ic Down in the Underground (Open)

[Amelia]

Hex

 

Quote

"No. No you aren't leaving. Do you know how state-of-the-art, cutting-- no! Bleeding edge these are. What happens if you run off and they still don't work, huh? Your staying here in case I need to reverse something and need a sample of your whatever to do it properly. Besides, why don't you...just stop using magic right now?"

 

"You have my consent to perform whatever examination you wish, but I would not recommend it. First, because it is well-trod ground already. I was subjected to thorough physical examinations as a child, when I first manifested the ability to channel raw chaos magic, but no biological cause was ever found. As far as medical science is concerned, I could not be more normal. My teacher charted the time and place of my birth and concluded that, as she put it, 'the stars were right'."

 

"Second, because it could be dangerous. Technology accomplishes tasks by using the existing laws of physics. Magic, at least the type of magic I channel as reflexively as I blink and breathe, accomplishes tasks by changing the laws of physics. Those two approaches are fundamentally incompatible, and when they clash, the results are always unpredictable. Imagine a great machine, like a massive engine on a factory floor. Imagine sticking your hand inside, shoving it into the moving parts. Perhaps the engine breaks, but you suffer only minor cuts and bruises. Perhaps the engine grinds your hand into pulp, but continues to operate unhindered. Perhaps the engine hums along fine and you emerge unscathed...or the machine breaks, and your hand is reduced to spaghetti."

 

"That is the gamble. I was taught ways to minimize it, investing my power into physical objects and locking it down with runes, guiding it with spells designed to focus it as specifically as possible. But I can only manage that risk. I cannot eliminate it. When I used my magic, your devices malfunctioned. For that, I apologize. But the fact that they only malfunctioned, instead of exploding, is the result of over a decade of effort on the part of my teacher. So I will stay if you wish, and submit to whatever testing you see fit to conduct. But please consider that it may be best if I just leave."

 

Edited July 17, 2019 by Grumblefloof

[Thevshi]

Veronica

 

Veronica gave a small smile as Masque commented about how many magic practitioners had appeared at this gathering. "There are quite a few, and this is just those more or less on the side of good. I don't expect we will see any Thule sorcerers here tonight." The teenage Danger responded, referencing the pairs’ encounters with some members of the mysterious cult.

 

Then there was the loud arrival of the Deep One, Aquaria. But Veronica was temporarily distracted from Aquaria's arrival and Nicole going over to talk with her when Phantom came over to greet Veronica, Arcana and Masque. "Hello Madam Master Mage." Veronica replied with a wide smile. "Uncle Ace is pretty much the same as always, though he is at least in theory in local parentis for my cousin Janus and myself while were are at Claremont."

[Avenger Assembled]

Aquaria looked disgustedly at the rock-eating dragon but reminded herself that people tended to get angry at her when she talked to them about religion, not that she could blame Surfacers for avoiding a topic that had to be uncomfortable for them.

 

"They abide," she croaked. "This world is mostly sea," she added for Dio. "You should learn to like it." She knew well enough the stories of how the god of the rocks would challenge the sea when the stars were right and be drowned for its pains, and felt no need to dwell on it here.

 

With a slice of her talons to carve it free, she tossed a chunk of bellyfish to Mutt and hissed politely at Nicole, "Oh the meat is cooked for you! And everyone else! I do not cook my fish." Turning her upper torso she discreetly spat out a bone and went on, "Cooking meat is only for bad times." She studied Hex, sniffing loudly with nostrils wide as a seal's - and evidently just as flexible. "I am sure your plants are good but I only eat them to clean my stomach." She knew Surfacers didn't like talking about bodily functions very much. 

[angrydurf]

"Well getting back to my time has been less successful."  Huang sighed, "Plus mo-, er, the Master Mage forbid Temporal magics timeline integrity and what not."  he looked back with a frown at the scene around the deep one and other newcomers.  Lowering the bowl he set it on a handy table with a  shrug, "I mean technically they're more for you and yours than the living if you think about it."  he pointed out with a laugh.  The young Dhampir pointed out Arcana, "Ah not exactly." his tone was hesitant but this was Burt after all, "Keep it under your hat but,"  he lowered his voice to a bare whisper and with an arcane gesture concealed his next words, "Her father was moms predecessor so it's complicated."  he let the spell lapse before it attracted further attention. 

