag and he sprang to his feet only to sit right back down as the advisor was extinguished in an instant. And they were called glitches. Wonderful... Haughtiness... Of course. The Fae were like that. He shouldn't've expected any less. He held his tongue... Their TOYS?! Abused? She speaks of morality and then tosses around that word? Pot! Not to mention they hadn't abused their toys towards the Fae or any of their plans. That had been carried out solely by words and actions, not mutations. Ashy started... Ok he should add... "How were our Toys used in such a manner towards or against you? How did we abuse them?" Inaction? That's the only thing it could be. He certainly NEVER inked a faerie.
<Skuld> This time she does raise a brow, rising again, and stepping out and away from her seat. She addresses not only the summer fae in front of her, but turns her back to them to speak to the winters behind her, the side on which she sits, well, stands now. "Perhaps we are but a glitch in the system of evolution. But it is a glitch which has lasted for thousands of years now and which has evolved to the point which you see now. What was once considered impossible is now in the realm of not only the possible, but the mundane, daily inevitable." Of course, she's not a mutant, so it's a little different, but in general? The same principle. "On the contrary. It is our mortality that sets us apart. We strive to accomplish in such a short time what you, as you say, have eternity to do. The death of Talbot Simonson was not the collaboration of humans and fae. It was... an inevitable accident in the pursuit of a cure for a curse that magic had wrought on innocent people who had -nothing- to do with whatever conflict you have amongst yourselves. If you transcend time, if your powers are so infinite, why would you stoop so low as to even needing the help of mere mortals? Mortals who are weak, who have fear, doubt, uncertainty... surely you don't really need us, or our powers. What good are they to you? Meanwhile..." She looks over the crowd again, stopping to focus on the winter fae, expression passive, but concerned. "You have preyed on the weak and left many of us dying, crippled, or maimed. How is that a demonstration of your supreme powers?"
<+Nickypoo> glances over at Griffin, quirks a brow and joins in the groveling. "Oh yes. Many are still learning how to use them in the first place. Any mortal child with a new toy will wear it out until they eventually grow bored with it, powers included." He bobs his head in a nod and continues that charming smile. "I believe we need our powers back to learn how to properly use them. They are tools, after all, and shouldn't be treated like toys. Will you please allow us to help you, to show our worthiness?" He glances over at Sygny, winces, but turns his attention back to Mab, trying to look as pleasant as he possibly can.
<+Shatter> ".... 'would have pursued'. Oh, we're all right sure you would have done in Simonson, on your own time, when our fellow Sanctum members were dead. No doubt in our mind ye'd have handled it some day in the future when the particular whim suited you. But we didn't really have your time table to wait. Our goals weren't to interrupt you and yours, or even to get involved." Tori snorted, glancing to the others before looking up to the throne. "And yet at every turn we're drawn deeper in, n' why? Because we handled a problem for you ahead of time? Because ... what, other mortals are annoying you? Well welcome back to the real world where things happen that are bloody well annoying." She offered a glance to Sygny and smirked faintly. "It is a precise demonstation of their supreme powers in that they need to remind everyone they have them. Well, congratulations. We're reminded. We're no longer in doubt that you are still very powerful, and we're also well aware that as long as it isn't their bloody season, the Winter court could care less."
<+L`angely> He wasn't entirely surprised that MabbyPoo was unswayed by the notion of their mutations being theirs by genetic right. After all, Ms. Cray was setting people on fire and claiming to be beyond time. A breath escaped him, a hollow echo of a sigh as he studied the woman.. and then the advisor who was mercifully dowsed of the flames which had been consuming him. He didn't seem harmed beyond a little singing of the eyebrows.. and looks were deceiving. Too bad, no weaknesses shown there beyond the Queen's penchant for temper tantrums. His gaze passed amongst them as they started speaking, the lot of mutant 'ambassadors' to the Faerie Court. Finally, after Sygny's doubt of wordvomit, he rose once again to speak. He didn't look around. Instead, he kept his eyes trained upon the Queen. "More importantly.. majesty. I'm curious why it is you want to keep our powers for yourself.. if you are so ordained by the cosmos with supreme power and life out of time itself. If our powers are mere -toys- to you.. why do you want them for your help or hinderance?"
<+Aislinn> It had been a bold move on her part. Foolish even. But...she wasn't set aflame herself and the poor advisor was put out at least. And alive. She hadn't even realized she'd been holding her breath after her plea until it came out in a soft whoosh, sinking back down into her seat. She did glance towards the advisor though, checking to make sure he was ok, then looked back to the queen on her dias. She knew nothing of the Circle of Crows or even this Simonson person. Did any of them have the whole story? By now she was annoyed that they'd been sent down without the whole story from their view because she had nothing to compare what the Queen was saying to. She listened to the others speak, wincing at some and nodding at others.
* +Angel`Pearson sat listening intently with a small frown...These creatures were so full of themselves, barking about responsibility and in the same breath flippantly tossing about their own magic-mojo. Anything he may have thought to say was spoken by other members of the group. He'd had zero knowledge of the fae before they'd popped up and made off with everyones powers, so he knew nothing about their being refused help, and his thoughts about being given a chance to prove they deserved their gifts had already been stated by the others so he just listened for now...Though he couldn't help the reoccuring thought that these were not their 'toys' to take away and pass judgement on...If they were so beneath the fae, then what did it matter to them?
<@AnE> First, Mab looked toward Ashlynne, scowling. "We requested the aid of the one who spoke for the Hill of Cobalt. Twice. Two different men were presented to Us. Both rejected Our requests for help, in spite of Our promises that aiding us would see that your Hill of Cobalt would not burn to ashes when We conquered the region. We believed that we were VERY GENEROUS." She boomed again, cheeks puffing out in a pouty display before she turned her searing gaze on Griffin, "We. Must decide this. We must--" Kevin's question had her throwing another small fit -- some of the stained-glass windows began to crack as she kicked her feet and pounded her fists, "YOU, LIKE THE CROWS, MEDDLED IN THINGS YOU COULD NOT POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND! YOU AND THOSE PATHETIC MORTAL MAGES HAVE UPSET THE BALANCE WE STRIVE TO MAINTAIN!" With a shriek and another fist-pound, the windows exploded outward, and Mab seemed to calm down immediately, her gaze dragging toward Sygny. Was there a vein pulsing in her head? "If the weak die, then it is the way it was meant to be." Eyeing Nick, the formerly giggling fool, she snorted, "...fair points, Rancid One." While the others spoke, she waved a hand, and those members of the Summer Court rose, beginning to file out of a doorway that appeared within the room. "Mortals are annoying in their very existence. But, you--" To L'angely. "We are generous when we must be. Things worse than the Crows or the traitorous Winters are upon us, however. One's refusal could result in disaster. We must deliberate. We will return shortly." The room was soon completely cleared out, except for our heroes, of course.
Queen Mab and the Firey Advisors, part 3
<+L`angely> "So you -need- us.. -with- our powers." He said resolutely towards the Queen. He kept his stoic gaze upon her alone even as the room became a commotion of frivolous beings filing their way out. "We'll be here waiting.. majesty." And then he seated himself once more, refusing to even look at his comrades.. lest he betray his own doubt in his feigned courage.
<Skuld> Having listened to everyone as they spoke, of course, Sygny gives Tori a small lift of her chin and a brief, almost imperceptible nod. When the room clears, even of the winter fae, she presses ehr lips together in a thin line, one hand reaching to wrap her fingers around the medallion around her neck, the other running fingers through her hair. The bell around her wrist chimes faintly, the sound somehow strange and too loud in the large room. She says nothing. She said her piece to the fae.
<+Nickypoo> Rancid One. That makes Nick grimace again. He massages one of his temples with a couple of fingers like it's going to make him feel better or something. A quiet sigh escapes him and he narrows his eyes at Sygny. "The hell is wrong with you?" A pointed glare is aimed at Tori as well. "You too. Are you both trying to get us turned into piles of ash? I'd prefer to not wind up like that, thankyouverymuch." His forearms flop down into his lap and he shakes his head. "Well, I hope for a marginally good decision but I doubt anyone's getting their shit back today." Which he isn't happy about even if he still has his powers.
<+Griffin> The queen had a point here and it was becoming increasingly difficult not to see this point. Had Gains lied to them? It was possible, he certainly hadn't come through the portal to grovel and beg for the powers that were stolen, and he hadn't divulged all of the important info either. Griffin stared at the queen then at the ginger that interrupted her, grimacing again. It didn't take much to begin to wonder if perhaps the fae were correct in stripping the powers of the irresponsible Salem mutants and making them little more than human. They were selfish, whining, and Nick had found too much amusement in the advisor's plight. She spoke of mages and a man named Talbot, something he was dying to know about now. Lowering his voice even further, Griffin spoke as quiet of a whisper as he could muster to Aislinn, "D'ye think she'll be givin' them back?" It looked like they had a shot at least.
<@Ashlynne> Ash makes a quiet 'huh' noise as she nods. Well it all made sense, really. Probably Gains and Santiago or some big muckymuck like that. when she mentions Nick having a fair point the girl nods eagerly and smiles towards him, glad to see some progress was made. When he turns on Sygny and Tori Ash's smile fades. She hisses softly, "Nick, not infront of the F-A-I-R-I-E-S." Because they obviously can't spell.
<Skuld> She turns a passively uninterested look on Nick as Ashlynne speaks up. "For a grown man, it's the child who speaks wiser words. Did you ever stop to think that this is part of their trial? But yes, by all means, turn on the very people who are in here with you and see how far that gets you." Groveling and begging won't solve things either. Sitting again, she crosses her legs and leans back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest.
* +Angel`Pearson let out a deep breath as the fae rose and filed out...He'd look over to try and give a reassuring smile Ashys way, hands clasped together to stop any nervous fidgeting...Though when Nick spoke he felt a bit deflated. Despite everything he had truely been hoping this would be it, that whatever else happened today they were returning home themselves, complete in their mutanty goodness...Now, notsomuch. He was still trying to be hopeful though..
<@Kraken> That didn't answer his questions. That just made Mabbypoo lose her temper. Ha! He struck something with that question. Probably a bad thing. But he hit a nerve! They hadn't used their powers against the fae. The very thing they were being accused of. Abusing their toys... How could there be an accusation of abuse when none of then had gone fairy hunting or caused one harm with their mutations. As though the puny mortals COULD cause the mighty fae any damage at all. Mab and her goons were tantrumming. Nothing more. And the fae called them the immature silly mortals... She called Nick Rancid One. Kevin winced, looking to his zombified friend as though expecting his powers to be torn away as well. Nick might actually like that though. being alive again. And they vanished. Joy... now the waiting started. He looked to the others... "The whole time starting with the room back there was probably a test... everything we said how we reacted.... Nowwe just wait..." Non existant tentacles lashed behind him.
<+Aislinn> "I don't rightly know." she whispered back quietly to Griffin as she turned to look at him. She glanced towards the door the fae had all filed through, expression considering. "Did anyone notice that the Winter Fae seemed.. I dunno...sick? Or is it just because they're out of their season of power? But..no, that wouldn't make sense. If either faction sickened to such a degree than the other could easily take them over." A soft sigh because it likely didn't really matter why, though her gaze did shift to Tori and Sygny. "I thought we were here to ask for the return of your abilities. To beg, plead, and grovel if we must." A blink. Sygny had a point there, and no doubt they were still being observed. As Kevin said, the tests had started the moment they arrived.
<+Shatter> "We need t' get our powers back without caving in to help them." Tori remarked, glancing over and pulling off her shades for the moment. "A little humility is fine in parts, but you heard what she said. This ... all of this nonsense isn't over when we get our powers back. 'That your Hill of Cobalt would not be burned to ashes when we conquer the region.' We can't afford to be beholden to them. We need to get our powers back because we deserve them, because they are ours. Not because we begged, pleaded, and asked for them back." She looked back to the throne and gestured. "We're a pawn in the game they're trying to play. But pawns can be more dangerous than you think- and I doubt they put much immediate thought into anything."
<+Nickypoo> "...Well I'm not sure how many people have won on Judge Judy by intentionally provoking her but sure. Go ahead and sulk." He crosses his arms over his chest and cracks a smile at Ashy. "Well, they went back into their chambers to deliberate. So we're waiting." He nods to Kevin and eyes Aislinn. "Probably because it's summer and not winter. They are winter fairies, after all. So sense dictates that they would be strong in the winter, weak in the summer." He nods to Tori, "Yeah, true. But still. I'd rather not anger any of them any more than necessary. You know, to the point of raised voices."
<+Griffin> Griffin wondered if Nick wouldn't be happier with his powers torn from him as well. "We ought to just wait patiently. Ashy's right that it does no good to be fightin'. Maybe they're wantin' that and they're listenin' to the entire thing and usin' it too fer makin' their judgments." It would be a poor show, certainly, and would only prove the fairies right that the mutants were just silly children that didn't deserve their toys. "A little politeness goes a long way, it doesn't hurt to speak to them with a civil tongue, even if yer too proud to beg." He nodded his head to Aislinn when she remarked on the sick ones. "I noticed. I wouldn't expect them to look and appear to be so ill though, Nick. Winter fairies or no, they were lookin' troubled."
<@AnE> "MORTALS, WE HAVE MADE OUR DECISION." Mab was really good at that. Her voice BOOOOMED as she reappeared, followed by both sets of faeries and their various magical compatriots. That may have seemed fast, but 'transcending time' and all that. Banging her gavel, the creatures silenced and settled in all at once. Clearing her throat dramatically, the queen grabbed her jar of...powers and plopped it into her lap, "We are a generous Queen. You will be given back your... unique aspects. But first, you must do something for Us." A wry smirk crept across her youthful features as she drummed her fingertips atop the jar.
<@Ashlynne> As he smiles at her Ash's own smile reappears, "Yeah.. maybe.. but I'm sure they have spies everywhere." She looks around the room once again, chewing on her lower lip. Looking over her shoulder her eyes focus on her backpack before she jumps, the BOOMING voice nearly making the girl pee her pants. "OH Thank Yo..." She started, right up until the 'you have to do something for us' part. "Oh... .. Oh.. kay?" She looks at the group and shrugs. What choice did they have?
<+Shatter> "I don't she does anything but punctuate here statements with rai-" And there she was. She managed to hush up and slipped her glasses back on as she face forward, frowning faintly. "I can't bloody well wait to hear this."
<Skuld> There's nothing sukly in her posture at all. She's simply sitting. Until the booming voice of She Who Has No Inside Voice returns to the court room, and Sygny's attention snaps back to the throne. When Ashlynne spoke, it wasn't to ask what it was, nor did Tori, and with fairies... well... so Sygny goes point blank. "What are you asking us to do?"
<+Aislinn> Griffin understood her point at least, and it was a grateful smile she gave him. And then the fae returned and she near jumped out of seat. Discussions about the seeminly off-kilter balance of the fae would have to wait till later, her attention going back to Mab. "You are most generous, your Majesty, but...what is this favor you request of us?" This oculd be good, or very, veeeeeery bad. SOmehow she thought it might be leaning towards the second.
* +Angel`Pearson head snapped up at the queens reappearence, looking hopefull for a moment as she claimed to be willing to give them back their powers...and then ofcourse there was the catch. He spoke up softly, echoing Syngys and Aislinns question "..What is it you ask of us, Your Majesty?" A few other titles briefly...verybriefly considered. He wouldn't actually do that though.
<+Nickypoo> The scrawny bastard opens his mouth to say something but everyone else has beaten him to the punch! So he shuts up his trap and goes silent, watching Mab, patiently waiting for a demand. A faint smile appears. Yaypowers! He'll be glad when they're restored. They just have to jump through hoops. Oh joy.
<@Kraken> Had they won? Nonexistant tentacles would be coiling about themselves, his color would be taking on some camoflauging tones. Had something they said messed everything up? The Faes returned and said they would give the powers back but they had to do something... Great. Whatever could that be? "Thank you, Queen." Stay polite... hope the something isn't a bad thing.
<@AnE> "To prove your loyalty to Us-" Even though no such loyalty had ever been claimed. Tori was right about one thing -- this would not be over when their powers were returned. "-you will venture into a place that has not touched even by Our hand for centuries. You will bring Us the Gilded Urn of She-Who-Touched-The-Sun. Once the Urn is in this room, We will return what we have taken." And now she was idly tossing that jar between her hands as if it were nothing, balancing it ont he tip of one finger. "And, because We are a Generous queen, each of you who have lost something will be given one -- and ONLY one of your aspects in return, as a gesture of... good faith." The lid on the jar was popped open, and the container floated into the center of the room, "Taking your aspect will serve as a contract. Failure to return the Urn to Us will signify that you have broken this contract and We will destroy all that we have taken, and you will serve Us for eternity. If you are willing to complete this task, choose your aspect wisely." When they reached into the jar, they would seem to know just what power or trait was their own and ... pick it out! Once they did, if they did, it would absorb into them and grant back that one power or trait.
<@Ashlynne> One trait? Just one. Her mind raced as she took her turn at the jar. Pulling the little glowing thing out she watches as it sinks into her palm. Nothing seemed to change, visibly. One would think that the girl would go for the most comforting of her abilities.. but what good was glowing if all you could do was stand there? Her hand stayed open as the skin, once again, webs between her fingers. Her face lit up, even without her glow. They had a task, they were going to get that damn urn and they'd save everyone!
* +Angel`Pearson that open jar floating right toward them was soooo effing tempting...His hands clenched together more firmly, biting down hard on his bottom lip and looking to the others for confirmation. Were they going to accept? Though they really knew nothing about the task at hand it didn't seem like they had much choice.
<+Nickypoo> Nicholas stays right where he is. He has no one trait to recover! And so he just watches the others, curious as to how many people would agree to the task.
<@Kraken> What place was it that the fae were asking them to go and retrieve? seeing how they acted, asking would be an insult as though they didn't trust the fae not to supply them with the needed information. Yet not asking seemed presumptuious on their end. One trait returned... Just one. Kevin's mind raced... he had no idea where one ability started and where one ended... He was a squidman. Think think think... Before the squidening what were they... ink. color. sticky hands... ok so logically the ink and color were seperate powers. Everything squiddy? That was something else. What good would gills and looking like a monster be for this covert operation? He'd stand out... Shooting ink? Again. Where was the use in that... he'd look like his oldself again later. Like Ashlynne had chosen. Go for usage over self comfort. Kevin would pull out... His chromakinesis. Being able to camoflauge won out over the others, even if that camoflauging wouldn't be as precises as when combined with squidskin.
<+Griffin> This was very bad. Griffin had no power or trait to recover either from the urn so like Aislinn and Nick, he chose to remain seated in the same place as a silent observer for now. It was interesting to see which of their powers and traits they would assume and reclaim for their journey into fairylands. He might have dissolved into immature fits of laughter if Kevin chose to become a floppy squid man right now too.
<Skuld> The what now? "Does she have another name we might be more familiar with?" Because She-Who-Touched-the-Sun is a new one on Sygny. Oh goody, more time in the library. Well, at least she hadn't given them a time limit, and Sygny swears by Freya's giant knockers she will slap the shit out of anyone who asks how much time they have to accomplish the task. Once the jar floats out toward them, Sygny knows precisely which aspect she will choose. It's really the -only- aspect she has, although she figures that Skuld will operate in somewhat of a diminished capacity. Still, nothing else works without the Valkyrie.... but she also knows that this is an extremely volatile situation. While not in any immediate, physical danger, there's a damn good chance that Sygny won't be Sygny for awhile once her hand goes into that jar. It does eventually go in though, plucking out a golden glowing fluttering bit of... something. And all at once, Sygny is thrown back from the center of the room, drawn up off her feet, hovering just a centimeter or two off the floor. A beam of light splits her down the middle, from the top of her head to her crotch, fanning outward until her whole body is enveloped. The transformation is not pleasant, as her body is literally melted away by the searing energy and light that pour out of it. The being within her, Skuld, the Valkyrie herself, bursts forth with a primal scream rivaling the booming voice of Mab herself. The Sygny that was is not there anymore, and instead, there is a being of pure light and energy in her place, larger, somehow more present, clad in golden armor and bearing a shield with a stylized lightning bolt across the curved outside. In her other hand, a hammer, inlaid with crackling gems. Eyes that glow a blazing gold bear down on the fae as well as the other humans present. "So. This is the home of the Summer Queen." Skuld hovers there, thankfully not going batshit, but simply passing her gaze around the large room. "I wish to be gone from it now. Your bargain is accepted, Queen Mabel. You will have your urn."
<@AnE> Mab snorts, "WE CAN SCREAM LOUDER." And that she does! Actually, no, she doesn't.
<+Aislinn> Like Nick, she had nothing to take. She wasn't even sure she liked the sound of this..arrangement. Become servents if they failed? What if this task was an impossible one? A clever trick to secure their eternal service? But it was the choice of each person there, and not hers. So she remained seated at Griffin's side...until the screaming started. Then her hand tightened so much on his that she'd have bruises on her own, eyes widening as she just stared at the transformation. "What the bloody hell?!" That was like no mutation she'd ever seen before. She almost expected a battle to ensue.
<+Shatter> It was a hard decision. She didn't want to be beholden to the Summer Court. She didn't want to help them in any way. But on the other hand she did promise to do what was necessary for everyone. She looked down for a moment and clenched a fist as she slowly stepped forward. Looking into the urn, and then back up to the Queen, she set her teeth and reached in. Nothing changed visibly for her as she stepped back, but for a moment she seemed more at ease. "Alright. Deal's a deal, I guess, guv."
* +Angel`Pearson once the others started walking up for the jar he rose as well, crazy screaming valkyries appearence distracting for a moment before he stepped up to search out his own monkeyfrogness from inside the jar. Warm, mellow, trippy...Thereitwas! His eyes closed for a moment when contact was made...Oh how I've missed you...Which aspect would be most useful in theupcoming ordeal..? Eventually hallucinogen-loogie-venom-spit thing was decided on and chosen.
