ic A Gathering of Mages

[alderwitch]

"It is good to see you as well, Ms. Danger. I hope your family is... well, I hope that they are continuing to defy the odds of their circumstances." That was said with a genuinely fond smile for that particular clan, and their antics. She nodded her greetings to the knot of young women but didn't comment further as they devolved into the taking of selfies and the happy chattering of the young. It made Phantom feel older than her years and she heaved a heavy sigh before nudging her son. 

 

"Go. Have fun with your peers," Phantom murmured, offering her tacit permission for him to go pursue Set for the evening instead of feeling the need to babysit his mother. Just because Halloween was one of the harder days didn't mean he needed to give up on the few fun parts of the job. "I'm more than capable of looking after myself, Huang."

 

She turned back to Aquaria then, having been utterly unphazed at the production of the crab and offered her genuine appreciation. After all, she was relatively used to her children bringing back things for approval like the tiny predators they were. "Indeed, it is an impressive find. We will enjoy it." Or possibly set it free to once more be caught again by a hungry Deep One. "And, no, Ouroboros is correct. I do not believe this particular issue is lemurian in nature. The stars are not right; not tonight. Still, there are plenty of other realms interested in pressing on the thinner barriers that come with this particular time of year."

 

She turned then, pinning Artificer with those blank, white eyes before Phantom smiled slightly and resettled her cloak so that its voluminous folds seethed more closely around her body. Like a living thing, the cloak had a habit of reacting to its mistress's thoughts and mood. In this case, it had slithered across the floor, taking up space in reaction to the Master Mage's discomfit with the social scene. This was Phantom's effort to make herself more approachable as she responded to the formal greeting with the appropriate response, in perfect Atlantean before returning to English, "Claremont is an excellent school. I have taught the occasional lecture there, as time permits. Are you enjoying your studies?"

Edited October 7, 2021 by alderwitch

[Thunder King]

Cat-Sith

 

The small cat in the chair stretched out like a cat for a moment before shifting and growing in mass as he moved.

 

Moments later. Simon, in his simple costume, was sitting in the chair instead of the cat. He leaned back. He looked almost comically small in the large upholstered chair, and smugly content with his luxurious choice of seat. 

 

He was enjoying the show of colorful, interesting people. 

[Spacefurry]

Blackstaff

 

“I’ve been well, thank you. I’d be happy to join you as we wait.”

Christopher returned Oz’s smile and moved to the offered chair.

“It’s reassuring to see a familiar face here.”

He paused before sitting, turning his attention to Heroditus when the younger man addressed him.

 

Artificer  "Oh, those are exquisite!  Did you make them yourself?"

 

He offered a friendly smile and nodded once.

“Yes, I did. Well, everything except this.”

He touched the silver pendant, five-pointed star in a circle, hanging on a silver chain.

“This was a gift from my mother.”

 

Christopher rested the staff against the back of the chair and sat, picking out one of the offered candies before the dish floated away. He regarded the Atlantean again with his sight and nodded.

“Perhaps later we can compare notes.”

Reaching into his trench coat he withdrew a business card and held it out to Heroditus. The card proclaiming Blackstaff Investigations, with the usual Emerald City contact information. 

“I’ll be heading home after this, but I plan on returning.”

He looked over at Oz.

“I just happen to be in town visiting family, but I’ve been encouraged to move my office closer. I was made an offer I couldn’t refuse, as it were.”

He started to chuckle but stopped as Aquaria offered a gift to the Master Magi and announced her proclamation.

 

"If anyone is worried about anything," she added loudly, "it is not anything Deep Ones are doing! There are no Deep Ones around this city! Except for me!"

 

“Well then, I supposed that’s another suspect off the list.” 

He joked, but he was concerned at just what it was that had drawn the attention of so many magic users… and that cat just turned into a young man…

Christopher had been sure it was someone’s familiar or companion. He supposed it still could be. He dismissed the concerns for now. Instead, commenting off-handedly.

“I should remember to introduce myself to the Master Mage and pay my respects before I leave. Make sure she has one of my cards. One never knows who might need the help of a good PI.”