 

He kept looking to Nicole and those she was currently berating over whatever chip had landed on her shoulder for the moment.  "Classmate at school."  the sorcerous dhampir explained to Dead Head with a beleaguered sigh, "I'd like to say she's not putting her best foot forward but evidence points to this being her best foot." Huang started to drift that direction through the room to defuse or more likely inflame the situation attempting to defuse it.  "Technomagus."  he sighed under his breath muttering in a tone usually reserved for people over forty discussing 'influencers'

[Tiffany Korta]

 

Doctor Rosa Thorne

Rosa had studied magic in its various forms for a decade or more, but Bedlam wasn’t exactly the kind of place you saw the best of magical practitioners. But here she could see about half a dozen differing magical styles existing side by side, more or less, peacefully. 

 

Hovering around the tables of food, running from gangsters didn’t exactly give you time for breakfast, she watched the various mages bicker. It would be a little gauche to actually make notes, so for now she kept things to herself.

[Zeitgeist Blue]

Nicole

 

Oh this was just getting better and better. Nicole's smile grew wider by the sentence as the man apologized and practically allowed her to go do whatever tests she would need in order to get her devices running. Sure, he went on about some great machine exploding but it mostly went through one ear and out the other.

 

If she was so scared of explosions, she wouldn't have experimented in new and exciting ways and if she hadn't experimented then she wouldn't have been as great as she was now.

 

"Great!" She clapped her hands together. "You can stay and I'll try to find something to begin the tests. You owe me that much and I owe your teacher and her decade of experiments for my glasses not exploding on my face."

 

"Now if only I could find something that isn't arbitrarily considered a sufficientlt technological advanced instrument, like magic things for example. Know where I could find those?" She gave a show of searching around her for something then stopped as Huang approached.

 

"Huang," she greeted. Then she gestured at Hex, explaining with a gleeful measure. "He's consented to a round of testing so I could fix my glasses and figure out just what specifically caused it to malfunction in the first place. Not now obviously but when we have the time. I'm sure you'd have some idea to go about it. My usual instruments aren't available and..."

 

Her smile fell by a fraction and she hid her expression behind a coughing fit and a fist. "And you're better at traditional rituals."

 

She said it quickly before her cough miraculously vanished. Then she moved to a nearby table and took a plate and utensils, holding it up to Aquaria.

 

"Oh, how thoughtful. I hope this isn't a bad time for you, is it?"

Edited July 18, 2019 by Zeitgeist Blue

[Dr Archeville]

Dead Head laughed and nodded at Huang's remark about the Elysian olives, then nodded solemnly when he revealed the bit about Arcana.  "Gotcha.  I won't tell a livin' soul... or any unlivin' ones, neither."

 

He followed Hang's gaze to the growing commotion.  He'd encountered Aquaria before, but the others he had not met.  But he did know a bit about them, thanks to all the gossip he got from the ghosts and other spirits in the city.

 

"How d'ya do, fellow kids?"  (He still often thought of himself as college-aged, though that was almost 20 years ago, and he did know some memes.)  "Whatch'all up to?  Combinin' magics?"

[Avenger Assembled]

"I am as well as I have been," croaked Sea Devil. Her gold-black eyes flicked up and down as she looked over Salvo, then she said (with the air of someone making a great confidence) "Would you like to see my armor? I hid it behind a bush over there, but I got it in SPACE. I don't know who the owner was, but I am sure he is dead now. The Star Knights said it could be mine." 

[Zeitgeist Blue]

Nicole

 

"Space, reallllly?" Nicole raised an eyebrow as she ate the fish, cooked okay but bland. She set it aside after two bites. "I'd like to know how a Deep One managed to take something from space and if that makes it anything special. I know a whole bunch about armorsmithing, more than anyone here, so sure. Show me what you've got." 

 

Her finger drew circles lazily in the air and she leaned forward, indulging Aquaria's confidence with a serene smile. "I'd even watch you do a practical demonstration. Maybe you'd get to impress."

Edited July 20, 2019 by Zeitgeist Blue

[angrydurf]

And Huang had been all se to be full of righteous indignation at Nicoles behavior but then she went and admitted his superior skill at traditional magic.  He faltered for a moment as such admissions were out of character in the general sense.  "Ah, yes of course."  He replied and turned to look Hex over with his proverbial third eye open.  With a whispered incantation he examined the flows of magic coming off the tall man and slowly nodded, "I see."  

 

He blinked a couple times to clear his sight from the after images of writhing chaos and nodded to Nicole, "As he explained his power is drawn from the realms of discord, by channeling it with care he can funnel it into breaking the laws of our reality."  the dhampir looked back to Hex with some respect as such sorcery was no easy task to master its very nature fought control after all.  