<@AnE> What Mab really did was eye Sygny, "...no." Simple and to the point! Perhaps not everything about the Fae could be traced back to lore and fables? She waited in silence as they made their decisions -- most of them favorable, and her lips curled. Pleased fae queen was pleased. Members of the Summer Court began to murmur amongst themselves, the Winter Fae hardly looking like they wanted to be awake much less involved in this. Sygny -- or Skuld now, was eyed. This power seemed more familiar than the 'glitches', and Mab sneered, "Good. Good. Your decisions are wise." She raised a hand and traced a rectangle with her fingers. Another door formed, this one of creaky, rotting wood. It swung open and revealed a dank, dark stairwell, "The tomb can be found through here. Even We are not sure of what you will face. Though We hold the key, We have not dared enter for several centuries. We wish you...luck." Her tone was still mocking, of course.
<@Ashlynne> As the door opened and darkness was revealed Ashy froze, eyes widening. She should have gone glow. She should have gone glow! Her hand reaches for her backpack, holding it tightly. Was she allowed to bring it? Maybe she could sneak her pocket flashlights in with her. Chin up, Ashlynne. You can do this. Sure it was dark, and dank, and tight places, and horrible squirming things most likely, and zombies and skel.... A small whimper slips from her without the girl even realizing it. Someone needed to give that damn girl a kitten and tell her it was too dangerous to go alone. Nick could be her kitten! Was he going? Who knew! Kevin! Kevin could be her kitten! She knew he was going for sure! Movign towards him she stares at the door, reaching out to take his hand. "Ok.. lets... go..."
<+Shatter> "If ye don't mind..." She reached a hand out- the windows were already broken, so why not borrow the glass? Maybe magical glass was ... better glass? Either way, she pulled a decent amount to her, the shards floating around Tori in lazy circles, like a slow moving protective barrier. "Could come in handy." With a snort, she strode forward, once again moving to take point to get this over with as the Brit strode down into said Tomb- only faltering at the doorway at a sudden realization. "Maybe ... someone else ... should go first."
<+Griffin> That couldn't be a mutation. Griffin had read all variety of books, thesis reports, and research on mutants since arriving at the Sanctum. He'd never heard of anything like that however and found himself wondering if Sygny was one of those magical people that the fairy queen mentioned. The queen mentioned that no one else had entered for centuries despite the key being in their position and he grimaced. There was caution in the grip he'd taken on Aislinn's hand, care not to break it, then he abandoned his seat to approach the doorway created for their journey. "...Doesn't much matter which of us is to go first, Tori, we're all goin' in." How'd he know that? Because they had no choice if they weren't wishing to become eternal slaves of the summer court. Aislinn could let go if she wanted, since he'd loosened his hold, but Griff went walking forward for the stairs to enter along with whoever else was brave enough to descend into the damp unknown.
<+Nickypoo> Ohsnap! Nick glances around at the rest of the group. He didn't make the pact! Should he go too! Well shit. With a sigh the zombie stands, runs his hands over his vest to free any wrinkles that may have formed, and heads towards the door without fear. "Yes, well. Thank you for the good wishes." Mocking tone? Pfft. Better than nothing! He comes to a stop beside Ashy and offers her a light pat on the shoulder. "You'll be just fine. Don't worry. We're all going." A warm smile is offered to her and he heads for the door, not hesitating to go first. He's the immortal one after all! Okay, maybe after Griff.
<@Kraken> The still not a squidman rifled through a few colors, retesting out his newly reclaimed chromakinesis. Skin went through a few colors and patterns before part of him wondered if they were up to his presquid variety. And they were His hair changed colors! Wooo! Ginger to blue. Blue to yellow. Yellow to green. Green back to ginger, skin back to that pale freckle spotted normal. "Seems to be in order. Good." He took Ashlynne's frightened hand and nodded. "Yes. Off we go." And off he went, to the tomb, secret tunneeeeeeel!
<Skuld> No? Skuld tilted her head, leveling her gaze on the Queen once again. Even in a form made of energy, the cocked eyebrow was fairly clear to see. She was not accustomed to being told no, unless it was by someone begging for their lives before being cut down. But these fae, fragile as they appear to her, are not the target of her wrath; they are not the purpose for her being called, no, forcing herself forth into this world. That end lays elsewhere, through the door that opens before them. Reveling in her freedom for the moment, Skuld does a graceful roll in the air, backwards, with a slow twist, before coming to rest again, simply hovering. "Our luck is in our own hands, Summer Queen. We will meet again." Warmth, not entirely comforting, trails in her wake as she glides forth toward and through the doorway, her hair a swimming cloud of fire around her head, the polished tips of her winged helmet glinting brightly, reflecting her own light. No need to glow or flashlights with her there; she radiates light quite enough on her own. She raises her shield in front of her, hammer held down at her side, crackling now and then.
<+Aislinn> "Wait. Why have you no' dared? What can we expect to face in there?" she asked, turning to face the Queen. "Surely knowing what we might face will help us get your precious Urn back." And..she was being drawn towards the door whether she was ready or not because no way was she letting go of Griffin's hand.
* +Angel`Pearson the faeries -were- pretty, and they certainly had style...Maybe eternal bondage wouldn't be all that bad? Ha. Bondage. He took a deep breath and walked with the others for new scarydoor...Though the return of Kevins chroma control made him smile a bit. It was nice seeing the mostly familiar color shifty.
<@AnE> Oh, it was dark. And it smelled -- well, like a tomb. It was stale and yucky. THis was also a fae tomb -- it seemed that faeries COULD die! Tiny golden lights flickered about on occasion, little wisps that served only to light their immediate path. Some of them brought flashlights, right? Griffin had a flashlight finger or something? Either way, if they did bring up flashlights, they would see a few things -- strange, runic markings and fae-glyphs on the wall, maybe some form of prayer. Did fae pray? Hm! There were also skeletons, very thin ones, strewn throughout, some wearing fancy jewelry. Maybe THIS was why the fae had not ventured into the tomb in centuries? The path seemed rather straightforward, though there were smaller alcoves that held smell altar-looking setups that had long since become decrepit.
<@Ashlynne> Oh Ashy broguht her flashlight, of course. The heavy duty large flashlight is pulled from her backpack and she brandishes it infront of her like a weapon. "Can.. I go back? I can guard the door." Was she serious? Considering she kept going forward probably not. Ug.. skeletons.. she wasn't wrong. The beam of light points deeper into the tomb as the girl looks for high spots she could possibly climb.
<+Shatter> Tori stepped aside to let the others pass and looked back towards the court. With the glass rotating around her, she pushed out a long, nervous sigh, the prospect before her one of the few things to break the front she put up. Still, she forced herself to swallow and followed the others, hands flexing. Still, Tori wasn't one to keep secrets, especially in tense times like this. "... for the record, mates... I am ... very ... claustrophobic, so uh... just... y'know, bear that in mind is all.."
<@Kraken> Suddenly Kevin rethinks his choice of powers... Squid may look a fright and monstrous but they were going directly there? Right from the trial room? Great... Well given how he hadn't been in water in a few days, the Summer fae, and a dusty old tomb... Yes. Not going squid was a plus here. What good would color changing do? Well, he'd see soon enough. If he didn't die in the process... Aislinn brought up a very good question! Too late though. They were ushered off into that secret tunnel. The smell was horrid - another reason to be happy not to have his squid senses. Wait a tic. Fae Tomb? Tomb? Like the narrator, Kevin was realizing that Fae actually could die. And he did not want to meet what could do that... Though the answer was probably another fae. "It's ok Ashy... just keep the light steady..." His skin was turning a dark and murky blue. Hair as well. Something to blend in with the dank tomb... It was a reflex!
<+Nickypoo> has a flashlight! The small pen light, one that's bright enough to be useful but too small to double as a weapon of any sort, is retrieved from his purse and flicked on. He continues into the tomb and only briefly looks at the markings and skeletons. No way he's going to try and steal a bauble from the things. At least not with the magic fairies watching everything. "No, Ashy. You aren't hiding by the door." he tells her with a quiet chuckle. "Just stay with us and you'll be fine." He looks over at Tori and frowns, "Not much to be done about that. Just stay with the group. You joined the pact so there's no running back up the stairs in your future."
<+Griffin> The pathway was going to be alight with illumination soon enough. Skuld had flaming hair, Ashy had a heavy duty flashlight, and Griffin reached into the pocket of his cargos to remove a police maglite. With all of those together the tomb's corridor likely lit up like the sun itself. "Yer better than that, Ashy. If this is to be a test, then you had better come along to pass it or I swear I'll drag you through the bloody thing myself....drag your arm at least...maybe a hand." If Ash didn't want to come he couldn't really make her short of lifting her over his shoulder, but he certainly did make his threat. He offered her a reassuring pat with his flashlight wielding hand, then directed it in front of them again. Ever the smart ass, Griffin couldn't help but mutter to Aislinn, "That was damned sexy, up until I thought ye were goin' to be set on foire too."
<Skuld> "So.... they can die. But where do they go, I wonder?" The valkyrie's voice has a strange resonance to it, a bit of a crackle that seems to fluctuate with the crackling of her hammer and the tiny flares of energy at the tips of her armored feet and the ends of her hair. Skuld pauses, last in line for now, studying the writing for a moment. She sees through Sygny's eyes, just as Sygny can see through hers, and likely she'd remember at least a few of the symbols for later. "No, Ashlynne. You cannot go back. The only way is forward." Skuld keeps her shield in front of her, the edges of it reflecting her own shine as well as that of the little ambient lights around them. It looks heavy, sharp, and deadly. It's just as much a weapon as her hammer is. "I will, however, move forward and go first, if everyone prefers. It will be much easier to rain death upon any foes we encounter here that way." The last bit is said with a laugh... that isn't exactly pleasant. Known for ferrying the dead to Valhalla... the Valkyrie are also known for their bloodlust in battle.
<+Aislinn> No flashlight on her but there were enough out now that the tunnel was lit up nicely. She cast a glance up at Griffin, lips tipping upwards. "You can scold me later. When we get out of here." WHen, not if. Gotta stay positive. Then she was looking back to their surroundings, trying to make sense of things. "Tombs are usually sacred. If they're layed out like this than they were put here. So..what danger is it that has the living fae so spooked?"
<@AnE> The ceiling was surprisingly low. THey didn't have to duck, but the tall people might not want to do any jumping. Did one of those skeletons twitch? Hard to tell. The ground was not very hard to walk on. Actually, it seemed rather soft and mossy, which was probably why the fingers were creeping up through it. Wait, FINGERS WERE CREEPING UP THROUGH IT. Skeletal fingers and hands began to grab at ankles and legs as they walked by, pulling, pulling, while wails and moans of the very stereotypical dead echoed through the tomb. Interesting questions were asked. Where DID the dead fae go when they died? Maybe this was the answer, but now they were trying to drag our heroes down, down to... who knows! The little wisp-lights began to flicker and dart about rapidly, almost like flitting bugs. The hands weren't particularly strong -- rather brittle, in fact, but they just kept coming.
<+Nickypoo> "...This is why they don't come down here." is mumbled and he jerks his dinky little pen light at the floor. He occasionally stomps on a finger or hand here or there, whenever he gets tired of the grabbing. "Or there's worse than this. I hope not." He really hopes not but of course there is! "Skeletons too." is added on. The light is flicked over to one of them and he narrows his eyes at it. "I don't have any weapons on me and my power will be useless against them." Could he just rip off one of their legs and beat them with it? Probably not! Too brittle and useless. Arg. He just keeps walking behind Griffin, taking shelter behind the big guy.
<+Shatter> Focused on the ceiling for a moment, she didn't immediately register what was happening at her foot level. Arms wrapped around herself, she shuddered, a lot more nervous than anyone had ever seen her. Finally at a hard tug she looked down. Heavy boots were thick enough to do some damage, but this wasn't something she needed to deal with on top of everything else. Gesturing, the floating glass planted, fitting together into neat pieces, all of everything she gathered making a make shift pathway a few feet long- the hole thing dissassembling from the back end to reassemble up front as Tori walked on it. "It's all bullocks if ye ask me."
* +Angel`Pearson looked up at Ash's words, flashing a small reassuring grin at they continued on. He knew about the whole joking to mask nervous tension thing, it was a great strategy Angel also liked to employ "It'll be alright.." doing his best to keep his mind off of the skeletons, and thoughts of where fae went when they died, or what kind of crazy dieties they worshipped...and then it looked like theywere going to get first hand answers. When their legs were grabbed at Angel kicked and twisted and stomped, totally freaking out for a second there...Atleast he wasn't shrieking though!...Just kind of breathing in a super quick panicky hyperventaling sortuv way.
<@Ashlynne> She walks, the flashlight still pointing forward. Looking back at Skuld she wsighs, obviously the woman didn't understand random spoken wishes that weren't acted on. As she walks the girl finally notice the finges and Army of Darkness flashes through her mind. Squeaking loudly the girl beats at some with her flashlight, one arm stretching riiiiight up to the ceiling to find something to grab onto! Oh look! Some sort of stone statue! with a grunt she leaps upwards, arm pulling her the rest of the way up.
<Skuld> Sometimes the ability to hover has its advantages. Though not true flight, even with the low ceilings, the large valkyrie is able to dip her head down, bending her back, and draw her feet up such that the skeletal grabby hands do not catch hold of her own feet. "A nuisance. Is this all they are afraid of? Let them come to a real hall of the dead!" To her credit, Skuld does swing that heavy hammer down, knocking the brittle bones away from the feet of others around her, clearing the way for them.
<@Kraken> Low ceiling... not too bad. Kevin was of average height. Nick should have no trouble at all walking around here. Did he have his vauge glowing ability with him or was that a squid body only thing? Anndd... he did! Ha! There the color shifting had some use after all. Not the brilliant luminecese Ashlynne would be capable of. He certainly couldn't light up a room. The fain bioluminecese did trigger. It was enough to at least read by if one was close, or act as a beacon to draw the team (or some beasties) over to them. An... it was blue. Like a firefly squid. Light brightened, color shifted to something more like a bluering octopus now at those hand grabs... Kevin easily pulled out of them. Hand reached in a pocket for the aquarium salt... Should he toss it on the floor? "Ashy!" Kevin called out as the girl spidermanned away. He sprinkled some salt onto the moss, detour them from reaching rather than Skulds smash policy.
<+Griffin> "You know me well." Of course he'd save his scolding until a time when he could properly chastise Aislinn for being mouthy and full of sass to the Summer queen of indefinite, seemingly limitless power, thus capable of setting people on fire with her mind while the rest of them had nothing. "Difficult to believe a bunch of skeleton's an' undead has got the fae fearin' this place....There's somethin' else here, has to be...Christ, you quit that," he bitched and moaned at a few bony limbs that were scuffing his shoes. He sighed as he merely walked through a skeletal arm, more irritated than hindered, and hardly afraid of the sight. "C'mon, piggyback," he offered to Aislinn, pausing long enough that the girl could accept or deny the offer. As for Nick, he glanced behind him at the zombie and grinned. "Afraid that your cousins'll not be wantin' to let you leave?"
<+Aislinn> Skeletal hands grabbing at their feet. She felt the ground shifting beneath her before she felt the hands, gasping softly. No shrieking though. Nor did she jump up into her fiance's arms. No, like all the rest she kicked at the grabbing digits and kept pushing forward, trying not to lose a shoe in the process. "No...no, I'll walk." she reassured Griffin with a shaky sort of smile. "Keep your hands free..just in case." And teh hands weren't hurting anyone so far, but were more of a nuisance.
<@AnE> Their struggling against the skeletons would soon pay off! Sort of. Well, not really. The more they struggled, the more, they would find, the ground beneath them seemed to give way. If they kept this up, they might go sinking like quicksand! There seemed, however, to be solid ground ahead. They were soon escaping the mossy pit of skeletonhands, and...! If they looked, there was a deep, deep pit -- so deep that it was hard, nay, IMPOSSIBLE to see just how deep it was leading to the other side, where the straight path turned a sharp corners. It was also long -- probably twenty feet across. One of those golden faerie lights was suspiciously blue as it flitted across, however.
<@AnE> Also, pretend the pit didn't appear until Ashlynne grabbed the statue, because I'm a big meanie meanie.
<+Nickypoo> squints at Griffin and wrinkles his nose for good measure. "Whatever." Spoken like a true man! He even rolls his eyes! Ashy disappears and he just sighs. "Stop horsing around up there. You could trigger something bad. Get down here this instant, young woman." says the scrawny little zombie, his voice having a sound of authority to it. He points at the ground in case she doesn't know where he expects her to land. He stands still and continues to glare at Ashy, waiting for her to get down before following the troupe on.
<@Ashlynne> Ash DID grab the statue to escape the hands, wincing as she causes issues. When Nick tells her to get back down her arms loooooower her downwards. Looking shamed she sticks close to him now, holding her flashlight tightly.
<+Aislinn> She'd been watching the drifting lights, eyes drawn to the golden colors. So when she spotted the blue, brows furrowed. The pit, well, she didn't even want to try looking down its depths. usually she didn't have much issue with heights but something about this one made her stomach flip. "There's...a different colored light amid the rest." And she finally amped her sight, the tomb around her going completely silent in the process. Her gaze swept across the pit, seeking those golden lights, trying to focus in on what they really were, and trying to pick out that one oddball blue one.
<Skuld> Again, were Skuld the type to be thankful for hovering, she would have been. She's just annoyed right now, and grunts as she swings at the skeleton hands, stopping when the rest of the group does. Her head raises, and she peers ahead into the darkness, studying the pit. Twenty feet? That was too far even for her to glide completely across, and so she sighs, turning a fierce and fiery gaze on Ashy. "Perhaps you should have stayed at the door afterall. This is clearly no place for a child." Even if Sygny had praised her for her wise words before, Skuld was clearly unamused and did not feel the same way. Golden eyes snap to the fairy light again though, taking note of the color change as it flitted across. "There is something different about that one." Being that she knows what Sygny knows, more or less, when Aislinn voices the same thing, the valkyrie shoots forward, coming to loom up behind the smaller Irish woman. "What do you see?" All up in her business.
<+Griffin> "Take a look then, I'll hold on to you." Nope, no telescope lens, just as he was lacking in night vision eyes too. Too bad he didn't have flashlight or laserlight pointer fingers along with that. He'd be putting in a work order to Jameson and JJ the moment their powers returned to get in on that action, however. "Who the hell're you to be pretendin' at bein' the boss? She's entitled t' be here too." People learned through mistakes, but maybe high and mighty spirit things never made mistakes in their lives. Griffin gave Skuld an incredulous look, taking immediate offense to the way she spoke to Ash. "Do ye mind? I doubt she hears a thing rihgt now anyway. Give her a second or so to look."
<+Shatter> Hurrying along, when they reached more open air and solid ground, she stepped off her glass path and let it break apart again. Holding a hand out, the glass would shift out to one side, so there was less chance that her allies would bump into any of it. "Mmm. Dunno if can make mirrors from this glass t' bounce light off of, but I can try if that's something we're interested in. Sooner we get out of here.. th' better."
<@Kraken> Salt the earth! Salt the skeletons! Kevin wasn't sure how much good it did but he was using that aquarium salt he'd stuffed his pockets with! It had to do something right? Poisonous colors still flitted across his nonsquiddy skin. Brilliant purples and yellows. Blinding looking whites, glowing blue rings. Pit! A pit. Ashy grabbed a statue and a pit opened up. Lovely. "Woah!" He skirted around that pit edge. "Bounce light... I don't know..." His colors rifled again.
* +Angel`Pearson a relieved sigh escaped as their feet touched more solid ground and escaped boney, grabby hands. He frowned a little at glowy valkyrie ladys snapping at Ashy, totally tempted to make faces at her back as she went floating off to get all up on Aislinns magic eyes. The urge was resisted though, and he looked toward the big giant pit and then back to the group.
<Skuld> Having listened to everyone as they spoke, of course, Sygny gives Tori a small lift of her chin and a brief, almost imperceptible nod. When the room clears, even of the winter fae, she presses ehr lips together in a thin line, one hand reaching to wrap her fingers around the medallion around her neck, the other running fingers through her hair. The bell around her wrist chimes faintly, the sound somehow strange and too loud in the large room. She says nothing. She said her piece to the fae.
<+Nickypoo> Rancid One. That makes Nick grimace again. He massages one of his temples with a couple of fingers like it's going to make him feel better or something. A quiet sigh escapes him and he narrows his eyes at Sygny. "The hell is wrong with you?" A pointed glare is aimed at Tori as well. "You too. Are you both trying to get us turned into piles of ash? I'd prefer to not wind up like that, thankyouverymuch." His forearms flop down into his lap and he shakes his head. "Well, I hope for a marginally good decision but I doubt anyone's getting their shit back today." Which he isn't happy about even if he still has his powers.
<+Griffin> The queen had a point here and it was becoming increasingly difficult not to see this point. Had Gains lied to them? It was possible, he certainly hadn't come through the portal to grovel and beg for the powers that were stolen, and he hadn't divulged all of the important info either. Griffin stared at the queen then at the ginger that interrupted her, grimacing again. It didn't take much to begin to wonder if perhaps the fae were correct in stripping the powers of the irresponsible Salem mutants and making them little more than human. They were selfish, whining, and Nick had found too much amusement in the advisor's plight. She spoke of mages and a man named Talbot, something he was dying to know about now. Lowering his voice even further, Griffin spoke as quiet of a whisper as he could muster to Aislinn, "D'ye think she'll be givin' them back?" It looked like they had a shot at least.
<@Ashlynne> Ash makes a quiet 'huh' noise as she nods. Well it all made sense, really. Probably Gains and Santiago or some big muckymuck like that. when she mentions Nick having a fair point the girl nods eagerly and smiles towards him, glad to see some progress was made. When he turns on Sygny and Tori Ash's smile fades. She hisses softly, "Nick, not infront of the F-A-I-R-I-E-S." Because they obviously can't spell.