Edited October 7, 2021 by Spacefurry

[Avenger Assembled]

"Good tidings! Good tidings! This is an auspicious season, with great fortune for the coming year!" agreed Aquaria. She considered a moment, casting a goggle-eyed gaze about the room, and croaked noisily "I have a question! I am sorry if everyone knows this. But does everyone know that is a human boy and not a cat? Because that is what that is!" she asked, pointing with her three-fingered hand directly at Cat-Sith. 

[Fox]

"Ooh, certainly! But only if I get a copy," sliding up to Set's other side for the picture; her mask was grinning again, though it was being far less manic about it. She pulled her hood back just far enough to keep it from obscuring the shot, white hair spilling out around her mask. It was a good look.

 

"I think the mask remembers you," the young trickster said, low enough to not carry over the crowd. "You must have made an impression! I want to hear that story sometime." She laughed, adding, "If it helps, though, I don't think it carries any grudges. Everyone gets their one, you know?"

[Gizmo]

Set gave a bark of laughter, loud and abrupt enough that it had to be genuine. “Oh adorable anonymous adept, any ‘one’ of mine was expended ages afore the advent of modern mathematics but I be merry to mark your mask so magnanimous,” she told Masque with a shallow bow and flourish. This has the not incidental effect of briefly raising the backside of her skirt in Ouroboros’ direction.

 

Deftly the godling spun around and leaned back to place herself between Veronica and Masque, one arm extended in front of them to hold her phone. She pulled the Danger scion a little closer by waist to better frame the photo while her extended arm extended a few inches longer than it should have been able to ensure the most flattering angle. With a saucy wink she snapped the picture and was just as suddenly a more respectful step out of their personal space and rapidly tapping away at her phone screen. “Ooh, aye! Truly scintillating!”

 

Immediately Veronica got a notification that she’d been tagged in a photo posted simultaneously to multiple platforms, part of a long thread that showed Set at several parties and in several costumes throughout the evening already. Masque got an invitation to accept an image being shared over Bluetooth although with contact information.

[EternalPhoenix]

Effigy

 

When Simon turned into, well, himself, Wilona botched her mana manipulation and the building rattled ever so slightly. Well. That was gravity. But later. She approached him with a smirk on her face. “And what are you doing here, catboy? Could it be you’re not as boring as half our classmates?” Fire lit her right hand. “I mean, I know why I’m here. We’re going to do some magic.” She jerked her left thumb at Phantom and Set. “The Master Mage is here, there’s a literal deity, you better believe Something Interesting is about to happen.”

 

Invisigirl

 

Naomi was in the zone. She was using both her hands and her powers, coloring and shading in a frenzy of activity. But, alas, she finished her work. Nothing left to do but take pictures with her phone and upload them as previews. And while her phone did that, she looked around the room and saw one of the most beautiful women she’d ever seen. A mental blink later, she corrected herself. This wasn’t just a woman, this was Set. And their outfit was, as always, incredible. This was an incredibly unique opportunity. Professional photographers never got the angles Naomi wanted, much less Set themselves. Because Naomi’s reaction to “Oooh, pretty girl” wasn’t just that, but also “I want to draw that.”. And while she wanted to max invisibility and go take pictures, she also recognize that would be so very wrong. Dang it. So Set was approached by a small spaced out looking teenage girl with her smartphone in one hand and a sketchbook in the other. “Excuse me, Your Divineness. I would like to take pictures of you. So that I can draw you right.” In her way, Naomi could be as bold as Wilona.

[Thunder King]

Cat-Sith

 

Simon blinked. "I heard there was magic on All Hallow's Eve being done. I couldn't think of a more interesting place to be than right here. I don't have any magic to do myself, other than turning into a cat. Where else would I be, but the most interesting place to be?"

 

He didn't get up from his luxurious chair, for fear that someone might steal his spot. 

[angrydurf]

Drawing back in not entirely sincere affront Ouroboros shook his head, "I'm not,"  he countered stiltedly at the accusation he was babysitting his mother and straightened the edges of his coat in an attempt to collect himself, "I'll not impose then Master Muh..."  he stumbled over the appellation as Set's flirtations' flip firmly derailed his thoughts, "-ja-hmmm..."  