 

"It is not his spellwork that brought low your contraptions."  Huang assured Nicole, "He's a nexus for the energies, a weak spot in the barriers."  he further explained, "It's really quite unusual, a very rare condition and even rarer for one to master the natural flux of..."  He was getting side tracked, and talking about one of the guests like a thing not person.  "Ahhh, anyway."  he interrupted himself, "You need a ward against discordia."  He drew a rune in the air leaving a streamer of glowing red behind his finger, "You should be able to integrate that into the other protections of the glasses and they'll withstand the natural flux at least."  it would take a real ritual to banish the discordant energies entirely and might harm the person in question.

[April]

Arcana nodded a greeting to Dead Head, her face concealed behind the magic of her regalia, and turned to give Phantom a respectful half-bow.

 

"Introductions," she said, and then gestured first at Masque and then Veronica.  "These are my friends, Masque and ... well I see you already know Miss Danger."  It couldn't be seen behind the illusion concealing her face, but the young sorceress' tone implied a wry grin.  She indicated Phantom with a flourish, "And this is Phantom, the current Master Mage of Earth Prime."

 

She spied Aquaria out of the corner of her eye and Doctor Thorne lurking among the tables and made a small inviting gesture in their direction.

[alderwitch]

"Well, there's a truly terrifying thought. I'm not sure Ace should be allowed to take care of a cactus, let alone teenagers," Phantom said, the words wry but the clear affection in her smile took the sting out of her words. There were a hint of dimples under her cowl, not unlike Huang's. "If you have any trouble and your Uncle has fallen through another portal, you're welcome to come talk to me. I swear, the only person more prone to accidental dimensional travel is Jack of All Blades and honestly, until I met him I didn't think it was possible to challenge the Danger record. Ah, well. Enjoy the party. Let me know if there's anything you need."

 

She offered the teenagers a smile and gently squeezed Abby's shoulder with true affection although her cloak hid the gesture from much of the room. There was certainly the same sort of maternal fussing over the young mage that she'd shown her son so there were bound to be some noticing it. Her head snapped around suddenly, eyes narrowing at the spellwork of her son across the way and Taylor's gaze narrowed for a moment on the knot of people. Some magic was bound to happen at a party but Phantom was specially attuned to her son's magic and there were still, sadly, many who might threaten a dhampir. When it was clear that there was no trouble currently, the master mage relaxed and nudged the girls towards the refreshments. "The servers will steer you towards things more palatable. I should warn you that there's significant diversity in the attendees and so not everything there might be to your liking."

 

Phantom nodded slightly towards the Deep One and the dragon as well before she stepped forward, cloak billowing behind her to lead the way. "It's so nice to meet your friends, Arcana. You're welcome to invite them to the manor sometime. How are your studies going?"

[Tiffany Korta]

 

Doctor Thorne

It was ironic that the one person she knew here was the one that the most reason to distrust her. It wasn’t really going to happen, she was many things but at heart she was a decent person, but there was a chance to betray the teen. Still hopefully no one bore and grudge, and she’d hopefully managed to teach Abegail something.

 

Waving back she made her way toward the gathering of magical types, though she still stayed at the back allowing the other s there moment in the spotlight. Being here would be enough,at least until it was time to get home.

[Dr Archeville]

She got her armor from space?  Well, that's an interestin' tidbit. 

 

Dead Head watched as Huang worked his magic near Nicole and Hex, a bit amazed and proud at how far the little nipper he'd babysat had come.  When he noticed Arcana, his rictus grin widened a bit and he extended a hand, "pleased t'meetcha!"  He turned to Masque and Veronica, extending his other hand to them, "and y'all, too!  Folks call me Dead Head!"

 

Lemme see, who else: gotta say 'hey' to that lady there, he nodded toward Dr. Thorn, got a feelin' I'll be workin' with her in th' near future.  An' I've got to meet that dragon!

[Avenger Assembled]

Aquaria's armor turned out to be a fascinating-looking thing. It had massive limbs and glowing blue 'fingers' and  a faint opalescent sheen overlain over the black of the armor itself. Said sheen seemed to glow with all the colors of the rainbow - depending on your perspective when you looked at it. "It used to belong to a Star Knight but they are dead," croaked Aquaria sadly. "The Spectrum Knights gave it to me. They are space terrorists," she said, pronouncing the last two words with the clear sign of someone who had carefully memorized the dialect of a foreign tongue. "They thought I would use it to be bad, but I use it to do good," she said proudly. She tapped on the side of the armor, sliding it open and releasing a small flood of salt water that smelled strongly of fish. "When I use the armor, no one knows it is me!" 