<Skuld> She turns a passively uninterested look on Nick as Ashlynne speaks up. "For a grown man, it's the child who speaks wiser words. Did you ever stop to think that this is part of their trial? But yes, by all means, turn on the very people who are in here with you and see how far that gets you." Groveling and begging won't solve things either. Sitting again, she crosses her legs and leans back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest.
* +Angel`Pearson let out a deep breath as the fae rose and filed out...He'd look over to try and give a reassuring smile Ashys way, hands clasped together to stop any nervous fidgeting...Though when Nick spoke he felt a bit deflated. Despite everything he had truely been hoping this would be it, that whatever else happened today they were returning home themselves, complete in their mutanty goodness...Now, notsomuch. He was still trying to be hopeful though..
<@Kraken> That didn't answer his questions. That just made Mabbypoo lose her temper. Ha! He struck something with that question. Probably a bad thing. But he hit a nerve! They hadn't used their powers against the fae. The very thing they were being accused of. Abusing their toys... How could there be an accusation of abuse when none of then had gone fairy hunting or caused one harm with their mutations. As though the puny mortals COULD cause the mighty fae any damage at all. Mab and her goons were tantrumming. Nothing more. And the fae called them the immature silly mortals... She called Nick Rancid One. Kevin winced, looking to his zombified friend as though expecting his powers to be torn away as well. Nick might actually like that though. being alive again. And they vanished. Joy... now the waiting started. He looked to the others... "The whole time starting with the room back there was probably a test... everything we said how we reacted.... Nowwe just wait..." Non existant tentacles lashed behind him.
<+Aislinn> "I don't rightly know." she whispered back quietly to Griffin as she turned to look at him. She glanced towards the door the fae had all filed through, expression considering. "Did anyone notice that the Winter Fae seemed.. I dunno...sick? Or is it just because they're out of their season of power? But..no, that wouldn't make sense. If either faction sickened to such a degree than the other could easily take them over." A soft sigh because it likely didn't really matter why, though her gaze did shift to Tori and Sygny. "I thought we were here to ask for the return of your abilities. To beg, plead, and grovel if we must." A blink. Sygny had a point there, and no doubt they were still being observed. As Kevin said, the tests had started the moment they arrived.
<+Shatter> "We need t' get our powers back without caving in to help them." Tori remarked, glancing over and pulling off her shades for the moment. "A little humility is fine in parts, but you heard what she said. This ... all of this nonsense isn't over when we get our powers back. 'That your Hill of Cobalt would not be burned to ashes when we conquer the region.' We can't afford to be beholden to them. We need to get our powers back because we deserve them, because they are ours. Not because we begged, pleaded, and asked for them back." She looked back to the throne and gestured. "We're a pawn in the game they're trying to play. But pawns can be more dangerous than you think- and I doubt they put much immediate thought into anything."
<+Nickypoo> "...Well I'm not sure how many people have won on Judge Judy by intentionally provoking her but sure. Go ahead and sulk." He crosses his arms over his chest and cracks a smile at Ashy. "Well, they went back into their chambers to deliberate. So we're waiting." He nods to Kevin and eyes Aislinn. "Probably because it's summer and not winter. They are winter fairies, after all. So sense dictates that they would be strong in the winter, weak in the summer." He nods to Tori, "Yeah, true. But still. I'd rather not anger any of them any more than necessary. You know, to the point of raised voices."
<+Griffin> Griffin wondered if Nick wouldn't be happier with his powers torn from him as well. "We ought to just wait patiently. Ashy's right that it does no good to be fightin'. Maybe they're wantin' that and they're listenin' to the entire thing and usin' it too fer makin' their judgments." It would be a poor show, certainly, and would only prove the fairies right that the mutants were just silly children that didn't deserve their toys. "A little politeness goes a long way, it doesn't hurt to speak to them with a civil tongue, even if yer too proud to beg." He nodded his head to Aislinn when she remarked on the sick ones. "I noticed. I wouldn't expect them to look and appear to be so ill though, Nick. Winter fairies or no, they were lookin' troubled."
<@AnE> "MORTALS, WE HAVE MADE OUR DECISION." Mab was really good at that. Her voice BOOOOMED as she reappeared, followed by both sets of faeries and their various magical compatriots. That may have seemed fast, but 'transcending time' and all that. Banging her gavel, the creatures silenced and settled in all at once. Clearing her throat dramatically, the queen grabbed her jar of...powers and plopped it into her lap, "We are a generous Queen. You will be given back your... unique aspects. But first, you must do something for Us." A wry smirk crept across her youthful features as she drummed her fingertips atop the jar.
<@Ashlynne> As he smiles at her Ash's own smile reappears, "Yeah.. maybe.. but I'm sure they have spies everywhere." She looks around the room once again, chewing on her lower lip. Looking over her shoulder her eyes focus on her backpack before she jumps, the BOOMING voice nearly making the girl pee her pants. "OH Thank Yo..." She started, right up until the 'you have to do something for us' part. "Oh... .. Oh.. kay?" She looks at the group and shrugs. What choice did they have?
<+Shatter> "I don't she does anything but punctuate here statements with rai-" And there she was. She managed to hush up and slipped her glasses back on as she face forward, frowning faintly. "I can't bloody well wait to hear this."
<Skuld> There's nothing sukly in her posture at all. She's simply sitting. Until the booming voice of She Who Has No Inside Voice returns to the court room, and Sygny's attention snaps back to the throne. When Ashlynne spoke, it wasn't to ask what it was, nor did Tori, and with fairies... well... so Sygny goes point blank. "What are you asking us to do?"
<+Aislinn> Griffin understood her point at least, and it was a grateful smile she gave him. And then the fae returned and she near jumped out of seat. Discussions about the seeminly off-kilter balance of the fae would have to wait till later, her attention going back to Mab. "You are most generous, your Majesty, but...what is this favor you request of us?" This oculd be good, or very, veeeeeery bad. SOmehow she thought it might be leaning towards the second.
* +Angel`Pearson head snapped up at the queens reappearence, looking hopefull for a moment as she claimed to be willing to give them back their powers...and then ofcourse there was the catch. He spoke up softly, echoing Syngys and Aislinns question "..What is it you ask of us, Your Majesty?" A few other titles briefly...verybriefly considered. He wouldn't actually do that though.
<+Nickypoo> The scrawny bastard opens his mouth to say something but everyone else has beaten him to the punch! So he shuts up his trap and goes silent, watching Mab, patiently waiting for a demand. A faint smile appears. Yaypowers! He'll be glad when they're restored. They just have to jump through hoops. Oh joy.
<@Kraken> Had they won? Nonexistant tentacles would be coiling about themselves, his color would be taking on some camoflauging tones. Had something they said messed everything up? The Faes returned and said they would give the powers back but they had to do something... Great. Whatever could that be? "Thank you, Queen." Stay polite... hope the something isn't a bad thing.
<@AnE> "To prove your loyalty to Us-" Even though no such loyalty had ever been claimed. Tori was right about one thing -- this would not be over when their powers were returned. "-you will venture into a place that has not touched even by Our hand for centuries. You will bring Us the Gilded Urn of She-Who-Touched-The-Sun. Once the Urn is in this room, We will return what we have taken." And now she was idly tossing that jar between her hands as if it were nothing, balancing it ont he tip of one finger. "And, because We are a Generous queen, each of you who have lost something will be given one -- and ONLY one of your aspects in return, as a gesture of... good faith." The lid on the jar was popped open, and the container floated into the center of the room, "Taking your aspect will serve as a contract. Failure to return the Urn to Us will signify that you have broken this contract and We will destroy all that we have taken, and you will serve Us for eternity. If you are willing to complete this task, choose your aspect wisely." When they reached into the jar, they would seem to know just what power or trait was their own and ... pick it out! Once they did, if they did, it would absorb into them and grant back that one power or trait.
<@Ashlynne> One trait? Just one. Her mind raced as she took her turn at the jar. Pulling the little glowing thing out she watches as it sinks into her palm. Nothing seemed to change, visibly. One would think that the girl would go for the most comforting of her abilities.. but what good was glowing if all you could do was stand there? Her hand stayed open as the skin, once again, webs between her fingers. Her face lit up, even without her glow. They had a task, they were going to get that damn urn and they'd save everyone!
* +Angel`Pearson that open jar floating right toward them was soooo effing tempting...His hands clenched together more firmly, biting down hard on his bottom lip and looking to the others for confirmation. Were they going to accept? Though they really knew nothing about the task at hand it didn't seem like they had much choice.
<+Nickypoo> Nicholas stays right where he is. He has no one trait to recover! And so he just watches the others, curious as to how many people would agree to the task.
<@Kraken> What place was it that the fae were asking them to go and retrieve? seeing how they acted, asking would be an insult as though they didn't trust the fae not to supply them with the needed information. Yet not asking seemed presumptuious on their end. One trait returned... Just one. Kevin's mind raced... he had no idea where one ability started and where one ended... He was a squidman. Think think think... Before the squidening what were they... ink. color. sticky hands... ok so logically the ink and color were seperate powers. Everything squiddy? That was something else. What good would gills and looking like a monster be for this covert operation? He'd stand out... Shooting ink? Again. Where was the use in that... he'd look like his oldself again later. Like Ashlynne had chosen. Go for usage over self comfort. Kevin would pull out... His chromakinesis. Being able to camoflauge won out over the others, even if that camoflauging wouldn't be as precises as when combined with squidskin.
<+Griffin> This was very bad. Griffin had no power or trait to recover either from the urn so like Aislinn and Nick, he chose to remain seated in the same place as a silent observer for now. It was interesting to see which of their powers and traits they would assume and reclaim for their journey into fairylands. He might have dissolved into immature fits of laughter if Kevin chose to become a floppy squid man right now too.
<Skuld> The what now? "Does she have another name we might be more familiar with?" Because She-Who-Touched-the-Sun is a new one on Sygny. Oh goody, more time in the library. Well, at least she hadn't given them a time limit, and Sygny swears by Freya's giant knockers she will slap the shit out of anyone who asks how much time they have to accomplish the task. Once the jar floats out toward them, Sygny knows precisely which aspect she will choose. It's really the -only- aspect she has, although she figures that Skuld will operate in somewhat of a diminished capacity. Still, nothing else works without the Valkyrie.... but she also knows that this is an extremely volatile situation. While not in any immediate, physical danger, there's a damn good chance that Sygny won't be Sygny for awhile once her hand goes into that jar. It does eventually go in though, plucking out a golden glowing fluttering bit of... something. And all at once, Sygny is thrown back from the center of the room, drawn up off her feet, hovering just a centimeter or two off the floor. A beam of light splits her down the middle, from the top of her head to her crotch, fanning outward until her whole body is enveloped. The transformation is not pleasant, as her body is literally melted away by the searing energy and light that pour out of it. The being within her, Skuld, the Valkyrie herself, bursts forth with a primal scream rivaling the booming voice of Mab herself. The Sygny that was is not there anymore, and instead, there is a being of pure light and energy in her place, larger, somehow more present, clad in golden armor and bearing a shield with a stylized lightning bolt across the curved outside. In her other hand, a hammer, inlaid with crackling gems. Eyes that glow a blazing gold bear down on the fae as well as the other humans present. "So. This is the home of the Summer Queen." Skuld hovers there, thankfully not going batshit, but simply passing her gaze around the large room. "I wish to be gone from it now. Your bargain is accepted, Queen Mabel. You will have your urn."
<@AnE> Mab snorts, "WE CAN SCREAM LOUDER." And that she does! Actually, no, she doesn't.
<+Aislinn> Like Nick, she had nothing to take. She wasn't even sure she liked the sound of this..arrangement. Become servents if they failed? What if this task was an impossible one? A clever trick to secure their eternal service? But it was the choice of each person there, and not hers. So she remained seated at Griffin's side...until the screaming started. Then her hand tightened so much on his that she'd have bruises on her own, eyes widening as she just stared at the transformation. "What the bloody hell?!" That was like no mutation she'd ever seen before. She almost expected a battle to ensue.
<+Shatter> It was a hard decision. She didn't want to be beholden to the Summer Court. She didn't want to help them in any way. But on the other hand she did promise to do what was necessary for everyone. She looked down for a moment and clenched a fist as she slowly stepped forward. Looking into the urn, and then back up to the Queen, she set her teeth and reached in. Nothing changed visibly for her as she stepped back, but for a moment she seemed more at ease. "Alright. Deal's a deal, I guess, guv."
* +Angel`Pearson once the others started walking up for the jar he rose as well, crazy screaming valkyries appearence distracting for a moment before he stepped up to search out his own monkeyfrogness from inside the jar. Warm, mellow, trippy...Thereitwas! His eyes closed for a moment when contact was made...Oh how I've missed you...Which aspect would be most useful in theupcoming ordeal..? Eventually hallucinogen-loogie-venom-spit thing was decided on and chosen.
<@AnE> What Mab really did was eye Sygny, "...no." Simple and to the point! Perhaps not everything about the Fae could be traced back to lore and fables? She waited in silence as they made their decisions -- most of them favorable, and her lips curled. Pleased fae queen was pleased. Members of the Summer Court began to murmur amongst themselves, the Winter Fae hardly looking like they wanted to be awake much less involved in this. Sygny -- or Skuld now, was eyed. This power seemed more familiar than the 'glitches', and Mab sneered, "Good. Good. Your decisions are wise." She raised a hand and traced a rectangle with her fingers. Another door formed, this one of creaky, rotting wood. It swung open and revealed a dank, dark stairwell, "The tomb can be found through here. Even We are not sure of what you will face. Though We hold the key, We have not dared enter for several centuries. We wish you...luck." Her tone was still mocking, of course.
<@Ashlynne> As the door opened and darkness was revealed Ashy froze, eyes widening. She should have gone glow. She should have gone glow! Her hand reaches for her backpack, holding it tightly. Was she allowed to bring it? Maybe she could sneak her pocket flashlights in with her. Chin up, Ashlynne. You can do this. Sure it was dark, and dank, and tight places, and horrible squirming things most likely, and zombies and skel.... A small whimper slips from her without the girl even realizing it. Someone needed to give that damn girl a kitten and tell her it was too dangerous to go alone. Nick could be her kitten! Was he going? Who knew! Kevin! Kevin could be her kitten! She knew he was going for sure! Movign towards him she stares at the door, reaching out to take his hand. "Ok.. lets... go..."
<+Shatter> "If ye don't mind..." She reached a hand out- the windows were already broken, so why not borrow the glass? Maybe magical glass was ... better glass? Either way, she pulled a decent amount to her, the shards floating around Tori in lazy circles, like a slow moving protective barrier. "Could come in handy." With a snort, she strode forward, once again moving to take point to get this over with as the Brit strode down into said Tomb- only faltering at the doorway at a sudden realization. "Maybe ... someone else ... should go first."
<+Griffin> That couldn't be a mutation. Griffin had read all variety of books, thesis reports, and research on mutants since arriving at the Sanctum. He'd never heard of anything like that however and found himself wondering if Sygny was one of those magical people that the fairy queen mentioned. The queen mentioned that no one else had entered for centuries despite the key being in their position and he grimaced. There was caution in the grip he'd taken on Aislinn's hand, care not to break it, then he abandoned his seat to approach the doorway created for their journey. "...Doesn't much matter which of us is to go first, Tori, we're all goin' in." How'd he know that? Because they had no choice if they weren't wishing to become eternal slaves of the summer court. Aislinn could let go if she wanted, since he'd loosened his hold, but Griff went walking forward for the stairs to enter along with whoever else was brave enough to descend into the damp unknown.
<+Nickypoo> Ohsnap! Nick glances around at the rest of the group. He didn't make the pact! Should he go too! Well shit. With a sigh the zombie stands, runs his hands over his vest to free any wrinkles that may have formed, and heads towards the door without fear. "Yes, well. Thank you for the good wishes." Mocking tone? Pfft. Better than nothing! He comes to a stop beside Ashy and offers her a light pat on the shoulder. "You'll be just fine. Don't worry. We're all going." A warm smile is offered to her and he heads for the door, not hesitating to go first. He's the immortal one after all! Okay, maybe after Griff.
<@Kraken> The still not a squidman rifled through a few colors, retesting out his newly reclaimed chromakinesis. Skin went through a few colors and patterns before part of him wondered if they were up to his presquid variety. And they were His hair changed colors! Wooo! Ginger to blue. Blue to yellow. Yellow to green. Green back to ginger, skin back to that pale freckle spotted normal. "Seems to be in order. Good." He took Ashlynne's frightened hand and nodded. "Yes. Off we go." And off he went, to the tomb, secret tunneeeeeeel!
<Skuld> No? Skuld tilted her head, leveling her gaze on the Queen once again. Even in a form made of energy, the cocked eyebrow was fairly clear to see. She was not accustomed to being told no, unless it was by someone begging for their lives before being cut down. But these fae, fragile as they appear to her, are not the target of her wrath; they are not the purpose for her being called, no, forcing herself forth into this world. That end lays elsewhere, through the door that opens before them. Reveling in her freedom for the moment, Skuld does a graceful roll in the air, backwards, with a slow twist, before coming to rest again, simply hovering. "Our luck is in our own hands, Summer Queen. We will meet again." Warmth, not entirely comforting, trails in her wake as she glides forth toward and through the doorway, her hair a swimming cloud of fire around her head, the polished tips of her winged helmet glinting brightly, reflecting her own light. No need to glow or flashlights with her there; she radiates light quite enough on her own. She raises her shield in front of her, hammer held down at her side, crackling now and then.
<+Aislinn> "Wait. Why have you no' dared? What can we expect to face in there?" she asked, turning to face the Queen. "Surely knowing what we might face will help us get your precious Urn back." And..she was being drawn towards the door whether she was ready or not because no way was she letting go of Griffin's hand.
* +Angel`Pearson the faeries -were- pretty, and they certainly had style...Maybe eternal bondage wouldn't be all that bad? Ha. Bondage. He took a deep breath and walked with the others for new scarydoor...Though the return of Kevins chroma control made him smile a bit. It was nice seeing the mostly familiar color shifty.
<@AnE> Oh, it was dark. And it smelled -- well, like a tomb. It was stale and yucky. THis was also a fae tomb -- it seemed that faeries COULD die! Tiny golden lights flickered about on occasion, little wisps that served only to light their immediate path. Some of them brought flashlights, right? Griffin had a flashlight finger or something? Either way, if they did bring up flashlights, they would see a few things -- strange, runic markings and fae-glyphs on the wall, maybe some form of prayer. Did fae pray? Hm! There were also skeletons, very thin ones, strewn throughout, some wearing fancy jewelry. Maybe THIS was why the fae had not ventured into the tomb in centuries? The path seemed rather straightforward, though there were smaller alcoves that held smell altar-looking setups that had long since become decrepit.
<@Ashlynne> Oh Ashy broguht her flashlight, of course. The heavy duty large flashlight is pulled from her backpack and she brandishes it infront of her like a weapon. "Can.. I go back? I can guard the door." Was she serious? Considering she kept going forward probably not. Ug.. skeletons.. she wasn't wrong. The beam of light points deeper into the tomb as the girl looks for high spots she could possibly climb.
<+Shatter> Tori stepped aside to let the others pass and looked back towards the court. With the glass rotating around her, she pushed out a long, nervous sigh, the prospect before her one of the few things to break the front she put up. Still, she forced herself to swallow and followed the others, hands flexing. Still, Tori wasn't one to keep secrets, especially in tense times like this. "... for the record, mates... I am ... very ... claustrophobic, so uh... just... y'know, bear that in mind is all.."
<@Kraken> Suddenly Kevin rethinks his choice of powers... Squid may look a fright and monstrous but they were going directly there? Right from the trial room? Great... Well given how he hadn't been in water in a few days, the Summer fae, and a dusty old tomb... Yes. Not going squid was a plus here. What good would color changing do? Well, he'd see soon enough. If he didn't die in the process... Aislinn brought up a very good question! Too late though. They were ushered off into that secret tunnel. The smell was horrid - another reason to be happy not to have his squid senses. Wait a tic. Fae Tomb? Tomb? Like the narrator, Kevin was realizing that Fae actually could die. And he did not want to meet what could do that... Though the answer was probably another fae. "It's ok Ashy... just keep the light steady..." His skin was turning a dark and murky blue. Hair as well. Something to blend in with the dank tomb... It was a reflex!
<+Nickypoo> has a flashlight! The small pen light, one that's bright enough to be useful but too small to double as a weapon of any sort, is retrieved from his purse and flicked on. He continues into the tomb and only briefly looks at the markings and skeletons. No way he's going to try and steal a bauble from the things. At least not with the magic fairies watching everything. "No, Ashy. You aren't hiding by the door." he tells her with a quiet chuckle. "Just stay with us and you'll be fine." He looks over at Tori and frowns, "Not much to be done about that. Just stay with the group. You joined the pact so there's no running back up the stairs in your future."
<+Griffin> The pathway was going to be alight with illumination soon enough. Skuld had flaming hair, Ashy had a heavy duty flashlight, and Griffin reached into the pocket of his cargos to remove a police maglite. With all of those together the tomb's corridor likely lit up like the sun itself. "Yer better than that, Ashy. If this is to be a test, then you had better come along to pass it or I swear I'll drag you through the bloody thing myself....drag your arm at least...maybe a hand." If Ash didn't want to come he couldn't really make her short of lifting her over his shoulder, but he certainly did make his threat. He offered her a reassuring pat with his flashlight wielding hand, then directed it in front of them again. Ever the smart ass, Griffin couldn't help but mutter to Aislinn, "That was damned sexy, up until I thought ye were goin' to be set on foire too."