 

Saved from further conversation after that lapse by Aquarias proclamation he offered the Deep One a respectful nod, "Your senses are as keen as ever." he complemented as he regarded the curious feline that grew into a young man.   "I have the distinct feeling that sentiment is what got you into your situation to begin with."  the dhampir indicated with a small shrug, "I suppose no harm in an observer."

 

Regarding the teen artist Huang hung back a moment to allow Set time to respond and grant the photos before approaching the godling and their fans, "So are you here to lend your aid Guardian of Ra?"  He asked curiously, "Or merely to observe our scurrying."  his voice lightly teasing.

[Tiffany Korta]

GM Post

There was an unexpected change in the atmosphere of the room with a feeling like static electricity and a taste of tin in the air. All the mages in the room couldn’t help but know that it was happening now.

 

Between the two sweeping staircases, a space had been cleared to create a binding circle that glowed softly from the energies already spent in its creation. Now around it, the air seemed to shimmer and bulge as if the dimension were being bent and rent by intense forces. Then an arm shot out and grasped at the floor, claw-like nails creating gouges in the floor. The flesh of the creature was grey and pale, that of something that had been dead for a long time. The size of the arms seemed to shrink and grow as the dimensions around the creature changed dramatically, the hotel itself was obviously trying to fight this dimensional intrusion. The amount of raw magic being thrown around was intense and something would have to break soon rather than later.

[Tiffany Korta]

GM Post 

A second arm shot out and began to drag the humanoid figure out from the void an ancient grey face surrounded by an array of tentacle-like dreadlocks and face a scowl of determination. With her arrival, there was now the awful smell of death a decay that only got worse as she pulled herself out of the rift. She then stood to her full height, no more than an average human but somehow her thin gaunt form looked all the more intimidating.

 

“At last I return to bring the wrath of the Carrion Queen upon this Earth!”

 

What else she had to say you couldn’t tell as in a final defensive matter the hotel folded its dimension upon itself trying to protect you all from this invader. Deploying small groups of you within different parts of the place, folding rooms and halls around you to stop this invader from causing you harm. But even the lowliest of mages knew that the hotel couldn’t retain this invade and if she left the boundaries of the place then things would go badly for the world.

[Avenger Assembled]

Sea Devil (with Phantom and Set in the bathroom) 

The rearrangement of space and time beyond the ken of mortal men was not something Aquaria found intimidating - but the experience was certainly startling. When everything around her had stopped moving, she crouched low and listened, retracting her helmet so she could truly hear the song the building and those within it sang. "The others are close," she rumbled. "So is Death." She had no name for the thing they had seen but she knew the stink of it and had heard the dissonant song of unholy magic that lay all around it. That thing was certainly no good. Pacing around, Aquaria began to realize that she, Phantom, and Set were sealed in what looked to be one of the rooms where Surfacers went to void their bowels and brush their tiny teeth. Sealed in, the walls of Blackstone closing in - she raised her trident suddenly, eldritch energy crackling around the tines. Something like a portal began to form, the effect like an irising web of tentacles - then faded. She hesitated, lowered her trident, and kicked the door before her. The wood gave a distinct crack and began to splinter...

[Thevshi]

Veronica Danger (In the Kitchen along with Masque and Invisigirl)

 

Veronica had given a winning Danger smile as Set drew her closer for the selfie and then checked her phone when she got the notification of Set posting it on various social media. The teenager was hardly a stranger to social media or the limelight.

 

A younger teenager made her way up to the deity and asked to take her picture, so Veronica stepped aside to not be in the way. The teenage Danger had also been somewhat aware of the interaction between Set and Huang, as the later made his way back over toward the trio and began to question the deity. But before Set could reply to either, Veronica felt a change in the room as she looked around a moment at the changes to the mystical energy that pulsed through the walls of the hotel.

 

That was when the rift opened and something began to make its way through. Veronica turned in the direction of that, her hands starting to glow with golden mystical energy as she prepared to possible cast some spell. But then that the second figure appeared, one that radiated powerful mystical energy of a mostly necromantic nature.