[Zeitgeist Blue]

Nicole

 

"Thanks," Nicole said as Huang returned her glasses. She activated it and true enough it sparked back into life. Magic senses back on and streaming data into her software, vision was awash with so much information but still she focused on Huang over all that. She scoffed.

 

"Don't look so pleased with yourself. I said traditional rituals, which is really really specific."

 

She smirked, taking the sting off her remarks, before returning her attention to the person responsible for almost breaking her software.

 

"Right," and she shooed him away as if he were a fly. "Guess I won't need you anymore. Glasses fixed and without your help. You can leave now, whoever you are."

 

***

 

A few moments later, and Nicole and Aquaria were alone as the Deep One smshowed off the armor like a normal person would a Ferrari.

 

"I'm gonna pretend I understood everything you just said perfectly," Nicole said after Aquaria had finished explaining. She moved around the armor, glasses on, then stopped right beside Aquaria. "Star Knights? Spectrum Knights? Not ringing any bells here, but sure, space terrorists bad."

 

When Aquaria released the seawater, Nicole reversed her chair, making a disgusted noise before pinching her nose hard between her fingers all the while. "What do you need no one to know it was you for?" She asked bluntly. "I know superheroes keep their identities secret but it's you're, well," and she gestured at Aquaria, waving her hand from webbed toes to hairless head. "I mean look at yourself. You're a Deep One. Not much call for secrecy when you aren't a normal human in a human city."

Edited July 25, 2019 by Zeitgeist Blue

[Avenger Assembled]

"If people knew Sea Devil was a Deep One, they would not think she is their friend." Aquaria laid a three-fingered hand against the armor, the thick pads at the tips of her fingers spreading out from the pressure. "Do you know of R'K'Vll, child? Of what happened when the armies of the Mad One came to this city?" She took her hand away, revealing a visible triune handprint that faded after a short time. If a humanoid frog-fish could sound tired and sad, she did now. "Of what would have happened if they had won?" She looked down at Nicole and thought about that. "But, brek-ek-ek, coax, coax, the Star Knights are the superheroes of the stars. And the Spectrum Knights use their armor to kill them. But the Star Knights we met were nice." 

"

"

[Amelia]

Quote

"You need a ward against discordia."

 

"I can tell you from personal experience that warding against Discordia is always a wise choice."

 

Quote

"Right," and she shooed him away as if he were a fly. "Guess I won't need you anymore. Glasses fixed and without your help. You can leave now, whoever you are."

 

Hex didn't realize how tense he'd been until the girl said those words and he felt himself relax. He felt light on his feet even before the wings of magical force sprouted from his back and lifted him into the air. "By your leave, then. Good fortune to you and yours." He nodded to Huang, slipped his goggles on, and soared off into the night sky.

 

[Dr Archeville]

"Dang," Dead Head muttered as he watched Hex take off, "wanted to say 'hey' t'him, too.  Ah, livin' folks," he huffed, "always off in a hurry."

 

He made his way over to Dr. Thorn, stopping midway to have a brief chat with one of the server spirits.  "Marcus, hey!  Long time, no see!....  Yeah... oh, no, no, was off workin' a case... oh yeah, a looong trip... ya did?  Oh, that's great!  Keep it up and you'll- oh, right, right, I'll letcha go... we'll catch up later!"

 

Eventually the mismatched tuxedo-wearing revenant reached Thorn, and extended a hand to her.  "Heya!  Folks call me Dead Head.  How's you?"

 

[Zeitgeist Blue]

Nicole

 

The girl's spine stiffened as Aquaria mentioned the name, asked her the question. Her thoughts strayed from the connection to connection until she found her temple sweating a little, though it was relatively cool tonight. She wiped the sweat from her brow.

 

"I know what the incident reports said," Nicole said, her voice flat, as if reciting in class. "Deep Ones spilled out of ArcheTech facilities around the globe. They killed and pillaged chanting with that name on their lips. Did that right after swathes of people started attacking for seemingly no reason. Emergency services were overwhelmed and it took days to beat them back and list the dead and missing."

 

Her fingers drummed on the wheelchair's arm as Aquaria croaked. "I'm familiar with Lemurian mythology and society, from what little records and half-truth remains, and your people are descendants of the Serpent People. I don't really care what ancient wars were waged from before history but I do care if those grudges come out of the sea today and tear people apart. I like you, Aquaria, so don't tell me you were part of that invasion."

 

"Or do, but I'd tell you you're better off joining and dying with the Spectrum Knights. Take your armor back."