<Skuld> "So.... they can die. But where do they go, I wonder?" The valkyrie's voice has a strange resonance to it, a bit of a crackle that seems to fluctuate with the crackling of her hammer and the tiny flares of energy at the tips of her armored feet and the ends of her hair. Skuld pauses, last in line for now, studying the writing for a moment. She sees through Sygny's eyes, just as Sygny can see through hers, and likely she'd remember at least a few of the symbols for later. "No, Ashlynne. You cannot go back. The only way is forward." Skuld keeps her shield in front of her, the edges of it reflecting her own shine as well as that of the little ambient lights around them. It looks heavy, sharp, and deadly. It's just as much a weapon as her hammer is. "I will, however, move forward and go first, if everyone prefers. It will be much easier to rain death upon any foes we encounter here that way." The last bit is said with a laugh... that isn't exactly pleasant. Known for ferrying the dead to Valhalla... the Valkyrie are also known for their bloodlust in battle.
<+Aislinn> No flashlight on her but there were enough out now that the tunnel was lit up nicely. She cast a glance up at Griffin, lips tipping upwards. "You can scold me later. When we get out of here." WHen, not if. Gotta stay positive. Then she was looking back to their surroundings, trying to make sense of things. "Tombs are usually sacred. If they're layed out like this than they were put here. So..what danger is it that has the living fae so spooked?"
<@AnE> The ceiling was surprisingly low. THey didn't have to duck, but the tall people might not want to do any jumping. Did one of those skeletons twitch? Hard to tell. The ground was not very hard to walk on. Actually, it seemed rather soft and mossy, which was probably why the fingers were creeping up through it. Wait, FINGERS WERE CREEPING UP THROUGH IT. Skeletal fingers and hands began to grab at ankles and legs as they walked by, pulling, pulling, while wails and moans of the very stereotypical dead echoed through the tomb. Interesting questions were asked. Where DID the dead fae go when they died? Maybe this was the answer, but now they were trying to drag our heroes down, down to... who knows! The little wisp-lights began to flicker and dart about rapidly, almost like flitting bugs. The hands weren't particularly strong -- rather brittle, in fact, but they just kept coming.
<+Nickypoo> "...This is why they don't come down here." is mumbled and he jerks his dinky little pen light at the floor. He occasionally stomps on a finger or hand here or there, whenever he gets tired of the grabbing. "Or there's worse than this. I hope not." He really hopes not but of course there is! "Skeletons too." is added on. The light is flicked over to one of them and he narrows his eyes at it. "I don't have any weapons on me and my power will be useless against them." Could he just rip off one of their legs and beat them with it? Probably not! Too brittle and useless. Arg. He just keeps walking behind Griffin, taking shelter behind the big guy.
<+Shatter> Focused on the ceiling for a moment, she didn't immediately register what was happening at her foot level. Arms wrapped around herself, she shuddered, a lot more nervous than anyone had ever seen her. Finally at a hard tug she looked down. Heavy boots were thick enough to do some damage, but this wasn't something she needed to deal with on top of everything else. Gesturing, the floating glass planted, fitting together into neat pieces, all of everything she gathered making a make shift pathway a few feet long- the hole thing dissassembling from the back end to reassemble up front as Tori walked on it. "It's all bullocks if ye ask me."
* +Angel`Pearson looked up at Ash's words, flashing a small reassuring grin at they continued on. He knew about the whole joking to mask nervous tension thing, it was a great strategy Angel also liked to employ "It'll be alright.." doing his best to keep his mind off of the skeletons, and thoughts of where fae went when they died, or what kind of crazy dieties they worshipped...and then it looked like theywere going to get first hand answers. When their legs were grabbed at Angel kicked and twisted and stomped, totally freaking out for a second there...Atleast he wasn't shrieking though!...Just kind of breathing in a super quick panicky hyperventaling sortuv way.
<@Ashlynne> She walks, the flashlight still pointing forward. Looking back at Skuld she wsighs, obviously the woman didn't understand random spoken wishes that weren't acted on. As she walks the girl finally notice the finges and Army of Darkness flashes through her mind. Squeaking loudly the girl beats at some with her flashlight, one arm stretching riiiiight up to the ceiling to find something to grab onto! Oh look! Some sort of stone statue! with a grunt she leaps upwards, arm pulling her the rest of the way up.
<Skuld> Sometimes the ability to hover has its advantages. Though not true flight, even with the low ceilings, the large valkyrie is able to dip her head down, bending her back, and draw her feet up such that the skeletal grabby hands do not catch hold of her own feet. "A nuisance. Is this all they are afraid of? Let them come to a real hall of the dead!" To her credit, Skuld does swing that heavy hammer down, knocking the brittle bones away from the feet of others around her, clearing the way for them.
<@Kraken> Low ceiling... not too bad. Kevin was of average height. Nick should have no trouble at all walking around here. Did he have his vauge glowing ability with him or was that a squid body only thing? Anndd... he did! Ha! There the color shifting had some use after all. Not the brilliant luminecese Ashlynne would be capable of. He certainly couldn't light up a room. The fain bioluminecese did trigger. It was enough to at least read by if one was close, or act as a beacon to draw the team (or some beasties) over to them. An... it was blue. Like a firefly squid. Light brightened, color shifted to something more like a bluering octopus now at those hand grabs... Kevin easily pulled out of them. Hand reached in a pocket for the aquarium salt... Should he toss it on the floor? "Ashy!" Kevin called out as the girl spidermanned away. He sprinkled some salt onto the moss, detour them from reaching rather than Skulds smash policy.
<+Griffin> "You know me well." Of course he'd save his scolding until a time when he could properly chastise Aislinn for being mouthy and full of sass to the Summer queen of indefinite, seemingly limitless power, thus capable of setting people on fire with her mind while the rest of them had nothing. "Difficult to believe a bunch of skeleton's an' undead has got the fae fearin' this place....There's somethin' else here, has to be...Christ, you quit that," he bitched and moaned at a few bony limbs that were scuffing his shoes. He sighed as he merely walked through a skeletal arm, more irritated than hindered, and hardly afraid of the sight. "C'mon, piggyback," he offered to Aislinn, pausing long enough that the girl could accept or deny the offer. As for Nick, he glanced behind him at the zombie and grinned. "Afraid that your cousins'll not be wantin' to let you leave?"
<+Aislinn> Skeletal hands grabbing at their feet. She felt the ground shifting beneath her before she felt the hands, gasping softly. No shrieking though. Nor did she jump up into her fiance's arms. No, like all the rest she kicked at the grabbing digits and kept pushing forward, trying not to lose a shoe in the process. "No...no, I'll walk." she reassured Griffin with a shaky sort of smile. "Keep your hands free..just in case." And teh hands weren't hurting anyone so far, but were more of a nuisance.
<@AnE> Their struggling against the skeletons would soon pay off! Sort of. Well, not really. The more they struggled, the more, they would find, the ground beneath them seemed to give way. If they kept this up, they might go sinking like quicksand! There seemed, however, to be solid ground ahead. They were soon escaping the mossy pit of skeletonhands, and...! If they looked, there was a deep, deep pit -- so deep that it was hard, nay, IMPOSSIBLE to see just how deep it was leading to the other side, where the straight path turned a sharp corners. It was also long -- probably twenty feet across. One of those golden faerie lights was suspiciously blue as it flitted across, however.
<@AnE> Also, pretend the pit didn't appear until Ashlynne grabbed the statue, because I'm a big meanie meanie.
<+Nickypoo> squints at Griffin and wrinkles his nose for good measure. "Whatever." Spoken like a true man! He even rolls his eyes! Ashy disappears and he just sighs. "Stop horsing around up there. You could trigger something bad. Get down here this instant, young woman." says the scrawny little zombie, his voice having a sound of authority to it. He points at the ground in case she doesn't know where he expects her to land. He stands still and continues to glare at Ashy, waiting for her to get down before following the troupe on.
<@Ashlynne> Ash DID grab the statue to escape the hands, wincing as she causes issues. When Nick tells her to get back down her arms loooooower her downwards. Looking shamed she sticks close to him now, holding her flashlight tightly.
<+Aislinn> She'd been watching the drifting lights, eyes drawn to the golden colors. So when she spotted the blue, brows furrowed. The pit, well, she didn't even want to try looking down its depths. usually she didn't have much issue with heights but something about this one made her stomach flip. "There's...a different colored light amid the rest." And she finally amped her sight, the tomb around her going completely silent in the process. Her gaze swept across the pit, seeking those golden lights, trying to focus in on what they really were, and trying to pick out that one oddball blue one.
<Skuld> Again, were Skuld the type to be thankful for hovering, she would have been. She's just annoyed right now, and grunts as she swings at the skeleton hands, stopping when the rest of the group does. Her head raises, and she peers ahead into the darkness, studying the pit. Twenty feet? That was too far even for her to glide completely across, and so she sighs, turning a fierce and fiery gaze on Ashy. "Perhaps you should have stayed at the door afterall. This is clearly no place for a child." Even if Sygny had praised her for her wise words before, Skuld was clearly unamused and did not feel the same way. Golden eyes snap to the fairy light again though, taking note of the color change as it flitted across. "There is something different about that one." Being that she knows what Sygny knows, more or less, when Aislinn voices the same thing, the valkyrie shoots forward, coming to loom up behind the smaller Irish woman. "What do you see?" All up in her business.
<+Griffin> "Take a look then, I'll hold on to you." Nope, no telescope lens, just as he was lacking in night vision eyes too. Too bad he didn't have flashlight or laserlight pointer fingers along with that. He'd be putting in a work order to Jameson and JJ the moment their powers returned to get in on that action, however. "Who the hell're you to be pretendin' at bein' the boss? She's entitled t' be here too." People learned through mistakes, but maybe high and mighty spirit things never made mistakes in their lives. Griffin gave Skuld an incredulous look, taking immediate offense to the way she spoke to Ash. "Do ye mind? I doubt she hears a thing rihgt now anyway. Give her a second or so to look."
<+Shatter> Hurrying along, when they reached more open air and solid ground, she stepped off her glass path and let it break apart again. Holding a hand out, the glass would shift out to one side, so there was less chance that her allies would bump into any of it. "Mmm. Dunno if can make mirrors from this glass t' bounce light off of, but I can try if that's something we're interested in. Sooner we get out of here.. th' better."
<@Kraken> Salt the earth! Salt the skeletons! Kevin wasn't sure how much good it did but he was using that aquarium salt he'd stuffed his pockets with! It had to do something right? Poisonous colors still flitted across his nonsquiddy skin. Brilliant purples and yellows. Blinding looking whites, glowing blue rings. Pit! A pit. Ashy grabbed a statue and a pit opened up. Lovely. "Woah!" He skirted around that pit edge. "Bounce light... I don't know..." His colors rifled again.
* +Angel`Pearson a relieved sigh escaped as their feet touched more solid ground and escaped boney, grabby hands. He frowned a little at glowy valkyrie ladys snapping at Ashy, totally tempted to make faces at her back as she went floating off to get all up on Aislinns magic eyes. The urge was resisted though, and he looked toward the big giant pit and then back to the group.
Queen Mab and the Firey Advisors, part 4
<@AnE> Aislinn would see that the lights were... lights. Beautiful, beautiful lights -- it was a shame there was nothing to compare them to. But they were almost heavenly! The blue one, however, seemed to leave a visibly cold trail behind it as it dared to cross the pit. As it did, the space would be closed as ice crystals crackled and weaved together to form a solid path. The light, however, began to change -- Aislinn would have noticed it before the others, transforming. It took the form of... well, it might not have been familiar (but he had been seen on the Sanctum roof a few times), but it was one of those blue-skinned fae, dressed in an oversized hoodie and jeans, standing now on the other side of the path, "...knew Mab was mad but I didn't think she was insane. You'd best get a move on, this place'll eat you alive if you stand still too long."
<+Nickypoo> "Insulting your team members is childish so please stop that." He gives Ashy a pat to the shoulder and offers a warm smile to her. "Don't worry, dear. We're all stressed out right now. Maybe there's something on the other side? You might be able to get us across if you can find a hold. Can you keep your shape enough to extend your arm and carry weight? Er. I don't want to overtax your body or anything." Out of the group, he's probably the best one to try that out with! He nods to Aislinn, "Yes. I'm betting the blue one is special. Hopefully it's helpful and not trying to lead us into a trap." He eyes Tori and then nods, "Sure, go ahead." He looks down at her glass walkway and smirks, "That or just make a path for each person and let us cross on it." Which would take a lot of trust for the walking party to invest in her! The ice crystal path isn't noticed, not yet at least. But he hears a voice! His head snaps up and he looks at the speaking creature. "Er. Thank you." he says and glances at the path then at the rest of the group. Who goes first? Not him apparently!
<Skuld> Skuld simply looks at Griffin, giving no response, either verbally or physically. The valkyrie gives no fucks either way about the opinions of her place. Her place is in battle, her authority given to a higher calling, and as such, those who question the calling are simply heathens, ignorant and unworthy of explanation, simply deserving of pity. She will not answer to them. She is not a team member. She simply is. Then, the blue fae. "You. You are of the Winter Court. We were told you could help. You have my appreciation, Cold Fae." She dips her head, hair flowing around her like water, and brings her shield arm to her chest, thumping her fist against her breastplate with an audible clanking sound. Moving past the others, hovering above that offered path, she begins to proceed across the pit.
<@Ashlynne> Ash fights the urge to extend her middle finger to super proportions at Skuld's back. She was like a bitchier, less fun Quentin. Staying clsoe to Nick she blinks, "I could be a bridge.. maybe? There's no way to know unless we try it?" Not really knowing what to do the girl falls squiett
<+Aislinn> How easy it would be to be entranced by those lights, like little stars just within her reach. But no, no, she had to stay focused and drug her gaze away from the gold in search of the blue. "Its a fae." she said, just a touch too loudly compared to her usual soft spoken tone. And somehow, she heard that voice even though she was deaf to all else. "He's woven us a path." And with a blink the heightened sight was dropped and sounds returned, dull at first but quickly coming back to a normal level. The Winter Court was helping them? Well, there was a friendly gesture at least.
<+Shatter> Tori pulled the glass around her reflectively, letting it begin it's lazy rotation again as she looked from the Winter fae to the bridge. She ran a hand back through her hair and sighed faintly, glad this area was wider.. even if that meant a pit was below. Still, it was bittersweet. Not caring to get involved in mild bickering, she followed Skuld and remained largely silent.
<@Kraken> Winter Fae? Helping them out? Kevin wasn't sure what was going on here... but they were being helped, right? So mystery icebridge or Zombies that weren't Nick and would probably eat them without a thought. (Unlike Nick who wold give it some thinking before taking a bite or two out of them.) IceBridge... Following Nick, Kevin too would thank the fae and with a deep breath across the ice bridge he'd go. The Winter were their allies. Their child stealing allies...
<@Ashlynne> Ash fallows along, oing what she was told to do and helps out quietw a biti.
* +Angel`Pearson eyes closed for a moment to inhale a deep breath, opening again as he stepped out across the ice bridge and moved along with the group, thanking their new chilly, hoodie clad friend once across.
<@AnE> "I haven't got all day, humans." He tilted his head, gesturing toward the corner where the path turned. At his side was a satchel, hands fishing within for something. When he couldn't seem to find it, though, he gave up, leaning against the wall near the corner, "You'll not be wantin' to go any further before hearin' what I have to say. I suspect Mabs didn't tell you what you face in your search for her precious urn?" He hardly sounded impressed with the Summer Queen, but why would he? The air around him was cold, a stark change from the heat of the tomb or the room where they underwent their trial.
<+Griffin> Griff follows along and does the helpful things that robots do, obeying orders and requests as needed.
<+Nickypoo> Yes, Nick needs a minute or two before heading out onto that bridge. But he does! After someone else leads the way, of course. He's still perfectly content to stay behind Griffin. GRIFF WILL TOTES KEEP HIM SAFE! One hand holds his pen light, keeping the path in front of him lit while the other hand stays tightly wrapped around the strap of his manpurse. "What we'd face? Oh of course not!" his tone is oddly cheery considering the situation.
<+Shatter> Tori glanced over to the fae and quirked her lips. "So spill it already, mate. Ye've already said ye don't have all day, and neither do we. So talk and walk, buddy. Not sayin' we don't appreciate the help, just thinkin' we're kind of stuck on th' course either way."
<Skuld> In her proximity to the cold fae, where warm, pure energy met his cold aura, a misty fog rolled out from between them, just a little, like cool rain hitting warm pavement. Humans? Skuld doesn't bother to correct him, since it's obvious she isn't human, not in this form, most certainly. "What is it we face, Winter Fae?" Golden eyes watch him searching for something, but her expression remains hidden behind the glow and fire.
<+Aislinn> She followed at Griff's side, glancing to the WInter Fae once they'd reached the other side. "Thank you. You're the first, so far as I know, to actually offer help. And no, she didn't tell us much of anything." If any answers could be given she'd be glad to have them. And she would be grateful for them too, and willing to show that. "Please, if you can help us..."
<@Kraken> The cooler air certainly did feel better and that wasn't just the squid in him talking. "She only told us to go and retrieve the urn. Nothing more..." And that their powers would be forfeit should they return empty handedly. "What do we need to do to end this and go home?" He kept his tone polite and even respectful.
<@AnE> "You were the ones takin' five years..." He muttered to Tori, reaching up and rubbing at the bridge of his nose. As they crossed the ice bridge, they would find that it was, in fact, a bridge! That would not crack or implode beneath their feet. The Fae stepped over toward the corner, which was another path. With another door -- well, it was almost a door. It was a field of runes and glyphs, glowing with bright gold. "Beyond this barrier is an ancient beast. It guards the Urn of She-Who-Touched-The-Sun. A little history lesson, kiddies -- she was the one fae who wielded more power, speaking strictly of the Summer Court, than Mab. That power eventually consumed her, and legend has it that possessing her ashes will grant a summer fae... y'know... power. Like Mab needs more -- she's mad with it." He waved a hand dismissively, then pointed at the barrier, "When you wake the beast, the countdown begins. You'll need to hold it off and grab the urn. I can get you back to the court. Hell, I can get you back to your world, but you know, we fae... we require certain things." He pulled out a feathery quill and a roll of parchment. "If you've realized just how mad Mabel is, you'll break your contract and in trust in the Winter Queen."
* +Angel`Pearson came to a stop to listen to the unexpected lesson in fae history. Yay history!...Waitno. No. Boooo history! This sounded like it was going to be very very unpleasant....and of course their new 'friend' was right there will pen and paper, encouraging them to break off and sign on for his side "..Ohyay." was mumbled quietly, at both the explanation and the offer.
<Skuld> "So if we do not return it to Mabel, then we must give it to you. Are those our only options? And why..." The valkyrie raises to her full height, cramped though it is in that short hallway, looming over the blue fae. "What guarantee do we have that your Winter Queen is not just as mad?" Fimblevinter and gods almighty, this is worse than a pissing match between Thor and Loki. It it were visible, one might see her rolling her eyes.
<@Kraken> No cracking or imploding. Always a plus! Score one for Team Cobalt, yea! Across the pit, over the ice bridge. Not looking down, just looking at the bridge and Mr. Blue Winter Fae. "A beast..." Wonderful. "And this will give her even more power... Could this urn burn her out too?" Kevin wondered out loud and glanced to that contract and quill, feeling a pang for his ink production. "Our safety... Our missing powers... This madness Sygny's... partner speaks of. We need more information."?
<+Aislinn> "If contracts are broken then Mab has said she'll destroy all those powers she took." Aislinn pointed out. "I'm no' in favor of giving this Summer Queen more power than she has already, nor in facing some sort of deadly beast, but...we can't let her destroy the things she took unjustly." And was being beholden to the Winter Court any better?
<+Nickypoo> The scrawny little man just stands beside the door and glances around. He eyes the rest of the group and wonders who will step up to--well duh. Who's going to hold the beast off is pretty clear! "So who's going to fetch it? Anyone here a sprinter? I can. I've been working out." he beams with delight and waits to see if anyone else will chime in. It doesn't seem like he's even considering switching sides. "You all have made a pact with Mab. You'll lose your power if you defect. Of course, the Winter Queen might flutter in and snatch the jar of powers back but we're still trapped in the Summer Queen's tomb. It's also summer. Your people looked weak. Would we have to wait until winter for your people to aid us? Some of us need our powers sooner than later as they give them life." Kevin's point makes him nod, "Mhmm. Could. Sabine had a vision where she saw us all in chains and Salem burning. Er. Which very well may happen if we obey Mab." He'd almost forgotten about that! Erk. "I'd...rather that not happen. I understand her visions can be fairly accurate, too..." his voice trails off and he shrinks away from the door, suddenly wary of it.
<@AnE> "No. You will present the Urn to Mabel after she has returned your powers to you. And then you and I and all of my brothers and sisers will destroy it before her eyes. You will recall that you were contracted only to bring the urn into the courtroom. She never instructed you to give it to her." The fae shrugged, looking down at his nails with a toothy grin, "Or you can give it to her and allow her to burn your precious city to the ground, with you as her slaves." He tucked the contract he'd been carrying into his hoodie, rolling his shoulders again, "If my Queen wished your city in ruin, it would have been an icy wasteland several times over. She does not wave her arms and flail like a child in the way that Mab does." Of course they were in the middle of a pissing contest. Faeries were petty! "We have more than enough power from the aid of the Crows. What good would your city be to our people if it were burnt to the ground? I could leave right now...?" He thumbed towards the path that led back out. He shook his head toward Kevin, "Don't ask me. Nobody's ever used the urn before, and I'm not a summer fae." With a dramatic sigh, he began to bounce idly on his toes, "My brothers and sisters were well aware of your part in this, and of Mab's hastiness in forming contracts. We do not ask for servitude. What we ask in return is that you aid us when we require it -- one time and no more. You scratch our back and we will scratch yours." He turned toward Nick now, tilting his head, "Our plan is to prevent the destruction that Mab is planning. I cannot tell you any more than that. Not yet."