 

And then, suddenly everything began to shift and Veronica found she was in a kitchen along with Masque and the teenage girl who had come over to ask to take Set's photo, one Veronica had noted was not magical in nature. "The hotel moved us away from the threat of that…Carrion Queen." Veronica commented as she glanced around the kitchen a brief moment before her eyes seemed to look far in the distance as she looked through the walls.

 

"The others are scattered in other rooms or halls, all away from the great hall and the Carrion Queen." She then added after a moment before focusing back on Masque and the younger teen.

[EternalPhoenix]

Effigy (w/Artificier and Oz; Corridor)

 

“Nao-Invisigirl!” WIlona whipped her head around, not seeing her partner anywhere. This in and of itself wasn’t unusual. But given the context, she was very concerned. She did not know off the top of her head who the heck the Carrion Queen was, but she’d felt the power behind her emergence and she was pretty sure that the hotel itself had split everyone up to protect them. No reply. She wasn’t here. She could take care of herself. You know, technically. Okay, random corridor, let’s see where you go I guess. “Libert-“ Oh. Right. Her teammate and…whoever this guy was. “I’m going to see if I can get back to the lobby. You guys can do whatever. I’ll be back. Fortius! Libertas!” Slapping her left hand against her breastbone and throwing it back out to her side, her defensive and flight spells activated. She flew down the corridor, wind loud as heck. It went somewhere, dang it. Hey, there were two people up ahead-“Oh gods dammit!” She landed next to the two people she had just left several seconds ago, and Libertas ceased. Her fight hand caught fire. “Listen up you stupid hotel! There are twelve people in here. All of us can mushroom stomp this crazy zombie lady back where she came from!” The fire formed into a ball. “Now open up the way to the others or I’ll burn it open!” Patience? Wilona? Nahhhh.

 

Invisigirl (w/ Masque and Veronica Danger; Kitchen)

 

Naomi blinked.. And blinked again. And a third time. Um. What just happened? She hadn’t been particularly clear on what was going on in the first place. Then there was this zombie lady and now she was somewhere else and Wilona wasn’t here and honestly she was just baffled. But the nice lady spoke. “Oh. Okay. Um. Why, though?” Seriously, she was minutes away from sketching a literal deity in form if not function and now she was…where was this, exactly? She looked around. “Kitchen?” This must be how people felt when she turned invisible. Wait. No…no no no. No no no. Her art supplies were in her bag. Which she’d put down to go talk to Set. In the lobby. Which now featured 100% more evil zombie lady. Well, whatever gets you focused, Naomi. “Invisigirl. My hero name.” She briefly demonstrated the reason for her name, turning invisible and back. “Let’s go back. I left my pencils.” Alas, neither of the other women in the kitchen would know why that was somehow more important than the evil zombie lady. Not that the evil zombie lady wasn’t important, but her art supplies were life.

[Exaccus]

Having been sat in his chair Oz had found himself flung though timeand space in a structurally unfeasable posture for his short, fat legs and upon arriving found himself falling immediately to the floor with a  disgruntled cry

 

"oomph!; Quite a surprise and yet not entirely unexpected..." he complained as he rolled onto his hands and knees and climbed unsteadily to his feet taking a moment to look around his surroundings and ascertain his situation taking quick stock of the faces around him as his dominant hand reflexitively moved through a simple series of warding gestures and with a practised wrinkling of his nose his emerald lenses ascended to his eye level.

 

his right hand moving to some unseen space on the inside of his blazer, ready to pull out some Artifact dwelling within his reliquary should the immediate need arise.

 

"everyone still in one piece?"

[Spacefurry]

Blackstaff 

 

Lobby

 

Christopher was just settling in to the armchair and getting comfortable making small talk when it happened.

 

Blackstaff felt it the instant it started. The hairs on his arm stood on end and a metallic taste touched his tongue as he took in a sharp breath in anticipation. Something was coming, something powerful. Instinctively he was out of the chair and reaching for the black wood staff. His fingers brushed it and the carved runes flared with yellow-orange hellfire as the hellish looking creature dragged itself through the dimensional walls and into this world.