Edited July 26, 2019 by Zeitgeist Blue

[Avenger Assembled]

Aquaria made a rattling noise in the back of her massive throat, which bulged noticeably with an inhalation and exhalation of air. Aquaria only somewhat resembled the Deep One invaders Nicole had learned about in class - more frog than fish, if they were more fish than frog. "No, I came to Freedom City too late for that. If you suffered from the invasion, I am sorry. They came because there was no other way.." She tapped the side of the armor, watching as it swung shut again. "When Destruction came to the surface last year, it was our gods that answered." She tapped the sign on which they stood with her trident, trying to take pleasure rather than sadness from the moment. I wonder if one of us broke her. Well there was the sadness after all! 

[angrydurf]

Rolling his eyes at Nicoles retreat back into her familiarly terrible personality e shook his head turning to Hex, "You don't have to go you ca-"  he shrugged as the man made his egress, "Yea she has that effect on men, people..."  The dhampir was about to head out into the crowd once more himself when Aquaria explained the origins of her armor lingering to hear more.  Deep One in space terrorist armor, and that was the more socially acceptable option he couldn't say she was wrong though Deep Ones hadn't the best reputation in Freedom what with the invasions and puppetry by powers great and small.

 

"Oh lay off Nicole."  he rounded at her little speech, "There isn't a god or pantheon who's followers haven't bathed the land and seas in blood in some holy crusade or another if not just for fun."  he pointed out archly drawing up to face her more directly, "It's why none of them are allowed in any more, hers are no more vile and ineffable than the rest."  Huang sighed and shook his head at Nicole, "These prejudices are just not a good look."

[alderwitch]

"Excuse me, would you," Phantom murmured to the teenagers, her voice low. She floated through the crowd, turning intangible and those who did not clear out of the Master Mage's path might find her cloak fluttering unsettling through their limbs as she stalked across the ever more crowded floor. Rather than take the stairs, Phantom floated up towards where the band  played. She didn't wave her hand to get their attention. Really, when the Master Mage of Prime floated ephemerally in front of you, it was good to give her your full attention. The cape billowed around Phantom's frame with the odd eldritch flashes of light flickering inside its midnight folds. 

 

"If I could all have your attention," Phantom said. She didn't raise her voice but certainly there was some sort of magic that ensured that its sepulchral tones made to every nook and cranny of the Elder Sign. She paused for a moment before adding, "Please."

[Ari]

If a dragon's face could look anything other than hungry and vaguely condescending to human eyes, Dio's drooping crest and huddled wings would have indicated enormous discomfort at Huang's reprimand to Nicole. 

 

"Well, not always got a choice, you know? A lot of times it's 'follow or die', 'least when it seems like survival's on the line. But, but we're all on the same side now, focusing on the past just benefits people who want us divided. That's how my mom united us deep dragons on Earth-2 to get the core burning again, got everyone seeing the common ground, and our faith in the Earth-Binder was a big part of it. Um..."

 

Dio glanced down between the smaller guests, patently unsure how to continue. Luckily for him, their host chose that moment to make an address. 

 

Shuffling carefully on his long, powerful legs, tail swishing serpentine in the air to keep his balance, the young dragon turned fully to face her. From someone who could swing their head around like an owl, the gesture was that much more significant. 

 

[Zeitgeist Blue]

Nicole

 

She jumped a bit as Huang spoke up from behind her and, rubbing at her heart, she glared daggers at him. "Stop sneaking up on people like that! You'll give someone a heart attack one day."

 

Then Huang gave his own little speech and that brought a thoughtful expression on her face. And when finally when he was done and when Dio was done, Nicole shrugged.

 

"Doesn't seem like the Deep Ones were being forced to invade by gunpoint." She glanced at Aquaria before continuing. "Elise Cokes was graduating from my school. She dissappeared on June 17 while taking her exams, just as her whole class and the classes in that hall rioted against everyone, anyone, and among themselves. I had to run away from people breaking glass and burning the principal's office. Police finally brought them down through tear gas a day after. There were sporadic riots around the county, even among the police. Course, they happened all the same time and that didn't make going out of your room a fun jaunt."

 

"As for Eli, well, she was gone. So was her dad and her two year old brother. Just like dozens of people missing around the country. It took weeks after the dissapearances to account for them. The Deep Ones and Grue invading London didn't help. Neither did the powered fighting or when the British Armed forces finally deployed."

 

She took a sip from her glass. "Easy to say not to be prejudiced when these things don't affect you."

 

Then Phantom began speaking up and Nicole turned her attention to the Master Mage.

Edited July 27, 2019 by Zeitgeist Blue