<Skuld> A human brain would be screaming that this is a very, very bad idea, much like summoning a demon had been a very, very bad idea. But Skuld does not operate in the realm of human thought, nor had she been present for said summoning, otherwise there would have been demon guts all over the sim, and she and Quentin would likely have destroyed the Sanctum while discussing their.... differences. No. She operates on the need to right wrongs, the need to fight the good fight, bear her battle brothers and shield sisters on.... etc etc. The glow of her eyes dims a little as they squint, and she raises her shield to her chest again, lifting the hammer in her other hand, readying it. "You speak the truth, Cold Fae. Are your people strong enough and ready to destroy the urn once we have set things right with our realm?"
<@Kraken> The beast... having a bestial body imself would have come in handy here... Oh well, can't chose right all of the time. The chromakinesis did seem like it was best for the job back in the court room. Now though? It was seeming like his ink or squidbody would have been the better choices. "I can run, especially now I don't have gills. Easier on my breathing and my lungs are larger as a human..." He listened to Nick's words. "Yes, we have friends in the infirmary sick without their powers, weakened, even disfigured and in pain... This isn't who I am, as much as I've enjoyed looking human again... Wha? Fire and chains?" He looked at Nick and shuddered. Of course his one power acted up now and he shifted to camoflauging colors. Yes. Even his hair. Winter Fae spoke and the former squid chuckled. "Loopholes! Of course! Bring the urn in and boom, destroy it." He would suggest tainting it with salt but that sounded akin to dececrting remains. Nevermind the fact destrucion would occur. But there was a difference between descecration and destruction. The Winter Fae was making sense to the ex-squidman. Yes... Aid the winters. That was seeming like the better path. Afterall an image of fire could scarcely come from Cold Weather Faeries. "We can't let the city and our home be destroyed and everyone we know enslaved in those chains... I'm with the Winter group..."
<+Nickypoo> cackles at the fae's plan. "Splendid!" He clasps his gloved hands together in a single clap and he bobs his head. "Splendid idea!" His contract is eyed and he glances over at the door before looking back to it. He nods, "Good. Well. Better than the city burning down and being held in shackles." He glances around to the rest of the group and steps towards the Winter fae. "I'll sign." he chimes in. "And, as for retrieving the urn, I think it's fairly obvious who does what." He gestures towards Skuld, "The tank holds off the big bad monster while one of the smaller, faster people nabs the precious urn and we get our collective asses back upstairs. Is this a plan we can all agree on?" he points at Kevin, "Alrighty. You can be the hero and save the day, Kev. Enjoy your awesome skills being the gofer."
<+Aislinn> Well then, when it was put like that.... She glanced towards the rest, because this was really their decision. "He makes a point. She only said we had to bring it forth and...if fae have to keep to their contracts then it was a foolish mistake on her part, but one we can use." And then she was glancing back to the fae, considering him a moment, searching his alien features. "This beast... do you know anything of it? Is it something we can sneak past?" Kevin would be a good bet for sneaking past to grab the urn. "Kevin, if you could sneak past while the rest of us...distract it?" She wasn't a fighter herself, facing a terrible beast didn't sound appealing. At all.
* +Angel`Pearson Oh...This sounded bad. It was a clever idea and all, and totally fairy-tale with the manipulating word play and everything, but going back on their word like that hardly felt right...even if that word had been given to a hot tempered, immature, and power mad mystical creature "..Feels kind of shitty being all sneaky and underhanded whatnot...but, given the alternative.." when distraction was mentioned he added "..I mentioned he added "..I asked for my hallucinogen-spit back...That might help with distraction.."
<+Shatter> "That's not good enough." Remarked Tori as looked to the Fae. "You can't tell us, the Summer Fae can't tell us, and we're in the bloody middle." She pointed towards the door. "I only came here to get my bloody powers back. We don't all have to sign your stupid contract to do that. We get the urn, the powers are still ours, and you're still free to destroy it once it's there. Why the hell do ye need our help? Why do we need to sign a contract for any of it?"
<@AnE> "Only just, valkyrie. We will be able to destroy the urn and grant you protection, though temporary once you return to your world." The offers to sign are met with a slow smile before the fae pulls out the contract and pen again, offering them to whoever would take it. "The beast sleeps for one hundred years, guarding the urn in silence. Disturb it, and it will kill you -- or try. If you are quick or clever you can distract it just long enough. Once the urn is retrieved, I will transport you all to the courtroom again." He looked toward Tori and raised a brow, "If the contract isn't signed, then we offer no protection to those who refuse. We fae deal in contracts as easily as you humans shake hands. Pardon us our culture and ways. We will happily tell you everything once you have agreed to help us. Besides, how do you think you'll escape this realm without our help once Mab's new toy is destroyed and she's flying into a rage, setting everything and everyone on fire? Hm?"
<@Kraken> The hero... Apparently Kevin was just nominated for this oh so prestigious position. Wonderful! "Well... I guess chosing my camoflauging powers was a good call." He forced his skin tone down to his normal human colors. "I'll do it. I'll be the hero runner." He only had a single heart right now but it was beating hard enough for three. "Ok... just be ready." He smiled in an uneasy manner and would start to strip to his underwear. If anyone gave him odd looks? "I can only change my body's color. Not my clothing..." He still had his unders on so he was not going in there nude. Nor would he fully disrobe. That just wasn't proper. Kevin shivered a bit and switched to his Seven impression colors. A nice faux invisibility that was just some very creative color changing. And it was consistant with his motion too. "Ok... I'm ready... I can do this..." Sneaky time. Put those powers to use! WinterFae had a point and Kevin would sign (lovely penmanship too!) "Ok... the beast.. sneak in and out while it's distracted..."
<+Nickypoo> "After Sabine's vision, I'm more than willing to chew my own foot off than willingly damning Salem to burn. So--" the contract and pen are accepted, the document signed and offered over to the next person who's up for jotting down their name. "Fine then. We all pitch in. I can dart around like a goddamn cockroach, Angel dose it, Kevin be sneaky." He glances over at Aislinn, not quite sure what she does. He grins at Kevin, "But you're getting the prize. Are we on the same page?"
<Skuld> Skuld hooks her hammer into a metal clasp hanging from the armor on her hip, long enough to reach out and take the offered quill. The signature is not in letters, but rather old Norse runes. Still it's there. Somewhere, Sygny is watching this and screaming in silent horror, but for the valkyrie's part, the deal is done. Then, since Nick had volunteered her already, she turns to face the scrawny dead man. "I will do this. I am not indestructable though, and you all must be swift." Unhooking the hammer again, she drifts toward the door, readying her shield again. She is... imposing, to say the least, eyes narrowed, shoulders squared and hulking, ready for battle. "I cannot grant you all my boon, for the Summer Queen has seen to it that I am not at my fullest. May the gods smile on us all. If not, I will carry you with me to Valhalla." Facing the door, she prepares. "Whenever you are ready."
<+Shatter> "Let's.. not assume that the beast can't see you, Kevin. Let's say... you know. Whoever gets t' th' urn, gets t' the urn. Not that it's a race- I just figure maybe some guardian layin' in wait that deals with fae might be able to sense invisible or camoflauged things. Better t' just slip as many folks around it as possible, and if there's a chance... take it." Tori remarked towards the others before focusing on the Fae again. "You owe us more than that, fae. I'm not ready to just sign a contract without a bloody assurance that we aren't trading burning Salem for freezing it, or some other invasion. Our powers were stolen from us. We shouldn't bloody well have to anything for anyone to get them back. I don't need to know the full story, but we deserve a little more than 'just trust us, we're better than them'."
* +Angel`Pearson the pen was taken as it was passed his way, and after a little hesitation he signed as well before passing it on and looking between them....Wait, so who was doing it now? Was it going to be Kevin or the angry, glowy vakyrie? He shifted closer to the door to be ready to assist when they made their move.
<+Aislinn> So...not signing would leave those folks at the mercy of the Summer Court... yeah..not happening. It was with reluctance that she signed, not liking it one bit, but what option were they left with. "If the creature sleeps then we should do our best to ensure it stays that way, yes? Go in quietly..." she was eying the valkyrie warily, but she readied herself. SHe was light on her feet at least, and quick, with excellent balance and body awareness. Who knew what they would need to reach the Urn.
<@AnE> Nodding his head, the winter fae drew his hand slowly across the barrier. The gold shifted to blue and the field slowly vanished, "Whoever it is, give us a shout once you have the urn." He still managed to sound frightfully calm. Looking towards Tori again, he furrowed his brow, "Destroying this urn will put even more brakes on all of Mab's plans. And when she is angry, things will burn. What do you want from me? I'm just a messenger. You can ask my Queen herself when She wakes up. What do you want? Gold? Jewels? I don't have shit, all right? She is an opportunist. Her advisor saw this chance and is taking it. We're trying to restore balance before Mabel there burns everything to the ground. Look, when they go in, all bets are off, so if you want out of here you'd best sign." The fae didn't seem to care either way, though. Inside the room, it was dark, but they'd still be able to detect a massive figure looming in one corner. It looked almost doglike at a glance, covered in spindly fur. It probably reached thirty feet high at the shoulder -- at least. It seemed to have eyelids covering the majority of its upper body, smoke curling from its nostrils as it snored. Loudly.
<@Kraken> "Yes. I get to play the hero and hopefully I'll play the part through without becoming a monster's snack." It would be a very heroic death for sure! But Kevin didn't feel like dieing. Nosiree. "Always ready to protect my friends and do the right thing." Kevin shivered again. Almost naked and near a Winter Faerie, of course he'd be chilled. There was a nod to Shatter. "Ok the more the better odds... A team of distracters and a team of urn snatchers?" That's what it was seeming like. And then he saw the beast... Camo kicked up a notch. Kevin swallowed and went against his screaming instincts to stay away from the monster. Squids were masters of camoflauge. Sneaking in, grabbing what they wanted, and jettisoning out. Granted there was neither water here nor was he in current possession of a siphon or sticky fingers to climb up walls. But he could camo... Urn team go! Silently. Stealthily.
<+Shatter> "... I hate everything about every god damn thing." Remarked Tori, as she took the pen and signed. She was confident- more confident than she'd been in a long while, but in the end she was not so confident to think she could find a way out of faerie land before being burned alive (again) or worse. The prospect of the former was enough to make her cave in, and once she signed she turned to the room, the floating glass seperating far enough so none of it would clink against itself as she turned towards the next situation at hand.
<+Nickypoo> "Oh yes, of course. Trust me, we all want this over with." he nods to Skuld and offers a sincere smile, "And thank you." Tori has a point! He nods to her and quietly sighs. "But we can still hope. And bear in mind that we're currently in the summer court and it's up to them, or some other fae, to let us out. So it's fire or ice. We really do have to make a black-or-white decision. Or we'll be stuck here. We aren't in Kansas anymore." He eyes Angel and grins. "Spit at the big bad monster." to answer that confused look. He stands by the door and...looks over at Kevin. Sneaky guy! Yes, you. He even gestures towards the door with a flourish of his hand. "Angel, Tori, myself and...the valkyrie..." shit he didn't get a real name. WELL THAT ONE DOES FINE. "The rest are sneaky. Kevin and Aislinn. But let's try sneaky first. Kevin, Aislinn, you're up."
<Skuld> Annnnnd it's asleep. Well. Stealth is not her thing. Stealth is for... people trying to be sneaky and grab things while giant looming beasts are distracted. And chances were, from what the tiny blue cold fae had said, this thing is due to wake up anyway. That's the way her logic worked anyway. Also, even if she is made of light and energy, she is still wearing full armor, which makes noise. Stealth is not her thing. Once the door opened and she was free to move, Skuld shot inside like a bolt of lightning, eager for more room to move about. The hand holding her hammer raised, came around, and slammed against her shield noisily. "Your slumber is OVER, beast! Come! Taste my wrath! I have come to deliver you to the hells!" Rocketing through the air, her feet never touch the ground as she strafes to the side to draw the beasts attention away from the others and onto herself.
<@AnE> THe creature twitched, though it was mostly just snoozing peacefully. With the barrier down, however, foreign sounds and smells began to enter its senses, causing it to stir. One eye opened -- then another. Then more! It really did have eyes all over its upper body, jaundiced yellow with red pupils that seemed to look everywhere. The fae remained behind, quietly channeling some kind of spell, likely waiting for the urn to be grabbed. Where was the urn? Atop a high pile of skeletons across the room and in an alcove. Bang. Bang. Bang. Skuld's hammer-slamming had it shaking its head, which was wide, flat and almost shark like, opening a gaping maw filled with rows upon rows of teeth to let out a fierce roar before charging right for the valkyrie. Its thick tail, complete with spikes, swept the ground as it moved. Those who weren't quick and tried to get around it had a chance to be knocked right down. Also of note, there was a rickety wooden chandelier on the high ceiling.
<+Nickypoo> Nick's jaw drops. "That wasn't..." his voice trails off and he just facepalms. A sigh escapes him and he slinks into the room after Skuld. He doesn't make a mad dash for the urn but instead moves with his usual grace off to one side. Of course there's some haste to it because he doesn't want to get smashed or anything. The gloves are yanked off his hands and stuffed into his manpurse just in case. The hurtling tail is dodged by his diving to the floor and following scramble across it to get to safety.
<+Shatter> Tori cracked her knuckles. Fit, athletic, but not made of glass, or able to fly. Hmm. She dashed in, glass trailing after her and vaulted the tail neatly, landing in a crouch to survey things. With a gesture, she sent the gathered glass slicing through the air and attempting to scratch various eyes, mostly trying to concentrate on one side to create something of a blind spot. She kept moving though, wary of that tail still as she also tried to avoid behind cornered.
<Skuld> Mission accomplished. Well, that part of it anyway. Skuld lets out a fierce warcry to meet the beast headon. The collision would be fierce, if there were to be one. Instead, the valkyrie makes a graceful leap into the air, up and over the beast's head, with an agile little flip and twist thrown in both for theatrics and to turn her around in midair. On her way over, she spots the chandalier hanging from the cieling. When she comes down, it's to make a move to straddle the beast's neck, not to ride it though, but to bring the edge of that shield down into the center of its head. A shout, hopefully heard over the thing's roar, "Bring the lighting fixture down on it!"
<@Kraken> Well wasn't this all Super Dandy! The beast was awake instantly and even more horrifying than it was whilst alseep. Dem eyes. Luckily Kevin didn't void himself right there. He looked around for the urn, mumbling curses when he saw where it was. Sticky hands would be really helpful right now! But then he wouldn't have his camo. Stupid fae taking all their powers and only letting them have one for this equally stupid quest! He kept his head on. Mind focused on the task, The room was glanced around. Urn atop skeletons, giant beast o many eyes, Chandelier? Why was there a chandelier? No matter he had to move for the Urn. Urn was important. Invoso Ken rushed for it, praying that the beast was sufficiently distracted as he made his way to the alcove climbed those bones. Need to get the urn. Think about the pile of death later. Unless it would come to life... Hey still had some salt in his pockets hopefully that would help him out.
* +Angel`Pearson nodnodded, flashing a small nervous grin back Nicks way before squinting into the room before mumbling "..It looks like its got a shitton of eyes...Thats good. They absorb stuff reallywell.." He listened as Nick went about working out the details...only to blink at the valkyrie chicks warcry, looking up as she charged in. Well. So much for sneaky first. While she took up its attention hefiled into the room. Idea! Skittering and scrambling away from that sweeping tail one hand shot into his messenger bag, removing two small throwing knives, spitting his hallucinogen onto them before taking one in his right hand, holding it by the tip of the blade he cocked his arm back, lining up the shot with his opposite hand and flicking the blade forward for one of those great big eyes, plucking the second blade from his hand as it drew back in a practiced movement and repeating to hurl it as well.
<+Aislinn> The beast was..huge. She felt her breath catch just looking at the thing. She was surprised they didn't hear it snoring from outside the chamber. BANG BANG BANG. Skuld flew in and woke said beastie up, not even giving she and Kevin a real chance to get in and attempt a stealthy approach. Shit. Shitshitshit. She ran for a wall, ducking away from teh sweeping tail but not quite quick enough, leg caught by the tip and sending her stumbling. Didn't stop her from moving forward though, because she was more afraid of stopping to be truthful. Towards the skeleton pile she ran. Were those human bones? Fae? Something else? Who knew, and she wasn't quite sure she wanted to. "The nails!!" What good were all those talismans they had in their pockets if they couldn't be used?
<+Nickypoo> Skuld flips around and tries to mount the beast, Tori throws glass at its eyes and Nick hurries his scrawny ass over to the pile of death. A skull is grabbed and hurled at the monster followed by another. He stays on the defensive, ready to duck, roll or just plain ol' run if need be. No attention is paid to the designated team to fetch that urn: he just watches that damn monster! Immortal or not he doesn't want to be drug out of there in pieces.
<@AnE> Oh, it didn't like that. It let out pained shrieks that were nearly deafening as its eyes were scratched and poked with glass, causing it to rear up and slam down onto the ground with its two massive, clawed forepaws. The pile of skeletons rattled and began to collapse, making the job of grabbing the urn that much easier. It was easy to spot -- gleaming gold and warm to the touch. Suddenly, Skuld. On its head. It shrieked and roared some more, flailing around, buckling in pain as the shield jabbed the top of its head, where more eyes were located. With its eyes being scratched, it couldn't do much but flail and throw a tantrum! However, it noticed Kevin and Aislinn, beginning to turn slowly, struggling with the assault, snapping wildly and lashing its tail. Then it was stabbed in the eye with a hallucinogen-coated blade, though its flailing caused the other to embed itself between them in its spindly hide. The chandelier overhead rattled loosely.
<@Kraken> At least he wasn't alone in this suicide mission! Aislinn was there too. The mostly naked camoflaged ginger and Ms. Hypersenses. Shakey ground made for tough climbing and bouncy bones, but it also moved the urn off and so much closer. Camoflauge was still matching his surroundings. The constant threat of EyeBallBeast sending that ability into overdrive. Beastie was attacked. The eyes but there were so many eyes on that thing it was hard to blind them all. It saw them. Salt was rubbed against bones, worked into splintes or any little holes Kevin could find and chucked at the beast. EAT SALT DEMON! Ok distraction team was coming to the rescue. Kevin had to stick to his end. He'd reach to grab that urn, muttering to himself inaudible prayers and pleas to succeed...
<Skuld> Whoa there, Silver! Skuld hangs on to that flailing, rearing beast by sheer willpower alone it seems, clenching her thighs around it, armor plating likely digging into its hide and maybe an eye or two. Hopefully an eye or two. Since no one else seems to have heard the suggestion regarding the chandalier, she hooks her hammer onto her armor once again, using that hand to hold onto the beast as she twists and cranes, a mass of blurred energy and flame sitting atop the many-eyed dog thing, peering up until she has a good eye on the light fixture above. Sliding her armored hand out of the straps on the back of her shield, she grasps it by the edge, frisbie style, waiting until the beast is just under it, ot close enough anyway. Rearing back with one of its bucks, she lets loose, hurling the shield upward. Hopefully her aim is true enough to knock it completely loose and down onto the beast. If so, she will fling herself into the air before it all comes crashing down horribly on top of her.
<+Nickypoo> continues to throw bones from that pile of death at the creature. Yeah, sure, it might not do much good but he's just here to distract. They aren't slaying the mighty beast! And stay ready to haul ass if it decides to charge or something.
<+Shatter> Tori did her best to circle around and continue misdirecting the beast while Skuld did her own thing. She didn't let up with the glass until the chandelier was dropped, and Tori held out her other hand, and if there was any glass in the style of the fanciest chandeliers, it would be used to pull the thing down even harder. If there wasn't, she'd still remain on her toes, glancing back towards Kevin and Ais for the barest of moments while watching out for thrashing tails and other things that would ill suit heavy contact with her face.
<+Aislinn> Well, Aislinn couldn't reach the chandeleir and she had no powers to do so....so after the Urn it was! She and squidboy, who was no longer so squiddy. Bones were rough under her hands, salt gritty as it was tossed about, jagged little crystals sticking to skin. But it would also stick to fur. The pile might have been falling, and the Urn lowering, but they still had to clambor over those bones and it made for tricky footing. She reached for the Urn as well, coming from the opposite side as Kevin, and hopefully between the two of them one, or both, would grab hold and they could all be whisked out of this nightmare.
<@AnE> Oh look Kevin and Aislinn grab the urn! The light fixture, thanks to Skuld's Captain Norway Shield Throw, comes crashing down onto the beast's head. This, of course, pisses it off more, so it continues to flail -- but it stumbles a bit, thanks to Angel's happyjuice injected into its bloodstream. Not too much, since it's WTFHUGE, but it does. Winterfae looks down at his watch, then over across the room. The beast keeps stumbling around, glass hurting the shit out of its eyes. Noticing the urn being grabbed, the fae perks, "Finally. Damn. All right, you're out of here -- make sure you convince her to give you your powers back BEFORE destroying the urn! Appeal to the bitch's quote unquote generosity!" WHHHHHOOOOOOOO HEAVY VIBRATION EFFECT AS THEY'RE SUCKED OUT OF THE ROOM...and tossed back into the courtroom, where Mab still sits, filing her nails and drumming her fingers on the coveted jar, though she smiles a bit, "Mortals! You have returned! Have you brought Us what We sought?"
<Skuld> Skuld has just enough time to retrieve her shield before they're all whisked back into the court room. Mortals, indeed. They're the ones with the urn, and so they're the ones who should make the bargain. She has done her part, for now, and so she simply stands, crackling now and then, watching Mab with a completely disinterested expression on her fiery face.