He could sense the very hotel trying to keep the creature out. He felt it’s magic straining against her’s and could feel it losing. They needed to contain her and send her back before she could escape.

 

Suddenly his vision swam and the world blurred. He felt the hotel’s magic fold around them and a surge of magic flared.

 

 

Basement - Blackstaff, Ouroboros, Cait-Sith 

 

For a moment Blackstaff thought he had been blinded, but after a moment he realized it was simply dark. Pulling the chain from his neck, he raised the pendant up and called forth light.

The hotel’s basement revealed itself as the light pushed back the darkness. Pipes crisscrossed the ceiling and lines the halls  here and there.

Blackstaff wasn’t alone either. The Gatekeeper was with him, that was a plus. With them though was the young man that he had been a cat not long ago, that was an unknown variable. He kept his face neutral and professional, after all it was just a cross dimensional invasion by a powerful inhuman creature.

A typical Halloween.

 

“Okay.”

He address the two.

“Time’s short. It seems the hotel attempted to protect us by moving us. We can assume it did that to everyone else as well. That means, we need to assume that the others are going to attempt to make their way back to the lobby and we need to join them there.”

Blackstaff looked around but his light didn’t reveal the basement in its entirety.

“But first we need to our way out of here.”

Edited October 10, 2021 by Spacefurry

[angrydurf]

Basement - Blackstaff, Cait-Sith, Ouroboros  

 

Whatever the godlings response to his query Ouroboros did not hear it his dimensional senses wracked by the invader and the hotels resistance.  As the creature drew itself forth the young magus' eyes flashed crimson and his hands were limned in an eldritch corona as his power swelled to resist the invader as well.

 

The hotel was however quicker and he found himself in darkness wincing against the sudden light from Blackstaffs spell.  Taking stock of their surroundings he slowly nodded, "I think our displacement more accident than protection."  he offered with a shrug, "The Parkhurst is more concerned with keeping Her inside than us safe."  he warned evenly.

 

Making his way around the stacked disused furniture and boxes of unknown origins he began to seek a door out of the basement, "Of course that doesn't mean you are incorrect on our next course of action, only that the Hotel may well fight any direct route to such a goal."  He didn't even bother trying to open a portal the forces protecting the hotel would likely overpower any such attempt and it would need it's power to retain the Carrion Queen.  

 

Locating the heavy fire door leading out of the basement to perhaps a stairwell he cursed softly as it clearly was locked.  "Don't suppose either of you has lock-picks on you?  I'm loath to make the Parkhurst think we're an enemy by attacking it."

[Thunder King]

Basement: Cat-Sith (with Blackstaff and Ouroboros)

 

Cat-Sith had been disoriented for a moment and saw that he was now in the basement. Great, away from the pretty girls and the fun gathering of colorful people, and stuck in the cellar of an old building. Luckily, though, he heard Ouroboros mention that the door was locked, so he could at least be useful there. He had no magic other than his shapeshifting, but living on the streets of Freedom had lead him develop certain...skills. 

 

Cat-Sith reached into his pocket and pulled out a small lockpicking kit. He walked over to the door. "This building is pretty old, and the lock is pretty old, too." He fiddled around for a moment, and heard a satisfying click. "Lucky me." He opened the door slowly.

[Dr Archeville]

Artificer (with Effigy & Oz), Corridor

 

Heroditus was about to ask Phantom if she might be holding classes at Claremont again anytime soon, and ask Blackstaff for permission to examine his pendant, when all hell -- or something like it -- broke loose.  He remembered seeing something break through into this reality, something that looked revolting to his mystical vision, and then... he was in a corridor, with the fiery Claremonter and the story-man.

 

"I am unharmed," he replied to Oz, after he'd picked himself up.  He was not used to teleportation, especially unexpected teleportation, but he managed to conceal his discomfort.  "Do you know what that..." he trailed off as he saw Effigy fly out of sight and then back into view.  "Hrm.  That's... hrm."