* +Angel`Pearson Wooo! He actually hopped excitedly...and allllmost cheered as the first blade sunk home. Hallucinogenic ninja, Angel Pearson! Another pair of knives were drawn from inside his messenger bag as he scooted around the edge of the room, and he got ready to throw again before...Whoadisorientation! He stumblestumbled as they were tossed back into the court, eyes blinkblinkingin the sudden light. When he realized he was still holding the knives they were shoved back in his bag.
<+Nickypoo> Woo! Back in the court! Nickypoo takes a minute to straighten himself up and dust some of the grime from his fancy schmancy suit. And run a hand over his hair to unmess it. Okay he still looks flithy thanks to being bone-white and all. Sigh. "Oh yes, of course your Highness. But we ask for only one thing: our toys to be restored first. It is but one simple request." he asks and dips down in a bow, one hand held towards the urn in a flourish. "As we have carried out our end of the deal."
<@AnE> They might be able to see the members of the winter court now looking tense, on-edge, anxious!
<+Aislinn> Whooosh! Out of one nightmare and back to the other. Because Mab's courtroom was plenty frightening in its own right. Moreso, perhaps, because the danger here was hidden from plain sight. At least with the beast you knew exactly what you were facing. She looked down, the Urn grasped by both herself and Kevin. They had to destroy it, but only after their powers were all given back. Tricky that. She gave Kevin a glance, holding out her other hand, wanting to take the Urn. Why? She wanted to see if she could feel any cracks or hairline fissures along its surface. Points of weakness that might help them when it came time to destroy it.
<+Shatter> "It is the only thing we have." She remarked, gesturing to the urn. "Surely, your Highness, you won't begrudge us the rest of our powers before we're forced to hand it over." Tori chimed in, straightening up and dusting off all her denim. "Not like we won't end up at your bloody mercy anyhow, with or without the thing."
<+Aislinn> "Not just those present, Majesty. We held up our end of teh bargain, now kindly hold up yours. Return the powers to all of those of Salem, and the Urn is yours. Business done."
<@Kraken> Wooosh cosmic teleportation! Some distant part of Kevin wondered if this was what a portkey was like. Though not for very long they had more important matter to attend to now. Matters like where his clothing was now. Hopefully them and his bag of waters reappeard with him, otherwise he'd.. well the minimal amount of clothing would be beneficial once he was a squid again back home. Less stifling. But those waters... Worse comes to worse he spends the night in the infirmary for dehydration. Better scenario someone gets him to his tank. Mab was there. With their jar of powers. And they were with her jar of power. What an interesting predicament. "We have the urn,, your highness." He would let Aislinn take hold of it all on her own. "Please, your grace. Our friends at home are ailing." Flattery and titles. Hopefully good. Butter her up...
<@AnE> The urn seemed to be in surprisingly perfect condition, but it WAS made of gold, which wasn't exactly the hardest of metals. Its surface was covered in fae glyphs, engravings which would arguably be exploited as weaknesses. They spoke, asked for their toys back. The Queen stroked her chin, staring down at them, "We see. You have proven your worth and upheld your end of our bargain, as you stated. ... All right, mortals. We are generous." She reached up and removed the lid from the jar -- the little lights began to flicker and flutter. Some vanished completely as they restored power to those in Salem, others floated out towards group members, returning their powers to them. Meanwhile, members of the Winter Court began to rise from where they sat, no longer looking quite so pale and weak. The Queen, however, seemed not to notice, reaching out and making grabby hands, squealing with glee!
<Skuld> The surge that fills her then, when the last bit of her restraint is gone, is just.... heavenly. Her glow brightens, surrounding her in a nimbus of holy flame, and her feet leave the ground once more. That energy swirls around her, snaking around the tips of her winged helmet, through her hair, around the golden scales of her armor, through the plates of her scaled skirt, down her mail-covered legs, and finally spreads out from under her plated feet, whipping across the floor toward those who had come in here with her, those who had been allies, however their personal dealings and feelings regarding her or her host might be. They would feel a surge of strength, renewal, pride, confidence... like they could take on the world if it came to it. Strangely enough, perhaps without her control, the boon extends out toward the Winter Fae as well. Perhaps... if they were just barely strong enough to destroy the urn in the first place, it might give them a bit of an extra edge now.
<+Shatter> "Lass, please be a dear and give the Urn..." Tori remarked, lifting a hand to point to the Queen and then sweeping it towards Skuld. "T' her. So she can hit it with a bloody hammer." All the angst of the decision making past her, she grinned dangerously as she shifted into her glass form, hands, head and hair all becoming translucent. "We've renegotiated, lass, and you're not cut in any more... your highness." She concentrated, forming three basketball sized spheres of glass, assuming that one hit might not break it.
<+Nickypoo> stands up again and just smiles. He crosses his arms over his chest and looks over his shoulder at Aislinn. Oh, this part is all her and he's not interfering. Once the powers have been restored, he starts making his way back the way they'd come. Does the golden door also lead to the exit? Well it was the way they'd come in! As Skuld extends her boon, Nick's stroll turns to a strut. Aww yeaaah.
<@Kraken> Powers were returned. Yay! Though not without certian drawbacks. For Kevin that meant major physiological changes. PAINFUL physiological changes. There was a strangled yell as Kevin fell over. His rightful form and powers or not, It Hurt to sudenly grow four extra limbs. His bones to mostly dissolve. Lungs to shrivel to a smaller size as his gills grew back. Head's morphology altered. Larger eyes, his teeth and tongue all transformed. All very painful, and he was thrashing around a bit before flopping like a fish. Water water... god his bsage HAD arrived with him. Tentacles. YES! He had his tentacles back! Those tentacle writhed and wiggled, reached for that bag full of waters. Kevin practically tore the bottle out and hurrired gulped the entirething down. So much disorienting... And soon it was over. Kevin was calm, invigorated even. Skuld's boost hit him with perfect timing. He didn't reach for a second water, stood up fine.
<+Aislinn> She waited, hands around the Urn, watching as all those glowing lights as they floated out from the jar in Mab's hands. Her gaze flickered towards the Winter Fae briefly, then away just as quickly. She'd wait, looking towards the others, seeking some sign that their gifts had been returned fully. It was hard to watch Kevin's painful transformation, but she waited, wanting to make sure he was whole and hale before doing anything. Then, and only then, would she move as if to step forward to offer the Urn, putting herself closer to Sygny/Skuld. Tori she could have cheerfully shot though, for opening her big mouth and giving away the plan. Afterall, Aislinn had the Urn and she'd be the first incinerated at this rate. SHit! She turned swiftly towards Sygny, dropping to her knee, and set the urn on the floor for the woman to smash with that mighty hammer of hers. Hopefully the Winter Fae would keep their deal and help with its destruction..then get them all the hell back home.
<L'angley> Catatonia. It was the best possible word to describe the Canadian upon the fullness of his powers' return. The Canadian youth was towards the back of the grouping. The pale color of his eyes had faded into their once typical nonfocus. With that complete loss of focus, he was staring at the palms of his hands. He could feel it, the return of all his abilities. So many minds. He felt them, sensed them all around him, and he was taken aback by the sudden rush of returned memories and thoughts that were not his own as those mental floodgates were peeled back once again. "So much.. chaos.." The words were barely whispered, and he stumbled back a step or two before catching himself. Pale eyes darted here and there as he sought to match up visual sensory information with the 'picture' of each mind he sensed for hundreds of yards around them. At first the darting of his eyes was frantic, almost panicked at the sudden immensity of the change, but that boon from Skuld.. the provided strength was enough to slowly calm his maddened eyes as he eased himself back into the flow of so much information.
<@AnE> Suddenly, their friend from before appeared, "Tsk. Sorry, Queenie. Can't let you go all power-crazy today, darling!" He was opening up a portal in the back of the room, we'll say conveniently near Nick, because the door? The door was gone. Meanwhile, members of the Winter Court rose up, already charging magic. Members of the Summer Court may have been falling into a panic. What was this? "What is this? You dare defy Us? You dare cross Us?! You dare break a deal!?" Mab was nearly shrieking, reaching up and quite literally tearing her hair out. Her adisor, still with singed brows and standing in his undies, sighed, "Technically, Your Gloriousness, you only requested that they deliver the urn to this room. You never told them what to do afterw-" OH OOPS ADVISOR'S SET ON FIRE AGAIN. More screaming and running around in circles ensues. "Destroy it!" The Winter Fae cried out, and the Summer Queen boomed, "DESTROY THEM!" Members of her Court leapt to action, but the portal was up. "Get out of here, we'll hold them off!" That lone fae waved wildly, while the winter faeries began to blast the urn with MAGIC.
* +Angel`Pearson his eyes closed as his trippy little floating power light drifted his way, a small smile forming as he felt that connection with his mutation returning. Ooooh how you were missed. The reunion moment didn't last too long though, the snd thing he was still wearing on his wrist flicked to active lest he get the whole court high. His eyes snapped open at the sound of Kevins powers returning...Aww! and then the chaos of the angry summer court leaping to action. It still fellt off, going back on their word like that...but all bets were off when it came to dealing with insane, powerful magical beings. The charge from the valkyrie lady was noticed right about the time the portal was, and he darted for it with the rest of the group as the winter fae blasted the urn. MAGIC!
<+Nickypoo> A thumbs-up is given to the winter fae and he comes to a stop beside the door. He turns to watch the urn be destroyed. His gloves are pulled back on again and he just smiles still. The scrawny bastard won't leave anyone behind so he just stands and waits for others to join him. He motions for Angel to go through the door and keeps waving his arm for the others to go too! Once the urn has been destroyed of course.
<@Kraken> He was ok a little in pain and a little hard to breathe, but ok... thanks to Skuld. if not for the big glowy they might have been carrying the fish home. Color looked good, he was breathing... semi alright there. The SUMMER court and all was somewhat harsh on his squiddly body. Thankfully all his parts grew back in the right place. He wasn't sure where the boost had come from but he was thankful for it. And ok NOW Mab could rightfully say they abused their gifts at her. She just had her order all mixed up. That's all. Advisor on fire. Eep. Time to go! Kevin would act on his security guard insticts though. Make sure everyone was alright before going through the portal himself. and yes if somewhere in that chaos someone needed an inking? Kev's your man!
<Skuld> CHAOS REIGNS. No foxes in here though. Back to the action. Skuld's smile sears across her face, the expression maddening in and of itself, reminisce of a Fury as well as the valkyrie. "Our deal was met, Summer Queen. Thank you for your generosity." And then she does bring that hammer down, straight onto the top of the urn. Only once though. Even her sense of self-preservation is telling her to get the fuck out of Dodge. Backing toward the portal, she brought her shield up, using it as a wall between herself and any summer fae that might try to block or interfere, or attack herself or any others trying to escape. Only after the last of them had gone through would she depart as well.
<L'angley> Dodge! Dive! Duck! Dodge! The four Ds of Dodgeball fluttered through L'angely's mind courtesy of a memory supplied by some random previous meal. They were all there again, and this one seemed particularly suiting to the situation as Fairytown began to burst into mayhem, what with the magic missile Winter Fae loosing their hoodoo on the Urn. So many minds! Angry, angry, bat shit crazyminds! It was all he could do to follow the most sane minds he sensed towards the portal to safety, dodging and ducking any mojo flying his way. Angel's mind.. he knew it, remembered the 'look' of it from before, and so he latched his focus onto that beacon of familiarity to guide him to the portal and out.. hopefully to a place filled with less insane mental distractions. A plethora of humanminds he could handle.. but so many Fae in one place was a bit much to take.
<+Aislinn> To the portal she ran, pulling along any of those needing help. The lights, the noise, all the touching, the smell of burning..it was quickly becoming overwhelming for the hypersensitive. But she'd get through that portal first before she lost control or shut down, and be grateful that Griffin would know what to do for her once they were safely returned.
<+Shatter> She threw two of the spheres at the Urn because... well what else was she going to do with them? She made them, right? She kept the third one and lifted off, hovering for a moment as she got used to flying again and then she zipped through the portal, giving a salute to the courts on the way out with a grin.
<@AnE> The urn shatters, leaving behind only fragments as it's both hammered and blasted, practically obliterating even the ashes within. Mab was in tears, flailing, kicking and screaming on her throne while the faeries had at one another! Those that stepped through the portal would find themselves once more thrust back into Salem after that familiar jello-feeling.
<@AnE> (The end.)
<+Nickypoo> "Insulting your team members is childish so please stop that." He gives Ashy a pat to the shoulder and offers a warm smile to her. "Don't worry, dear. We're all stressed out right now. Maybe there's something on the other side? You might be able to get us across if you can find a hold. Can you keep your shape enough to extend your arm and carry weight? Er. I don't want to overtax your body or anything." Out of the group, he's probably the best one to try that out with! He nods to Aislinn, "Yes. I'm betting the blue one is special. Hopefully it's helpful and not trying to lead us into a trap." He eyes Tori and then nods, "Sure, go ahead." He looks down at her glass walkway and smirks, "That or just make a path for each person and let us cross on it." Which would take a lot of trust for the walking party to invest in her! The ice crystal path isn't noticed, not yet at least. But he hears a voice! His head snaps up and he looks at the speaking creature. "Er. Thank you." he says and glances at the path then at the rest of the group. Who goes first? Not him apparently!
<Skuld> Skuld simply looks at Griffin, giving no response, either verbally or physically. The valkyrie gives no fucks either way about the opinions of her place. Her place is in battle, her authority given to a higher calling, and as such, those who question the calling are simply heathens, ignorant and unworthy of explanation, simply deserving of pity. She will not answer to them. She is not a team member. She simply is. Then, the blue fae. "You. You are of the Winter Court. We were told you could help. You have my appreciation, Cold Fae." She dips her head, hair flowing around her like water, and brings her shield arm to her chest, thumping her fist against her breastplate with an audible clanking sound. Moving past the others, hovering above that offered path, she begins to proceed across the pit.
<@Ashlynne> Ash fights the urge to extend her middle finger to super proportions at Skuld's back. She was like a bitchier, less fun Quentin. Staying clsoe to Nick she blinks, "I could be a bridge.. maybe? There's no way to know unless we try it?" Not really knowing what to do the girl falls squiett
<+Aislinn> How easy it would be to be entranced by those lights, like little stars just within her reach. But no, no, she had to stay focused and drug her gaze away from the gold in search of the blue. "Its a fae." she said, just a touch too loudly compared to her usual soft spoken tone. And somehow, she heard that voice even though she was deaf to all else. "He's woven us a path." And with a blink the heightened sight was dropped and sounds returned, dull at first but quickly coming back to a normal level. The Winter Court was helping them? Well, there was a friendly gesture at least.
<+Shatter> Tori pulled the glass around her reflectively, letting it begin it's lazy rotation again as she looked from the Winter fae to the bridge. She ran a hand back through her hair and sighed faintly, glad this area was wider.. even if that meant a pit was below. Still, it was bittersweet. Not caring to get involved in mild bickering, she followed Skuld and remained largely silent.
<@Kraken> Winter Fae? Helping them out? Kevin wasn't sure what was going on here... but they were being helped, right? So mystery icebridge or Zombies that weren't Nick and would probably eat them without a thought. (Unlike Nick who wold give it some thinking before taking a bite or two out of them.) IceBridge... Following Nick, Kevin too would thank the fae and with a deep breath across the ice bridge he'd go. The Winter were their allies. Their child stealing allies...
<@Ashlynne> Ash fallows along, oing what she was told to do and helps out quietw a biti.
* +Angel`Pearson eyes closed for a moment to inhale a deep breath, opening again as he stepped out across the ice bridge and moved along with the group, thanking their new chilly, hoodie clad friend once across.
<@AnE> "I haven't got all day, humans." He tilted his head, gesturing toward the corner where the path turned. At his side was a satchel, hands fishing within for something. When he couldn't seem to find it, though, he gave up, leaning against the wall near the corner, "You'll not be wantin' to go any further before hearin' what I have to say. I suspect Mabs didn't tell you what you face in your search for her precious urn?" He hardly sounded impressed with the Summer Queen, but why would he? The air around him was cold, a stark change from the heat of the tomb or the room where they underwent their trial.
<+Griffin> Griff follows along and does the helpful things that robots do, obeying orders and requests as needed.
<+Nickypoo> Yes, Nick needs a minute or two before heading out onto that bridge. But he does! After someone else leads the way, of course. He's still perfectly content to stay behind Griffin. GRIFF WILL TOTES KEEP HIM SAFE! One hand holds his pen light, keeping the path in front of him lit while the other hand stays tightly wrapped around the strap of his manpurse. "What we'd face? Oh of course not!" his tone is oddly cheery considering the situation.
<+Shatter> Tori glanced over to the fae and quirked her lips. "So spill it already, mate. Ye've already said ye don't have all day, and neither do we. So talk and walk, buddy. Not sayin' we don't appreciate the help, just thinkin' we're kind of stuck on th' course either way."
<Skuld> In her proximity to the cold fae, where warm, pure energy met his cold aura, a misty fog rolled out from between them, just a little, like cool rain hitting warm pavement. Humans? Skuld doesn't bother to correct him, since it's obvious she isn't human, not in this form, most certainly. "What is it we face, Winter Fae?" Golden eyes watch him searching for something, but her expression remains hidden behind the glow and fire.
<+Aislinn> She followed at Griff's side, glancing to the WInter Fae once they'd reached the other side. "Thank you. You're the first, so far as I know, to actually offer help. And no, she didn't tell us much of anything." If any answers could be given she'd be glad to have them. And she would be grateful for them too, and willing to show that. "Please, if you can help us..."
<@Kraken> The cooler air certainly did feel better and that wasn't just the squid in him talking. "She only told us to go and retrieve the urn. Nothing more..." And that their powers would be forfeit should they return empty handedly. "What do we need to do to end this and go home?" He kept his tone polite and even respectful.
<@AnE> "You were the ones takin' five years..." He muttered to Tori, reaching up and rubbing at the bridge of his nose. As they crossed the ice bridge, they would find that it was, in fact, a bridge! That would not crack or implode beneath their feet. The Fae stepped over toward the corner, which was another path. With another door -- well, it was almost a door. It was a field of runes and glyphs, glowing with bright gold. "Beyond this barrier is an ancient beast. It guards the Urn of She-Who-Touched-The-Sun. A little history lesson, kiddies -- she was the one fae who wielded more power, speaking strictly of the Summer Court, than Mab. That power eventually consumed her, and legend has it that possessing her ashes will grant a summer fae... y'know... power. Like Mab needs more -- she's mad with it." He waved a hand dismissively, then pointed at the barrier, "When you wake the beast, the countdown begins. You'll need to hold it off and grab the urn. I can get you back to the court. Hell, I can get you back to your world, but you know, we fae... we require certain things." He pulled out a feathery quill and a roll of parchment. "If you've realized just how mad Mabel is, you'll break your contract and in trust in the Winter Queen."
* +Angel`Pearson came to a stop to listen to the unexpected lesson in fae history. Yay history!...Waitno. No. Boooo history! This sounded like it was going to be very very unpleasant....and of course their new 'friend' was right there will pen and paper, encouraging them to break off and sign on for his side "..Ohyay." was mumbled quietly, at both the explanation and the offer.
<Skuld> "So if we do not return it to Mabel, then we must give it to you. Are those our only options? And why..." The valkyrie raises to her full height, cramped though it is in that short hallway, looming over the blue fae. "What guarantee do we have that your Winter Queen is not just as mad?" Fimblevinter and gods almighty, this is worse than a pissing match between Thor and Loki. It it were visible, one might see her rolling her eyes.
<@Kraken> No cracking or imploding. Always a plus! Score one for Team Cobalt, yea! Across the pit, over the ice bridge. Not looking down, just looking at the bridge and Mr. Blue Winter Fae. "A beast..." Wonderful. "And this will give her even more power... Could this urn burn her out too?" Kevin wondered out loud and glanced to that contract and quill, feeling a pang for his ink production. "Our safety... Our missing powers... This madness Sygny's... partner speaks of. We need more information."?
<+Aislinn> "If contracts are broken then Mab has said she'll destroy all those powers she took." Aislinn pointed out. "I'm no' in favor of giving this Summer Queen more power than she has already, nor in facing some sort of deadly beast, but...we can't let her destroy the things she took unjustly." And was being beholden to the Winter Court any better?
<+Nickypoo> The scrawny little man just stands beside the door and glances around. He eyes the rest of the group and wonders who will step up to--well duh. Who's going to hold the beast off is pretty clear! "So who's going to fetch it? Anyone here a sprinter? I can. I've been working out." he beams with delight and waits to see if anyone else will chime in. It doesn't seem like he's even considering switching sides. "You all have made a pact with Mab. You'll lose your power if you defect. Of course, the Winter Queen might flutter in and snatch the jar of powers back but we're still trapped in the Summer Queen's tomb. It's also summer. Your people looked weak. Would we have to wait until winter for your people to aid us? Some of us need our powers sooner than later as they give them life." Kevin's point makes him nod, "Mhmm. Could. Sabine had a vision where she saw us all in chains and Salem burning. Er. Which very well may happen if we obey Mab." He'd almost forgotten about that! Erk. "I'd...rather that not happen. I understand her visions can be fairly accurate, too..." his voice trails off and he shrinks away from the door, suddenly wary of it.
<@AnE> "No. You will present the Urn to Mabel after she has returned your powers to you. And then you and I and all of my brothers and sisers will destroy it before her eyes. You will recall that you were contracted only to bring the urn into the courtroom. She never instructed you to give it to her." The fae shrugged, looking down at his nails with a toothy grin, "Or you can give it to her and allow her to burn your precious city to the ground, with you as her slaves." He tucked the contract he'd been carrying into his hoodie, rolling his shoulders again, "If my Queen wished your city in ruin, it would have been an icy wasteland several times over. She does not wave her arms and flail like a child in the way that Mab does." Of course they were in the middle of a pissing contest. Faeries were petty! "We have more than enough power from the aid of the Crows. What good would your city be to our people if it were burnt to the ground? I could leave right now...?" He thumbed towards the path that led back out. He shook his head toward Kevin, "Don't ask me. Nobody's ever used the urn before, and I'm not a summer fae." With a dramatic sigh, he began to bounce idly on his toes, "My brothers and sisters were well aware of your part in this, and of Mab's hastiness in forming contracts. We do not ask for servitude. What we ask in return is that you aid us when we require it -- one time and no more. You scratch our back and we will scratch yours." He turned toward Nick now, tilting his head, "Our plan is to prevent the destruction that Mab is planning. I cannot tell you any more than that. Not yet."
<Skuld> A human brain would be screaming that this is a very, very bad idea, much like summoning a demon had been a very, very bad idea. But Skuld does not operate in the realm of human thought, nor had she been present for said summoning, otherwise there would have been demon guts all over the sim, and she and Quentin would likely have destroyed the Sanctum while discussing their.... differences. No. She operates on the need to right wrongs, the need to fight the good fight, bear her battle brothers and shield sisters on.... etc etc. The glow of her eyes dims a little as they squint, and she raises her shield to her chest again, lifting the hammer in her other hand, readying it. "You speak the truth, Cold Fae. Are your people strong enough and ready to destroy the urn once we have set things right with our realm?"
<@Kraken> The beast... having a bestial body imself would have come in handy here... Oh well, can't chose right all of the time. The chromakinesis did seem like it was best for the job back in the court room. Now though? It was seeming like his ink or squidbody would have been the better choices. "I can run, especially now I don't have gills. Easier on my breathing and my lungs are larger as a human..." He listened to Nick's words. "Yes, we have friends in the infirmary sick without their powers, weakened, even disfigured and in pain... This isn't who I am, as much as I've enjoyed looking human again... Wha? Fire and chains?" He looked at Nick and shuddered. Of course his one power acted up now and he shifted to camoflauging colors. Yes. Even his hair. Winter Fae spoke and the former squid chuckled. "Loopholes! Of course! Bring the urn in and boom, destroy it." He would suggest tainting it with salt but that sounded akin to dececrting remains. Nevermind the fact destrucion would occur. But there was a difference between descecration and destruction. The Winter Fae was making sense to the ex-squidman. Yes... Aid the winters. That was seeming like the better path. Afterall an image of fire could scarcely come from Cold Weather Faeries. "We can't let the city and our home be destroyed and everyone we know enslaved in those chains... I'm with the Winter group..."
<+Nickypoo> cackles at the fae's plan. "Splendid!" He clasps his gloved hands together in a single clap and he bobs his head. "Splendid idea!" His contract is eyed and he glances over at the door before looking back to it. He nods, "Good. Well. Better than the city burning down and being held in shackles." He glances around to the rest of the group and steps towards the Winter fae. "I'll sign." he chimes in. "And, as for retrieving the urn, I think it's fairly obvious who does what." He gestures towards Skuld, "The tank holds off the big bad monster while one of the smaller, faster people nabs the precious urn and we get our collective asses back upstairs. Is this a plan we can all agree on?" he points at Kevin, "Alrighty. You can be the hero and save the day, Kev. Enjoy your awesome skills being the gofer."
<+Aislinn> Well then, when it was put like that.... She glanced towards the rest, because this was really their decision. "He makes a point. She only said we had to bring it forth and...if fae have to keep to their contracts then it was a foolish mistake on her part, but one we can use." And then she was glancing back to the fae, considering him a moment, searching his alien features. "This beast... do you know anything of it? Is it something we can sneak past?" Kevin would be a good bet for sneaking past to grab the urn. "Kevin, if you could sneak past while the rest of us...distract it?" She wasn't a fighter herself, facing a terrible beast didn't sound appealing. At all.
* +Angel`Pearson Oh...This sounded bad. It was a clever idea and all, and totally fairy-tale with the manipulating word play and everything, but going back on their word like that hardly felt right...even if that word had been given to a hot tempered, immature, and power mad mystical creature "..Feels kind of shitty being all sneaky and underhanded whatnot...but, given the alternative.." when distraction was mentioned he added "..I mentioned he added "..I asked for my hallucinogen-spit back...That might help with distraction.."
<+Shatter> "That's not good enough." Remarked Tori as looked to the Fae. "You can't tell us, the Summer Fae can't tell us, and we're in the bloody middle." She pointed towards the door. "I only came here to get my bloody powers back. We don't all have to sign your stupid contract to do that. We get the urn, the powers are still ours, and you're still free to destroy it once it's there. Why the hell do ye need our help? Why do we need to sign a contract for any of it?"
<@AnE> "Only just, valkyrie. We will be able to destroy the urn and grant you protection, though temporary once you return to your world." The offers to sign are met with a slow smile before the fae pulls out the contract and pen again, offering them to whoever would take it. "The beast sleeps for one hundred years, guarding the urn in silence. Disturb it, and it will kill you -- or try. If you are quick or clever you can distract it just long enough. Once the urn is retrieved, I will transport you all to the courtroom again." He looked toward Tori and raised a brow, "If the contract isn't signed, then we offer no protection to those who refuse. We fae deal in contracts as easily as you humans shake hands. Pardon us our culture and ways. We will happily tell you everything once you have agreed to help us. Besides, how do you think you'll escape this realm without our help once Mab's new toy is destroyed and she's flying into a rage, setting everything and everyone on fire? Hm?"
<@Kraken> The hero... Apparently Kevin was just nominated for this oh so prestigious position. Wonderful! "Well... I guess chosing my camoflauging powers was a good call." He forced his skin tone down to his normal human colors. "I'll do it. I'll be the hero runner." He only had a single heart right now but it was beating hard enough for three. "Ok... just be ready." He smiled in an uneasy manner and would start to strip to his underwear. If anyone gave him odd looks? "I can only change my body's color. Not my clothing..." He still had his unders on so he was not going in there nude. Nor would he fully disrobe. That just wasn't proper. Kevin shivered a bit and switched to his Seven impression colors. A nice faux invisibility that was just some very creative color changing. And it was consistant with his motion too. "Ok... I'm ready... I can do this..." Sneaky time. Put those powers to use! WinterFae had a point and Kevin would sign (lovely penmanship too!) "Ok... the beast.. sneak in and out while it's distracted..."
<+Nickypoo> "After Sabine's vision, I'm more than willing to chew my own foot off than willingly damning Salem to burn. So--" the contract and pen are accepted, the document signed and offered over to the next person who's up for jotting down their name. "Fine then. We all pitch in. I can dart around like a goddamn cockroach, Angel dose it, Kevin be sneaky." He glances over at Aislinn, not quite sure what she does. He grins at Kevin, "But you're getting the prize. Are we on the same page?"
<Skuld> Skuld hooks her hammer into a metal clasp hanging from the armor on her hip, long enough to reach out and take the offered quill. The signature is not in letters, but rather old Norse runes. Still it's there. Somewhere, Sygny is watching this and screaming in silent horror, but for the valkyrie's part, the deal is done. Then, since Nick had volunteered her already, she turns to face the scrawny dead man. "I will do this. I am not indestructable though, and you all must be swift." Unhooking the hammer again, she drifts toward the door, readying her shield again. She is... imposing, to say the least, eyes narrowed, shoulders squared and hulking, ready for battle. "I cannot grant you all my boon, for the Summer Queen has seen to it that I am not at my fullest. May the gods smile on us all. If not, I will carry you with me to Valhalla." Facing the door, she prepares. "Whenever you are ready."
<+Shatter> "Let's.. not assume that the beast can't see you, Kevin. Let's say... you know. Whoever gets t' th' urn, gets t' the urn. Not that it's a race- I just figure maybe some guardian layin' in wait that deals with fae might be able to sense invisible or camoflauged things. Better t' just slip as many folks around it as possible, and if there's a chance... take it." Tori remarked towards the others before focusing on the Fae again. "You owe us more than that, fae. I'm not ready to just sign a contract without a bloody assurance that we aren't trading burning Salem for freezing it, or some other invasion. Our powers were stolen from us. We shouldn't bloody well have to anything for anyone to get them back. I don't need to know the full story, but we deserve a little more than 'just trust us, we're better than them'."
* +Angel`Pearson the pen was taken as it was passed his way, and after a little hesitation he signed as well before passing it on and looking between them....Wait, so who was doing it now? Was it going to be Kevin or the angry, glowy vakyrie? He shifted closer to the door to be ready to assist when they made their move.
<+Aislinn> So...not signing would leave those folks at the mercy of the Summer Court... yeah..not happening. It was with reluctance that she signed, not liking it one bit, but what option were they left with. "If the creature sleeps then we should do our best to ensure it stays that way, yes? Go in quietly..." she was eying the valkyrie warily, but she readied herself. SHe was light on her feet at least, and quick, with excellent balance and body awareness. Who knew what they would need to reach the Urn.
<@AnE> Nodding his head, the winter fae drew his hand slowly across the barrier. The gold shifted to blue and the field slowly vanished, "Whoever it is, give us a shout once you have the urn." He still managed to sound frightfully calm. Looking towards Tori again, he furrowed his brow, "Destroying this urn will put even more brakes on all of Mab's plans. And when she is angry, things will burn. What do you want from me? I'm just a messenger. You can ask my Queen herself when She wakes up. What do you want? Gold? Jewels? I don't have shit, all right? She is an opportunist. Her advisor saw this chance and is taking it. We're trying to restore balance before Mabel there burns everything to the ground. Look, when they go in, all bets are off, so if you want out of here you'd best sign." The fae didn't seem to care either way, though. Inside the room, it was dark, but they'd still be able to detect a massive figure looming in one corner. It looked almost doglike at a glance, covered in spindly fur. It probably reached thirty feet high at the shoulder -- at least. It seemed to have eyelids covering the majority of its upper body, smoke curling from its nostrils as it snored. Loudly.
<@Kraken> "Yes. I get to play the hero and hopefully I'll play the part through without becoming a monster's snack." It would be a very heroic death for sure! But Kevin didn't feel like dieing. Nosiree. "Always ready to protect my friends and do the right thing." Kevin shivered again. Almost naked and near a Winter Faerie, of course he'd be chilled. There was a nod to Shatter. "Ok the more the better odds... A team of distracters and a team of urn snatchers?" That's what it was seeming like. And then he saw the beast... Camo kicked up a notch. Kevin swallowed and went against his screaming instincts to stay away from the monster. Squids were masters of camoflauge. Sneaking in, grabbing what they wanted, and jettisoning out. Granted there was neither water here nor was he in current possession of a siphon or sticky fingers to climb up walls. But he could camo... Urn team go! Silently. Stealthily.
<+Shatter> "... I hate everything about every god damn thing." Remarked Tori, as she took the pen and signed. She was confident- more confident than she'd been in a long while, but in the end she was not so confident to think she could find a way out of faerie land before being burned alive (again) or worse. The prospect of the former was enough to make her cave in, and once she signed she turned to the room, the floating glass seperating far enough so none of it would clink against itself as she turned towards the next situation at hand.
<+Nickypoo> "Oh yes, of course. Trust me, we all want this over with." he nods to Skuld and offers a sincere smile, "And thank you." Tori has a point! He nods to her and quietly sighs. "But we can still hope. And bear in mind that we're currently in the summer court and it's up to them, or some other fae, to let us out. So it's fire or ice. We really do have to make a black-or-white decision. Or we'll be stuck here. We aren't in Kansas anymore." He eyes Angel and grins. "Spit at the big bad monster." to answer that confused look. He stands by the door and...looks over at Kevin. Sneaky guy! Yes, you. He even gestures towards the door with a flourish of his hand. "Angel, Tori, myself and...the valkyrie..." shit he didn't get a real name. WELL THAT ONE DOES FINE. "The rest are sneaky. Kevin and Aislinn. But let's try sneaky first. Kevin, Aislinn, you're up."
<Skuld> Annnnnd it's asleep. Well. Stealth is not her thing. Stealth is for... people trying to be sneaky and grab things while giant looming beasts are distracted. And chances were, from what the tiny blue cold fae had said, this thing is due to wake up anyway. That's the way her logic worked anyway. Also, even if she is made of light and energy, she is still wearing full armor, which makes noise. Stealth is not her thing. Once the door opened and she was free to move, Skuld shot inside like a bolt of lightning, eager for more room to move about. The hand holding her hammer raised, came around, and slammed against her shield noisily. "Your slumber is OVER, beast! Come! Taste my wrath! I have come to deliver you to the hells!" Rocketing through the air, her feet never touch the ground as she strafes to the side to draw the beasts attention away from the others and onto herself.
<@AnE> THe creature twitched, though it was mostly just snoozing peacefully. With the barrier down, however, foreign sounds and smells began to enter its senses, causing it to stir. One eye opened -- then another. Then more! It really did have eyes all over its upper body, jaundiced yellow with red pupils that seemed to look everywhere. The fae remained behind, quietly channeling some kind of spell, likely waiting for the urn to be grabbed. Where was the urn? Atop a high pile of skeletons across the room and in an alcove. Bang. Bang. Bang. Skuld's hammer-slamming had it shaking its head, which was wide, flat and almost shark like, opening a gaping maw filled with rows upon rows of teeth to let out a fierce roar before charging right for the valkyrie. Its thick tail, complete with spikes, swept the ground as it moved. Those who weren't quick and tried to get around it had a chance to be knocked right down. Also of note, there was a rickety wooden chandelier on the high ceiling.
<+Nickypoo> Nick's jaw drops. "That wasn't..." his voice trails off and he just facepalms. A sigh escapes him and he slinks into the room after Skuld. He doesn't make a mad dash for the urn but instead moves with his usual grace off to one side. Of course there's some haste to it because he doesn't want to get smashed or anything. The gloves are yanked off his hands and stuffed into his manpurse just in case. The hurtling tail is dodged by his diving to the floor and following scramble across it to get to safety.
<+Shatter> Tori cracked her knuckles. Fit, athletic, but not made of glass, or able to fly. Hmm. She dashed in, glass trailing after her and vaulted the tail neatly, landing in a crouch to survey things. With a gesture, she sent the gathered glass slicing through the air and attempting to scratch various eyes, mostly trying to concentrate on one side to create something of a blind spot. She kept moving though, wary of that tail still as she also tried to avoid behind cornered.
<Skuld> Mission accomplished. Well, that part of it anyway. Skuld lets out a fierce warcry to meet the beast headon. The collision would be fierce, if there were to be one. Instead, the valkyrie makes a graceful leap into the air, up and over the beast's head, with an agile little flip and twist thrown in both for theatrics and to turn her around in midair. On her way over, she spots the chandalier hanging from the cieling. When she comes down, it's to make a move to straddle the beast's neck, not to ride it though, but to bring the edge of that shield down into the center of its head. A shout, hopefully heard over the thing's roar, "Bring the lighting fixture down on it!"
<@Kraken> Well wasn't this all Super Dandy! The beast was awake instantly and even more horrifying than it was whilst alseep. Dem eyes. Luckily Kevin didn't void himself right there. He looked around for the urn, mumbling curses when he saw where it was. Sticky hands would be really helpful right now! But then he wouldn't have his camo. Stupid fae taking all their powers and only letting them have one for this equally stupid quest! He kept his head on. Mind focused on the task, The room was glanced around. Urn atop skeletons, giant beast o many eyes, Chandelier? Why was there a chandelier? No matter he had to move for the Urn. Urn was important. Invoso Ken rushed for it, praying that the beast was sufficiently distracted as he made his way to the alcove climbed those bones. Need to get the urn. Think about the pile of death later. Unless it would come to life... Hey still had some salt in his pockets hopefully that would help him out.
* +Angel`Pearson nodnodded, flashing a small nervous grin back Nicks way before squinting into the room before mumbling "..It looks like its got a shitton of eyes...Thats good. They absorb stuff reallywell.." He listened as Nick went about working out the details...only to blink at the valkyrie chicks warcry, looking up as she charged in. Well. So much for sneaky first. While she took up its attention hefiled into the room. Idea! Skittering and scrambling away from that sweeping tail one hand shot into his messenger bag, removing two small throwing knives, spitting his hallucinogen onto them before taking one in his right hand, holding it by the tip of the blade he cocked his arm back, lining up the shot with his opposite hand and flicking the blade forward for one of those great big eyes, plucking the second blade from his hand as it drew back in a practiced movement and repeating to hurl it as well.
<+Aislinn> The beast was..huge. She felt her breath catch just looking at the thing. She was surprised they didn't hear it snoring from outside the chamber. BANG BANG BANG. Skuld flew in and woke said beastie up, not even giving she and Kevin a real chance to get in and attempt a stealthy approach. Shit. Shitshitshit. She ran for a wall, ducking away from teh sweeping tail but not quite quick enough, leg caught by the tip and sending her stumbling. Didn't stop her from moving forward though, because she was more afraid of stopping to be truthful. Towards the skeleton pile she ran. Were those human bones? Fae? Something else? Who knew, and she wasn't quite sure she wanted to. "The nails!!" What good were all those talismans they had in their pockets if they couldn't be used?
<+Nickypoo> Skuld flips around and tries to mount the beast, Tori throws glass at its eyes and Nick hurries his scrawny ass over to the pile of death. A skull is grabbed and hurled at the monster followed by another. He stays on the defensive, ready to duck, roll or just plain ol' run if need be. No attention is paid to the designated team to fetch that urn: he just watches that damn monster! Immortal or not he doesn't want to be drug out of there in pieces.
<@AnE> Oh, it didn't like that. It let out pained shrieks that were nearly deafening as its eyes were scratched and poked with glass, causing it to rear up and slam down onto the ground with its two massive, clawed forepaws. The pile of skeletons rattled and began to collapse, making the job of grabbing the urn that much easier. It was easy to spot -- gleaming gold and warm to the touch. Suddenly, Skuld. On its head. It shrieked and roared some more, flailing around, buckling in pain as the shield jabbed the top of its head, where more eyes were located. With its eyes being scratched, it couldn't do much but flail and throw a tantrum! However, it noticed Kevin and Aislinn, beginning to turn slowly, struggling with the assault, snapping wildly and lashing its tail. Then it was stabbed in the eye with a hallucinogen-coated blade, though its flailing caused the other to embed itself between them in its spindly hide. The chandelier overhead rattled loosely.
<@Kraken> At least he wasn't alone in this suicide mission! Aislinn was there too. The mostly naked camoflaged ginger and Ms. Hypersenses. Shakey ground made for tough climbing and bouncy bones, but it also moved the urn off and so much closer. Camoflauge was still matching his surroundings. The constant threat of EyeBallBeast sending that ability into overdrive. Beastie was attacked. The eyes but there were so many eyes on that thing it was hard to blind them all. It saw them. Salt was rubbed against bones, worked into splintes or any little holes Kevin could find and chucked at the beast. EAT SALT DEMON! Ok distraction team was coming to the rescue. Kevin had to stick to his end. He'd reach to grab that urn, muttering to himself inaudible prayers and pleas to succeed...
<Skuld> Whoa there, Silver! Skuld hangs on to that flailing, rearing beast by sheer willpower alone it seems, clenching her thighs around it, armor plating likely digging into its hide and maybe an eye or two. Hopefully an eye or two. Since no one else seems to have heard the suggestion regarding the chandalier, she hooks her hammer onto her armor once again, using that hand to hold onto the beast as she twists and cranes, a mass of blurred energy and flame sitting atop the many-eyed dog thing, peering up until she has a good eye on the light fixture above. Sliding her armored hand out of the straps on the back of her shield, she grasps it by the edge, frisbie style, waiting until the beast is just under it, ot close enough anyway. Rearing back with one of its bucks, she lets loose, hurling the shield upward. Hopefully her aim is true enough to knock it completely loose and down onto the beast. If so, she will fling herself into the air before it all comes crashing down horribly on top of her.
<+Nickypoo> continues to throw bones from that pile of death at the creature. Yeah, sure, it might not do much good but he's just here to distract. They aren't slaying the mighty beast! And stay ready to haul ass if it decides to charge or something.
<+Shatter> Tori did her best to circle around and continue misdirecting the beast while Skuld did her own thing. She didn't let up with the glass until the chandelier was dropped, and Tori held out her other hand, and if there was any glass in the style of the fanciest chandeliers, it would be used to pull the thing down even harder. If there wasn't, she'd still remain on her toes, glancing back towards Kevin and Ais for the barest of moments while watching out for thrashing tails and other things that would ill suit heavy contact with her face.
<+Aislinn> Well, Aislinn couldn't reach the chandeleir and she had no powers to do so....so after the Urn it was! She and squidboy, who was no longer so squiddy. Bones were rough under her hands, salt gritty as it was tossed about, jagged little crystals sticking to skin. But it would also stick to fur. The pile might have been falling, and the Urn lowering, but they still had to clambor over those bones and it made for tricky footing. She reached for the Urn as well, coming from the opposite side as Kevin, and hopefully between the two of them one, or both, would grab hold and they could all be whisked out of this nightmare.
<@AnE> Oh look Kevin and Aislinn grab the urn! The light fixture, thanks to Skuld's Captain Norway Shield Throw, comes crashing down onto the beast's head. This, of course, pisses it off more, so it continues to flail -- but it stumbles a bit, thanks to Angel's happyjuice injected into its bloodstream. Not too much, since it's WTFHUGE, but it does. Winterfae looks down at his watch, then over across the room. The beast keeps stumbling around, glass hurting the shit out of its eyes. Noticing the urn being grabbed, the fae perks, "Finally. Damn. All right, you're out of here -- make sure you convince her to give you your powers back BEFORE destroying the urn! Appeal to the bitch's quote unquote generosity!" WHHHHHOOOOOOOO HEAVY VIBRATION EFFECT AS THEY'RE SUCKED OUT OF THE ROOM...and tossed back into the courtroom, where Mab still sits, filing her nails and drumming her fingers on the coveted jar, though she smiles a bit, "Mortals! You have returned! Have you brought Us what We sought?"