 

He looked around, seeing the traces of mystical energies flowing along and through the walls, floor and ceiling, then pulled on his goggles to get a clearer look.  "At first I thought that.. thing which was coming through had done this, but I do not think it would have had the strength to do so.  Before coming here I read up about this place, the stories of its many ghosts and haunts.  How the hotel itself may have developed some sort of genius loci.  I believe," he went on as he traced one line leading to a whorl of mystic energy in the wall, "that our dispersal was caused by the spirit of Parkhurst.  Though I am not sure," he started drawing components from his bandolier, attaching some to a spot on the wall and assembling others into a handheld device, "if it did so on purpose, to protect us, or accidentally, as a byproduct of trying to contain that thing.  In either case, if we can find some way to communicate with the spirit of Parkhurst, and get it to help us find our comrades, we can all work together on expelling this invader."

[Fox]

Masque (in the Kitchen, with Veronica Danger and Invisigirl)

 

"Hey, Invisigirl! I'm Masque - that's with a q-u-e, to be fancy - and this is Veronica." Her mask was a friendly smile as she tipped her staff toward the resident Danger. "We definitely shouldn't let that think have your art supplies - it might paint something very dire! Or sharpen something down too far, to where you can't really grip it anymore? It's jus the worst."

 

She turned a full circle, inspecting the kitchens with open curiosity. "Kitchens usually attach to dining, which usually attach to main hallways, yeah?" She glanced back at the others, her mask a simple question mark. "But this whole place is magic and probably doesn't make a lot of sense so unless you know how to get around Veronica, we should probably just start walking. If you do know, though, lead the way!"

[Exaccus]

Oz (Corridor: with Artificer and Effigy)

 

"Im glad you're well my young friend.." oz began as the young lady darted away and then appeared again down the opposite end of the hallway he was about to caution the young woman against rash action when the young man spoke up and offered his council.

 

"ah i believe i may have just the trinket for that if you'll give me but a moment...something from back in my archeological study days back home..." and with that he pulled out a slender brass tube topped with a hoop, thin opalescent wires strung between various points on the circumference in a web like pattern and a stethescope like attachment on the base.

 

"The Pattern scope, should translate your words into a rhythmic form the spirit should be able to interpret with around uuh...96 percent accuracy and allow it to respond in kind." he said with a smile, gently running his fingers over the taunt tangle of material making up its hoop before offering it to the both of his young companions. "Im afraid im still a little too jittery to handle it myself...haven't seen active combat in a few years now." he explained with a nervous chuckle.

[Gizmo]

Set - Restrooms (with Phantom and Aquaria)

 

“Oh, Ra’s conspicuous nipples!” Set swore as the hotel reconfigured around her, stamping one foot against the dated pattern of the tiled floor in petulant irritation. “I was speaking unto a fan! I only attended to observe, mayhaps to live-stream, then assess the vibe and see within how many hotel chambers I could get divinely freaky with… ah. Thy eldest progeny, oh She Who Stands Above All Mortal Magisters,” the godling finished her tirade with an awkward cough as she realized who else was in the room.

 

She started paying attention to her surroundings in time to notice Aquaria kick at the door. “Woah now, peace my good armoured amphibian! The building be agitated enough; think how you might feel having someone kicking apart your bowels, eh?” She got closer to the Deep One to give her a winning smile and caught something of her mounting agitation in her frog-like countenance. “Nay then, listen oh saltwater siren. Desert goddess, aye?” She placed the fingertips of one hand to her corseted bosom. “I have spied plenty of carrion in my days and any being claiming that title is an absolute disaster of a imprisoned primordial being. Truly, we talk, you know, and I’ve not seen her at any of the good parties. Whereas we are obviously fabulous and we be with the Master Mage. We’ll be out before your fins have had a chance to dry.”