<Skuld> Skuld has just enough time to retrieve her shield before they're all whisked back into the court room. Mortals, indeed. They're the ones with the urn, and so they're the ones who should make the bargain. She has done her part, for now, and so she simply stands, crackling now and then, watching Mab with a completely disinterested expression on her fiery face.
* +Angel`Pearson Wooo! He actually hopped excitedly...and allllmost cheered as the first blade sunk home. Hallucinogenic ninja, Angel Pearson! Another pair of knives were drawn from inside his messenger bag as he scooted around the edge of the room, and he got ready to throw again before...Whoadisorientation! He stumblestumbled as they were tossed back into the court, eyes blinkblinkingin the sudden light. When he realized he was still holding the knives they were shoved back in his bag.
<+Nickypoo> Woo! Back in the court! Nickypoo takes a minute to straighten himself up and dust some of the grime from his fancy schmancy suit. And run a hand over his hair to unmess it. Okay he still looks flithy thanks to being bone-white and all. Sigh. "Oh yes, of course your Highness. But we ask for only one thing: our toys to be restored first. It is but one simple request." he asks and dips down in a bow, one hand held towards the urn in a flourish. "As we have carried out our end of the deal."
<@AnE> They might be able to see the members of the winter court now looking tense, on-edge, anxious!
<+Aislinn> Whooosh! Out of one nightmare and back to the other. Because Mab's courtroom was plenty frightening in its own right. Moreso, perhaps, because the danger here was hidden from plain sight. At least with the beast you knew exactly what you were facing. She looked down, the Urn grasped by both herself and Kevin. They had to destroy it, but only after their powers were all given back. Tricky that. She gave Kevin a glance, holding out her other hand, wanting to take the Urn. Why? She wanted to see if she could feel any cracks or hairline fissures along its surface. Points of weakness that might help them when it came time to destroy it.
<+Shatter> "It is the only thing we have." She remarked, gesturing to the urn. "Surely, your Highness, you won't begrudge us the rest of our powers before we're forced to hand it over." Tori chimed in, straightening up and dusting off all her denim. "Not like we won't end up at your bloody mercy anyhow, with or without the thing."
<+Aislinn> "Not just those present, Majesty. We held up our end of teh bargain, now kindly hold up yours. Return the powers to all of those of Salem, and the Urn is yours. Business done."
<@Kraken> Wooosh cosmic teleportation! Some distant part of Kevin wondered if this was what a portkey was like. Though not for very long they had more important matter to attend to now. Matters like where his clothing was now. Hopefully them and his bag of waters reappeard with him, otherwise he'd.. well the minimal amount of clothing would be beneficial once he was a squid again back home. Less stifling. But those waters... Worse comes to worse he spends the night in the infirmary for dehydration. Better scenario someone gets him to his tank. Mab was there. With their jar of powers. And they were with her jar of power. What an interesting predicament. "We have the urn,, your highness." He would let Aislinn take hold of it all on her own. "Please, your grace. Our friends at home are ailing." Flattery and titles. Hopefully good. Butter her up...
<@AnE> The urn seemed to be in surprisingly perfect condition, but it WAS made of gold, which wasn't exactly the hardest of metals. Its surface was covered in fae glyphs, engravings which would arguably be exploited as weaknesses. They spoke, asked for their toys back. The Queen stroked her chin, staring down at them, "We see. You have proven your worth and upheld your end of our bargain, as you stated. ... All right, mortals. We are generous." She reached up and removed the lid from the jar -- the little lights began to flicker and flutter. Some vanished completely as they restored power to those in Salem, others floated out towards group members, returning their powers to them. Meanwhile, members of the Winter Court began to rise from where they sat, no longer looking quite so pale and weak. The Queen, however, seemed not to notice, reaching out and making grabby hands, squealing with glee!
<Skuld> The surge that fills her then, when the last bit of her restraint is gone, is just.... heavenly. Her glow brightens, surrounding her in a nimbus of holy flame, and her feet leave the ground once more. That energy swirls around her, snaking around the tips of her winged helmet, through her hair, around the golden scales of her armor, through the plates of her scaled skirt, down her mail-covered legs, and finally spreads out from under her plated feet, whipping across the floor toward those who had come in here with her, those who had been allies, however their personal dealings and feelings regarding her or her host might be. They would feel a surge of strength, renewal, pride, confidence... like they could take on the world if it came to it. Strangely enough, perhaps without her control, the boon extends out toward the Winter Fae as well. Perhaps... if they were just barely strong enough to destroy the urn in the first place, it might give them a bit of an extra edge now.
<+Shatter> "Lass, please be a dear and give the Urn..." Tori remarked, lifting a hand to point to the Queen and then sweeping it towards Skuld. "T' her. So she can hit it with a bloody hammer." All the angst of the decision making past her, she grinned dangerously as she shifted into her glass form, hands, head and hair all becoming translucent. "We've renegotiated, lass, and you're not cut in any more... your highness." She concentrated, forming three basketball sized spheres of glass, assuming that one hit might not break it.
<+Nickypoo> stands up again and just smiles. He crosses his arms over his chest and looks over his shoulder at Aislinn. Oh, this part is all her and he's not interfering. Once the powers have been restored, he starts making his way back the way they'd come. Does the golden door also lead to the exit? Well it was the way they'd come in! As Skuld extends her boon, Nick's stroll turns to a strut. Aww yeaaah.
<@Kraken> Powers were returned. Yay! Though not without certian drawbacks. For Kevin that meant major physiological changes. PAINFUL physiological changes. There was a strangled yell as Kevin fell over. His rightful form and powers or not, It Hurt to sudenly grow four extra limbs. His bones to mostly dissolve. Lungs to shrivel to a smaller size as his gills grew back. Head's morphology altered. Larger eyes, his teeth and tongue all transformed. All very painful, and he was thrashing around a bit before flopping like a fish. Water water... god his bsage HAD arrived with him. Tentacles. YES! He had his tentacles back! Those tentacle writhed and wiggled, reached for that bag full of waters. Kevin practically tore the bottle out and hurrired gulped the entirething down. So much disorienting... And soon it was over. Kevin was calm, invigorated even. Skuld's boost hit him with perfect timing. He didn't reach for a second water, stood up fine.
<+Aislinn> She waited, hands around the Urn, watching as all those glowing lights as they floated out from the jar in Mab's hands. Her gaze flickered towards the Winter Fae briefly, then away just as quickly. She'd wait, looking towards the others, seeking some sign that their gifts had been returned fully. It was hard to watch Kevin's painful transformation, but she waited, wanting to make sure he was whole and hale before doing anything. Then, and only then, would she move as if to step forward to offer the Urn, putting herself closer to Sygny/Skuld. Tori she could have cheerfully shot though, for opening her big mouth and giving away the plan. Afterall, Aislinn had the Urn and she'd be the first incinerated at this rate. SHit! She turned swiftly towards Sygny, dropping to her knee, and set the urn on the floor for the woman to smash with that mighty hammer of hers. Hopefully the Winter Fae would keep their deal and help with its destruction..then get them all the hell back home.
<L'angley> Catatonia. It was the best possible word to describe the Canadian upon the fullness of his powers' return. The Canadian youth was towards the back of the grouping. The pale color of his eyes had faded into their once typical nonfocus. With that complete loss of focus, he was staring at the palms of his hands. He could feel it, the return of all his abilities. So many minds. He felt them, sensed them all around him, and he was taken aback by the sudden rush of returned memories and thoughts that were not his own as those mental floodgates were peeled back once again. "So much.. chaos.." The words were barely whispered, and he stumbled back a step or two before catching himself. Pale eyes darted here and there as he sought to match up visual sensory information with the 'picture' of each mind he sensed for hundreds of yards around them. At first the darting of his eyes was frantic, almost panicked at the sudden immensity of the change, but that boon from Skuld.. the provided strength was enough to slowly calm his maddened eyes as he eased himself back into the flow of so much information.
<@AnE> Suddenly, their friend from before appeared, "Tsk. Sorry, Queenie. Can't let you go all power-crazy today, darling!" He was opening up a portal in the back of the room, we'll say conveniently near Nick, because the door? The door was gone. Meanwhile, members of the Winter Court rose up, already charging magic. Members of the Summer Court may have been falling into a panic. What was this? "What is this? You dare defy Us? You dare cross Us?! You dare break a deal!?" Mab was nearly shrieking, reaching up and quite literally tearing her hair out. Her adisor, still with singed brows and standing in his undies, sighed, "Technically, Your Gloriousness, you only requested that they deliver the urn to this room. You never told them what to do afterw-" OH OOPS ADVISOR'S SET ON FIRE AGAIN. More screaming and running around in circles ensues. "Destroy it!" The Winter Fae cried out, and the Summer Queen boomed, "DESTROY THEM!" Members of her Court leapt to action, but the portal was up. "Get out of here, we'll hold them off!" That lone fae waved wildly, while the winter faeries began to blast the urn with MAGIC.
* +Angel`Pearson his eyes closed as his trippy little floating power light drifted his way, a small smile forming as he felt that connection with his mutation returning. Ooooh how you were missed. The reunion moment didn't last too long though, the snd thing he was still wearing on his wrist flicked to active lest he get the whole court high. His eyes snapped open at the sound of Kevins powers returning...Aww! and then the chaos of the angry summer court leaping to action. It still fellt off, going back on their word like that...but all bets were off when it came to dealing with insane, powerful magical beings. The charge from the valkyrie lady was noticed right about the time the portal was, and he darted for it with the rest of the group as the winter fae blasted the urn. MAGIC!
<+Nickypoo> A thumbs-up is given to the winter fae and he comes to a stop beside the door. He turns to watch the urn be destroyed. His gloves are pulled back on again and he just smiles still. The scrawny bastard won't leave anyone behind so he just stands and waits for others to join him. He motions for Angel to go through the door and keeps waving his arm for the others to go too! Once the urn has been destroyed of course.
<@Kraken> He was ok a little in pain and a little hard to breathe, but ok... thanks to Skuld. if not for the big glowy they might have been carrying the fish home. Color looked good, he was breathing... semi alright there. The SUMMER court and all was somewhat harsh on his squiddly body. Thankfully all his parts grew back in the right place. He wasn't sure where the boost had come from but he was thankful for it. And ok NOW Mab could rightfully say they abused their gifts at her. She just had her order all mixed up. That's all. Advisor on fire. Eep. Time to go! Kevin would act on his security guard insticts though. Make sure everyone was alright before going through the portal himself. and yes if somewhere in that chaos someone needed an inking? Kev's your man!
<Skuld> CHAOS REIGNS. No foxes in here though. Back to the action. Skuld's smile sears across her face, the expression maddening in and of itself, reminisce of a Fury as well as the valkyrie. "Our deal was met, Summer Queen. Thank you for your generosity." And then she does bring that hammer down, straight onto the top of the urn. Only once though. Even her sense of self-preservation is telling her to get the fuck out of Dodge. Backing toward the portal, she brought her shield up, using it as a wall between herself and any summer fae that might try to block or interfere, or attack herself or any others trying to escape. Only after the last of them had gone through would she depart as well.
<L'angley> Dodge! Dive! Duck! Dodge! The four Ds of Dodgeball fluttered through L'angely's mind courtesy of a memory supplied by some random previous meal. They were all there again, and this one seemed particularly suiting to the situation as Fairytown began to burst into mayhem, what with the magic missile Winter Fae loosing their hoodoo on the Urn. So many minds! Angry, angry, bat shit crazyminds! It was all he could do to follow the most sane minds he sensed towards the portal to safety, dodging and ducking any mojo flying his way. Angel's mind.. he knew it, remembered the 'look' of it from before, and so he latched his focus onto that beacon of familiarity to guide him to the portal and out.. hopefully to a place filled with less insane mental distractions. A plethora of humanminds he could handle.. but so many Fae in one place was a bit much to take.
<+Aislinn> To the portal she ran, pulling along any of those needing help. The lights, the noise, all the touching, the smell of burning..it was quickly becoming overwhelming for the hypersensitive. But she'd get through that portal first before she lost control or shut down, and be grateful that Griffin would know what to do for her once they were safely returned.
<+Shatter> She threw two of the spheres at the Urn because... well what else was she going to do with them? She made them, right? She kept the third one and lifted off, hovering for a moment as she got used to flying again and then she zipped through the portal, giving a salute to the courts on the way out with a grin.
<@AnE> The urn shatters, leaving behind only fragments as it's both hammered and blasted, practically obliterating even the ashes within. Mab was in tears, flailing, kicking and screaming on her throne while the faeries had at one another! Those that stepped through the portal would find themselves once more thrust back into Salem after that familiar jello-feeling.
<@AnE> (The end.)
Thank GOD this log is done!
MEANWHILE, BACK IN KANSAS
<Shatter> Tori burst into the air over the Quad, flying upwards for a bit then somersaulting over to touch down on the ground, turning back into flesh and blood as she let out a relieved sigh. Then she glanced around at the clean-up crews taking care of the gunk she was standing on. "Leave for one bloody day..."
<@Kraken> Good to be home! Of course Kevin would swiftly excuse himself. He needed his tank! But first a cleanup of Faerieworld gunk... who knows what was on those bones and those other horror mossy rooms. Cleanup and then a long night's sleep in his tank.
<Skuld> Skuld bursts through the portal back into the courtyard, shield and hammer raised victoriously. "A worthy challenge! Now! Where is the next battle, my brethren! There must be mo-" Her time, it seems, is over, for the time being. The way the valkyrie vanishes is almost a complete reverse playback of how she'd come forth earlier, light and energy folding in on itself, flesh that had burned and charred away regenerating and covering the glow and fire, folding over and over until the very last seam of light remained, sealing, like a zipper, from crotch to head, until all that remains is Sygny's body, hovering briefly, clad in only charred tatters of what remains of the lovely dress she'd been wearing earlier. Her body drops to the ground, hard enough that the sound of air being knocked from her lungs is pretty obvious. Her eyes fly open, mouth gaping as she gasps for air with lungs stunned and refusing to fill for a moment. She's only barely conscious, the fight to breath an instinctual one now that the genie is back in the bottle, so to speak.
<Nickypoo> strolls away from the portal and looks down at his suit with a look of disgust. Ugh. He'll have to get it dry cleaned! He sighs and glances around. "So how many people need some help getting to medical? Kevin?" His phone is already out and the number dialed. He looks down at Sygny and tilts his head. "You? Can you breathe?" Hoo boy he doesn't want to do mouth-to-mouth than anyone wants him to provide it. Oh hell no. At least Tori's in good shape! And Griffin and Aislinn. Could be worse than just two.
* Angel`Pearson hopped and bounced happily as they returned. The whole working the loophole still felt kinduv off to him, but they'd done it! They were back, the powers were restored and everyone was returning safely. That was a-okay in his book. Plus he'd totall went ninja on that eye beast. He grinned wide at valkyrie lady as she went on, but when she dropped and the change reversedthe look of concern that had followed the return of Kevins powers popped up again, scooting over closer "..Are you okay..?"
<L'angley> Messy messy messy. The Fae were filthy things, filthy gross, and no longer lording over them things.. But L'angely scarcely seemed to notice the state of his attire.. or much anything else as he walked back through the portal still staring at his hands. The gelatinous membrane quality of the portal had barely registered on his list of things to make note of. The psionic was too busy sorting out his head which was now filled with returned foreign thoughts and the vague signature mental signals of the minds around him and beyond. Fingers were flexed as if he were just barely registering that he still had control of his -body- as well as his mental faculties. Finally he looked around, taking into account the physical states of those present. His brow furrowed as he noted Sygny hyperventilating.. or something similar on the ground. He moved to her, crouching near her, but he didn't touch. He couldn't again! Without consequence anyway. "Are you alright?"
<Skuld> The spasming muscles in her chest relax slowly, enough to allow a wheeze of air to enter, then another, and the flailing woman, looking much like her old self again (though she had only had a smidge of a change to begin with), stops having a semi-conscious panic attack. Blinking, she seemed completely unaware of her surroundings, only moving her eyes to look at all the concerned faces staring down at her. "Oh God... I didn't... she didn't..." Sygny looks quite alarmed. "Sorry if she..." And then her eyes roll back, fluttering closed. Out. Well, at least medical is more or less back to fully staffed! She appears physically fine, but the ordeal of transforming back and forth into an actual valkyrie has got to be draining.
<Nickypoo> A couple guys with stretchers going HUP-HUP-HUP-HUP show up to carry Kevin back to his usual room while Bonobo rushes off to check the score board. Did anyone win the Kevin Bingo this month? Probably Machina, that cheating bastard. Sygny, too, at least for an overnight stay. Unless the poor guys get inked. Nobody likes to get inked.
<L'angley> It was ever so tempting to reach out and lift her from her fallen and passed out position there on the ground.. Not only could he claim to be helping, but he could also get a taste of mental energies upon which he thrived again, truly -feel- the return of that particular power and state of being. He resisted the urge, though.. unsure if he could live with himself, or the wrath of the valkyrie, if he made his desires realized. He moved out of the way of the stretchers before they arrived on the scene, slipping gracefully to the side without so much as looking in their direction. It was so nice to not be -surprised- by arrivals again.
<Skuld> Welp, her first stay in medical here... had it been worth it? WE SHALL SEE. Anyway, it'll be a good 24 hours before she's really ready to go anywhere.
<Shatter> Tori burst into the air over the Quad, flying upwards for a bit then somersaulting over to touch down on the ground, turning back into flesh and blood as she let out a relieved sigh. Then she glanced around at the clean-up crews taking care of the gunk she was standing on. "Leave for one bloody day..."
<@Kraken> Good to be home! Of course Kevin would swiftly excuse himself. He needed his tank! But first a cleanup of Faerieworld gunk... who knows what was on those bones and those other horror mossy rooms. Cleanup and then a long night's sleep in his tank.
<Skuld> Skuld bursts through the portal back into the courtyard, shield and hammer raised victoriously. "A worthy challenge! Now! Where is the next battle, my brethren! There must be mo-" Her time, it seems, is over, for the time being. The way the valkyrie vanishes is almost a complete reverse playback of how she'd come forth earlier, light and energy folding in on itself, flesh that had burned and charred away regenerating and covering the glow and fire, folding over and over until the very last seam of light remained, sealing, like a zipper, from crotch to head, until all that remains is Sygny's body, hovering briefly, clad in only charred tatters of what remains of the lovely dress she'd been wearing earlier. Her body drops to the ground, hard enough that the sound of air being knocked from her lungs is pretty obvious. Her eyes fly open, mouth gaping as she gasps for air with lungs stunned and refusing to fill for a moment. She's only barely conscious, the fight to breath an instinctual one now that the genie is back in the bottle, so to speak.
<Nickypoo> strolls away from the portal and looks down at his suit with a look of disgust. Ugh. He'll have to get it dry cleaned! He sighs and glances around. "So how many people need some help getting to medical? Kevin?" His phone is already out and the number dialed. He looks down at Sygny and tilts his head. "You? Can you breathe?" Hoo boy he doesn't want to do mouth-to-mouth than anyone wants him to provide it. Oh hell no. At least Tori's in good shape! And Griffin and Aislinn. Could be worse than just two.
* Angel`Pearson hopped and bounced happily as they returned. The whole working the loophole still felt kinduv off to him, but they'd done it! They were back, the powers were restored and everyone was returning safely. That was a-okay in his book. Plus he'd totall went ninja on that eye beast. He grinned wide at valkyrie lady as she went on, but when she dropped and the change reversedthe look of concern that had followed the return of Kevins powers popped up again, scooting over closer "..Are you okay..?"
<L'angley> Messy messy messy. The Fae were filthy things, filthy gross, and no longer lording over them things.. But L'angely scarcely seemed to notice the state of his attire.. or much anything else as he walked back through the portal still staring at his hands. The gelatinous membrane quality of the portal had barely registered on his list of things to make note of. The psionic was too busy sorting out his head which was now filled with returned foreign thoughts and the vague signature mental signals of the minds around him and beyond. Fingers were flexed as if he were just barely registering that he still had control of his -body- as well as his mental faculties. Finally he looked around, taking into account the physical states of those present. His brow furrowed as he noted Sygny hyperventilating.. or something similar on the ground. He moved to her, crouching near her, but he didn't touch. He couldn't again! Without consequence anyway. "Are you alright?"
<Skuld> The spasming muscles in her chest relax slowly, enough to allow a wheeze of air to enter, then another, and the flailing woman, looking much like her old self again (though she had only had a smidge of a change to begin with), stops having a semi-conscious panic attack. Blinking, she seemed completely unaware of her surroundings, only moving her eyes to look at all the concerned faces staring down at her. "Oh God... I didn't... she didn't..." Sygny looks quite alarmed. "Sorry if she..." And then her eyes roll back, fluttering closed. Out. Well, at least medical is more or less back to fully staffed! She appears physically fine, but the ordeal of transforming back and forth into an actual valkyrie has got to be draining.
<Nickypoo> A couple guys with stretchers going HUP-HUP-HUP-HUP show up to carry Kevin back to his usual room while Bonobo rushes off to check the score board. Did anyone win the Kevin Bingo this month? Probably Machina, that cheating bastard. Sygny, too, at least for an overnight stay. Unless the poor guys get inked. Nobody likes to get inked.
<L'angley> It was ever so tempting to reach out and lift her from her fallen and passed out position there on the ground.. Not only could he claim to be helping, but he could also get a taste of mental energies upon which he thrived again, truly -feel- the return of that particular power and state of being. He resisted the urge, though.. unsure if he could live with himself, or the wrath of the valkyrie, if he made his desires realized. He moved out of the way of the stretchers before they arrived on the scene, slipping gracefully to the side without so much as looking in their direction. It was so nice to not be -surprised- by arrivals again.
<Skuld> Welp, her first stay in medical here... had it been worth it? WE SHALL SEE. Anyway, it'll be a good 24 hours before she's really ready to go anywhere.