 

Though Set was laying it on pretty thick there was an undercurrent of genuine encouragement in her words and an invitation to focus on something other than whichever element of their situation was triggering Aquaria. “Do you know? We be in a restroom, we be killing time, I shall have a mirror selfie with the Sea Devil, methinks. Be you on social? Sweetgills, you shall have a lineup competing to hang onto your back, hm?” She started to guide Aquaria away from the door with a light touch while giving Phantom a significant look. “Times be you just desire to look good and times be you need to blow off some steam, aye? She Who Passes Law on the Lawmakers knows of what I speak! …truly, I respect and care for thy son. Respectfully.”

[alderwitch]

"Hm," Phantom hummed softly, the sound starting out echoing and hollow before ending in a very human register as she solidified, booted feet dropping down softly onto the tile. It might seem as if she were giving Set the cold shoulder, although really, Phantom's senses were stretching out through the twists and turns of the hotel as it folded and reconfigured. Reaching up, she finally pulled back her hood, letting it fall back, to show her features more clearly although the black mask still obscured her brow and eyes. Still, it was enough of her face to see the dimples flash in her cheeks when she smiled at Set. "Relax, Set. Young love is worth indulging in, regardless of how it may end. I just don't need to hear the details. My mundane life is depressing enough without adding that to it."

 

Her gaze swung from Set to the tension lining Aquaria's body and her tone softened. "It's alright, I assure you. I may no longer carry the Void about in my pocket exactly, but I am never trapped. Especially not when the prison is a dear old friend." 

 

She stepped away from the pair towards the door that Aquaria had kicked, reaching out one gloved hand to press against the wood. There was a pulse of magic from her palm although Phantom murmured no spell and made no gesture. She'd left such trappings and tells behind a long time ago. "Well done. You've held her for the moment, my friend, but let us help you deal with the problem proper, yes? Isn't that what you called us here for in the first place? Open the path for us, please."

 

It was very clear that that last part wasn't to anyone in the room but rather the hotel itself.

[Avenger Assembled]

Aquaria was faced with a complicated dilemma. First a terrible creature from a foul realm showed up in the middle of the party. Then she was trapped in a small space with people she didn't know well and her efforts to break free weren't going well. Then Set approached her. Oh Set wore the shape of a comely Surfacewoman, Aquaria supposed, and certainly had very sweet words, and had done more with her smell than the average Surfacer would ever have bothered with, but she knew the Egyptian 'god' by reputation. Not just a false god of the Surface but a god of the desert no less - as if one terrible thing had announced it was the god of the worst place on Earth! 

 

But she was trying very hard to fit in around all of these other Surfacers, especially in a time of real crisis, and Set certainly was trying to put her at ease even if she didn't understand most of what she was talking about, and it was nice to have someone actually talk to her and take an interest in what she was thinking and feeling, except - Oh no! Even the desert 'god' knows I need a mate! She throbbed her throat nervously as Set lined them up into position and automatically adopted her most fearsome mien when Set snapped the picture, opening her jaw wide and snapping her tongue at the mirror as long as Set's arm, the better to show off its length. 

 

"Most of the males I know don't like pictures that do not move or speak or stink," she croaked. "I do not think this will work." But she didn't sound sorry she had done it, and indeed she was not. What could it possibly hurt? "Make sure they do not have, you know, the male genitals on the outside," she croaked to Set as Phantom's power began the process of restoring them to the rest of the team. "That is ridiculous!" she added in a croak so loud it carried through the opening door. 

[Thevshi]

Veronica Danger (In the kitchen with Masque and Invisigirl)

 

Veronica gave a small wave to Invisigirl when Masque introduced her as the teenage Danger had another distant look as she slowly looked around the kitchen again, seemingly looking through the walls to whatever lay beyond. "Well, the building is trying to contain the Carrion Queen, to keep her from escaping out into the city." She answered Invisigirl's question. "It would appear it felt it best to remove everyone from that area as it works to contain her."

 

As Masque suggested starting to walk back toward the main hall, Veronica frowned slightly and focused back on the other two. "Doesn't look like it will be as simple as starting back toward the main hall on foot. The magic the building used to move everyone is still very much in place. If we start off out of one of the exits, it seems we will end up right back here."

 

"So, we either need to find a way to convince the hotel to let us get back to the others and the main hall. Or….a way to trick it into thinking we are still here when we leave."